Pumpkin in Secondary

[DGag453]

I currently have a strong wheat beer fermenting in my primary. After the fact, I've decided it should be a pumpkin wheat. Now I am wishing I had used actual pumpkin in the boil, but will have to try in the secondary.

I've searched the forums, but can't seem to find anybody who has actually put pumpkin in the secondary. I found one person who referred to having heard that it might give a "raw vegetable flavor." Anyway, anyone know what result I will have if I take about 60 oz of canned pumpkin, roast it in the oven, then add to a secondary and rack on top of it? If this is a bad idea, how about boiling the pumpkin in about a gallon of water and adding the whole concoction into the secondary?

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[BrianHitsCar]

I'm far from an expert on the matter, but your first idea sounds great to me. Oven roasted pumpkin (especially with pumpkin pie spice) should add a very nice flavor in the secondary.

 

[FermentedTed]

I'm far from an expert on the matter, but your first idea sounds great to me. Oven roasted pumpkin (especially with pumpkin pie spice) should add a very nice flavor in the secondary.

+1 on the pumpkin pie spice. I've only done a pumpkin beer once, but I swear most of the flavor came from the spice as opposed to the pumpkin.

 

[UpstairsBrewer]

I agree with the spices giving most of the flavor. It is tough to brew a pumpkin beer without pumpkin but I think if you added some allspice, nutmeg, clove and cinnamon you would get the flavors you are looking for. The color may be different because that would mostly come from the pumpkin itself. Just my thoughts.

 

[ABrewingApe]

Got a batch in the secondary with pumpkin right now, actually! It's just about ready to bottle. There's been pumpkin added at every step so far.

It's my first pumpkin brew but god knows I've consumed enough of them--pumpkin is really mild in flavor. The pumpkin flavor in the finished beer seems to be mostly a caramelized note from the toasted starch/sugar of the roast pumpkin and a gentle, subtle squashiness. The rest is spices!

I think you'd get more pumpkin flavor out of toasting your pumpkin harder than adding additional lightly-cooked pumpkin.

 

[beargrylls]

hey guys how did the roasted pumpkin added to secondary turn out?

 

[beaksnbeer]

I made a wheat beer added roasted/oven baked then roasted for 15 min. with sprinkled brown sugar on top. Then 1/4 tsp of cloves, allspice, nutmeg and 1/2tsp of cinnamon boiled in 1 1/2 cups of water boiled down to 1 cup, added both to secondary pumpkin pie in a glass. This year added 2 cups of quick oats top the boil looking for a creamier mouth feel (whipped cream on top of the pie ) LOL