With a pound of rice hulls, what could go wrong....

[stevea1210]

I'm fighting my pumpkin ale right now. 11.5 lbs of grain, 73 ounces of pumpkin, a full pound of rice hulls...

I couldnt get a temp to stick to save my life. Twice added a quart of boiling water. The mash finally stabilized at 153 (shooting for 154).

I get done with the mash, and I'm confident the pound of rice hulls will get me through the mess that pumpkin causes.

Nope... she is trickling out. Not completely stuck, but just enough of a trickle for me not to go into emergency stuck sparge mode. I swear this beer is mocking me.

This is enogh to drive a man to drink. I didn't use a vacation day to get stressed by my beer.

 

[ArcaneXor]

Pumpkin is evil!

 

[Whiskey]

Yeah, rice hulls are not a guarantee, only a precaution. Although I have heard pumpkin in the mash is a good formula for a stuck sparge.

 

[zman]

Are you using canned pumpkin? I used baking pumpkins and #2 of RH and had no issues.

 

[stevea1210]

Are you using canned pumpkin? I used baking pumpkins and #2 of RH and had no issues.

i used canned.

Well it all worked out in the end. I collected 8 gallons, boiled down to 5.5, and hit my OG dead on.

It's been a year since I brewed with pumpkin. Now I remember why....

but damn i love me some pumpkin ale.

 

[sonetlumiere85]

The pumpkin itself doesn't contribute much sugar, most people who make pumpkin ales depend on pie spices (anise, cinnamon, cloves, etc). I learned that the hard way when I made a pumpkin beer with pulp in the mash - wasn't necessary, just made things harder for sparging.

 

[zman]

i used canned.

Well it all worked out in the end. I collected 8 gallons, boiled down to 5.5, and hit my OG dead on.

It's been a year since I brewed with pumpkin. Now I remember why....

but damn i love me some pumpkin ale.

Glad to hear it all worked out well for ya. I am going to start my Pumpkin Spice soon and thought about using canned pumpkin to cut down on time.

 

[dontman]

I thought you did not have to mash the pumpkin at all. And could just put it in the primary or secondary.

Is there a lot of starch in pumpkin that needs to be converted?

Are extract brewers able to make pumpkin beers?

 

[ArcaneXor]

I thought you did not have to mash the pumpkin at all. And could just put it in the primary or secondary.

Is there a lot of starch in pumpkin that needs to be converted?

Are extract brewers able to make pumpkin beers?

Pumpkin is mostly starch and very little sugar. If you don't mash it, you pretty much just add haze and trub - not a whole lot of flavor.

EDIT: Many people actually use a type of squash instead of pumpkin to get more flavor. That can reportedly be boiled without mashing.

 

[jjp36]

I usually mash mine, just so i don't have to deal with all the pumpkin trub in the primary.

I think i used 90oz in my imperial pumpkin and only a half pound of rice hulls. Mine drained pretty well until i got to the very end, then it slowed down significantly. It never got completely stuck though.