Pumpkin Ale

[KendallAdkins]

I'm going to be making a pumpkin ale (for the first time) soon so I can age it for the Halloween-Thanksgiving weeks.

I'm pretty good at developing my own recipes. I was just wondering what I should use as a base recipe. I would guess Pale Ale? Maybe a Pumpkin Porter would be delicious. And I love alliterations.

Also, is there a noticeable difference fresh roasted pumpkin vs roasting canned pumpkin?

Is there a certain ratio of pumpkin you guys use?

Does the pumpkin go in the mash or the boil? (I'm thinking mash.)

 

[KendallAdkins]

I'm half considering just buying the 3 gallon BIAB Smashing Pumpkin kit from NB. As much as I like developing recipes, I assume theirs would be extremely comparable if not better than what I would come up with.

Side note: I do a more traditional all grain method in 3 gallon batches, not BIAB, but the recipe kits work well for that, too.

 

[Rev2010]

I prefer amber's as a base, but it depends on what kind of pumpkin ale you want obviously, like since you mentioned a pumpkin porter. I've never used whole pumpkin but so far everything I've read said flavor/mouthfeel wise there's not too much a difference between canned and whole. Spices however people seem to say the contrary, that fresh whole spices are way better than powered. I've only used canned pumpkin and powered spices so far and in my personal opinion, and of a few bartenders at a Manhattan brewery/restaurant, mine stands alongside commercial pumpkins. Those bartenders I mentioned preferred mine to the house pumpkin ale. Just been doing it this way for convenience. Some day though I will try whole spices.

Oh, and I put the pumpkin in the mash. If you're using canned pumpkin be sure to use a lot of rice hulls.


Rev.

 

[Peruvian802]

Pumpkin is the perfect reason for BIAB. I do a 3 gallon version using roasted canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice (subtle).

 

[KendallAdkins]

Pumpkin is the perfect reason for BIAB. I do a 3 gallon version using roasted canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice (subtle).

How much canned pumpkin do you use? I'm a 3 gallon guy as well.

 

[Samaral]

I use a amber ale as a base beer. I mashed 64oz of canned pumpkin for a 5 gallon batch. I also used pumpkin pie spice at the end of the boil. Its a family favorite.

 

[Damoxemus]

I've had pumpkin ale in all sorts of base recipes - pale, brown, marzen (lagered), porter. I prefer the brown and marzen my self, but there is a chocolate pumpkin porter I am quite fond of as well.

 

[KendallAdkins]

I've had pumpkin ale in all sorts of base recipes - pale, brown, marzen (lagered), porter. I prefer the brown and marzen my self, but there is a chocolate pumpkin porter I am quite fond of as well.

Hmm, chocolate pumpkin does sound interesting. That's an off centered ale. : )

 

[Roundhouse]

I just brewed mine yesterday. It's a Brown Porter Pumpkin. 36% of the grist is Brown malt. There's a dash of flaked oaks and carafa II as well. I roasted 64 oz of canned pumpkin purree in the oven at 400° for one hour. It was added to the boil in a steeping bag. I'll know in a few weeks how it'll turn out but it smells like pumpkin pie.

 

[Peruvian802]

How much canned pumpkin do you use? I'm a 3 gallon guy as well.

One 29oz can or two 15oz cans, depending on what I can get.

Search Reno eNVy's recipe and scale down (more or less).

 

[JDFlow]

Don't waste your time with adding pumpkin at all. There's an old recipe of Basic Brewing where they brew a pumpkin ale with pumpkin and pie spices and one with pumpkin pie spices only. In a blind test the one with spices only was chosen as the better beer and the one everyone thought had pumpkin in it.

My first attempt at a pumpkin ale was with canned pumpkin. It was decent. My second attempt I used no pumpkin, it was much better.

 

[Roundhouse]

Every beer I've ever had that only used spices tasted like it was only spices. Body was lacking. I'm weary of any results where people state they prefer one type over the other. After all, the number one selling beer in the world is Bud Light so most people must think it tastes the best.

 

[Rev2010]

Don't waste your time with adding pumpkin at all. There's an old recipe of Basic Brewing where they brew a pumpkin ale with pumpkin and pie spices and one with pumpkin pie spices only.

Where's the fun in that? Firstly, I couldn't personally bring myself to call it a pumpkin ale without pumpkin. It would just be pumpkin pie spiced ale. Then when people ask one of the many questions regarding the pumpkin in the beer I'll have to confess that there is none in there. That aside, while pumpkin is a very light flavor addition to the beer the biggest difference I notice is a slightly silky mouthfeel, it's quite nice. Maybe in your quoted blind taste test they used filtered ales, which is extremely common, so that aspect was lost. Either way, baking three 15oz cans of Libby's for 30 minutes at 350 and adding it to the mash with some rice hulls really isn't all that big an inconvenience. Slow sparge is more of an inconvenience but just a longer wait and I always plan for time when doing my pumpkin ales anyhow.


Rev.

 

[Peruvian802]

I brewed this today. OG was again higher than expected, even with another 2 qts pour over BIAB sparge. Nothing stuck with BIAB. My notes included "nice squash" and "mild spices" from last year.

 

[JDFlow]

Maybe in your quoted blind taste test they used filtered ales, which is extremely common, so that aspect was lost.

Maybe not.

It's a homebrewing podcast. Listen for yourself. Also notice they quote the guy who wrote Radical Brewing and offer the info to find the feed to hear straight from his mouth that pumpkin doesn't do much for the beer.

Here's the podcast...
http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/0/1/9/019...09609428&hwt=c642a5a28b603e8ae0e78edc7e30f487

 

[JDFlow]

Also, this is just information and opinion. Do what you want to YOUR beer.... Because it's yours.

 

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

psssst, Kendall,,,,,,,,check out the pumpkin ale recipes in the recipe section

 

[KendallAdkins]

psssst, Kendall,,,,,,,,check out the pumpkin ale recipes in the recipe section

I realize most things on this forum get covered in other sections, but if we never start threads to talk about specific things that get covered in more general sections, we would run out of things to talk about.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

The pumpkin contribution to the flavor is actually a kind of squash-like taste. Very subtle and not great on its own but works well with the spices. Just to throw 2 more cents in the pot, I spread two 29 oz cans of Libby's pumpkin on a cookie sheet and put in a 350F oven for 30 - 60 minutes. Watch it and see when it starts to carmelize. I put 1/2 in the mash (BIAB in my case) an 1/2 in the boil. I use McCormick's pumpkin pie spice at intervals late in the boil and in secondary. Just for a change, I also add some Grade B maple syrup in secondary. I keep playing with the spices but have always been happy with the results.