Thoughts on mashing in with Graham crackers for a pumpkin ale

[troegaarden]

Hey guys, I want to brew two pumpkin beers this year (AG) in a few weeks. I ordered a Midwest Supplies Pumpkin Ale kit and the other beer will most likely be a recipe from Randy Mosher's Radical Brewing. I really want to get a present, yet not overwhelming pie flavor in each one with graham crackers in the mash along with cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, etc in the boil with baked brown sugar covered-pumpkin. Thoughts?

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

When I used graham crackers in my mash the only noticeable effect I got from it was the head on the beer snapped and crackled like rice crispies in milk and was excessively firm. Good for head retention though. But didn't get the flavor from it.

 

[ShaineT]

Maybe just use base ingredients of the graham crackers, just a thought. The mace, nutmeg and cinnamon could go in at the end of the boil and the graham-flour could be added to the mash. This might even pull in flavors of the graham crackers more efficiently than using the actual crackers.

 

[Beernik]

Maybe add some biscuit or victory malt to give it some toasty flavors.

 

[prohl84]

I just bottled a butternut nut brown I made with some of my squash that didn't get eaten over the winter. I used 3# (roasted) for a 6.5 gal in the mash along with .5# rice hulls. The squash aroma pre-carb is almost sickly sweet but the flavor is actually pretty balanced (more 'pumpkin' than I have tasted in any brew so far). Not sure if you would consider it overwhelming (probably) but you might only need 1.5- 2# if you want pumpkin flavor bearing in mind that, at least imho, hubbard or buttercup (C. maxima) have way more 'pumpkin' flavor than actual pumpkins (C. pepo) butternut (C. moschata) is a little fruitier can be almost melon-y.

+1 on the biscuit/ victory possibly some roasted/ chocolate. I would favor roastier caramel malts because you are going to get sweetness from the pumpkin.

 

[troegaarden]

You guys rock. Thanks for the suggestions! I'll post results and what I chose to do probably by early September.