Pumpkin Ale - Pumpkin Question

Wanted to try a pumpkin ale in time to have a few months to age before Halloween. I saw good things about the AHS and MW kits and would probably get the MW kit due to proximity. I saw a LOT of different variations on use of pumpkin - in the steeping, during the boil, during fermentation, etc. and whether to use canned pumpkin pie filling or canned unspiced pumpkin. Wanted to check the wisdom of the home brewers on here before I made the plunge for the first time. Many thanks!

 

I did one extract with pumpkin where I through it in the boil. It was not very good. Most of the good ones I've had have been AG with the pumpkin in the mash, or funny enough, no pumpkin at all. Just the right blend of crystal malts and pumpkin spice (I think Southern Tier's Pumpking does it like that, and it's my favourite).

Maybe some others will chime in with different methods.

 

I brewed one once AG with I believe it was around 9lbs of roasted pumpkin in the mash....Although most of the Flavor that makes it a Pumpkin Ale is in the spices as Damoxemus said.

 

I followed the directions on NB's Spiced Pumpkin ale extract kit where they suggest, I believe (you can look at the recipe online to be sure) 1 can of pumpkin mashed with 2 pounds of 6-row and their steeping grains for an hour prior to the boil. It turned out great and I very well might brew it up soon so it's nice and mature by mid-October!

 

I have only done one Pumpkin Ale, the kit from NB. This was with 7 pounds of canned pumpkin and 3 pounds of canned spiced pumpkin pie drizzled with molasses and baked in the oven before being stirred into the mash. That was probably my worst stuck mash haha. The grain bed solidified like concrete.

I added cinnamon and vanilla beans into the fermenter and everyone loved it.

 

I've done 3 pumpkin beers now, all of them a bit different. My best experience in adding pumpkin is to use canned pumpkin, spread on a baking sheet, and baked at about 375 for ~60 mins or until it browns. Then add it to the boil once you get a rolling boil.

Like others said, the pumpkin doesn't give it pumpkin flavor - really, pumpkin flavor is boring. It's the spice that's important, so you'll want to add some towards the end of the boil.

I've added maple syrup towards the end of the boil, and I like how that one turns out. I tried molasses last year and didn't like it at all.

I've done it AG and extract, and the extract attempts have been better so I'll be doing mine as an extract again this year.

 

Read this. Its tips from Elysian brewing, they make several well reviewed umpkin ales:
http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/5-tips-brewing-pumpkin-beers-elysian-brewing-co/
My tip: use it in the mash (I usually do 3-4cans) and add another can of sweet potatoes or something similar. It sounds weird, but it rounds out the pumpkin flavor more. Go easy on the spices, and use them in the primary

 

Rice Hulls will reduce your risk of a stuck mash...I used a pound in a 5 gal recipe. Worked well.

 

Good read. I haven't made the jump to AG yet, so I will definitely be doing an extract version. From the Elysian article, it sounds like it doesn't matter too much if you add pumpkin during the steeping or boil or both and that the pie/pure distinction is more a matter of taste. As a newbie to brewing this style, I'd definitely be interested in those who have successfully pulled off an extract version and if they have any key thoughts on it.

Definitely lots of different thoughts on the MW review section:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/pumpkin-ale.html?p=1#Reviews_tab

 

Good read. I haven't made the jump to AG yet, so I will definitely be doing an extract version. From the Elysian article, it sounds like it doesn't matter too much if you add pumpkin during the steeping or boil or both and that the pie/pure distinction is more a matter of taste. As a newbie to brewing this style, I'd definitely be interested in those who have successfully pulled off an extract version and if they have any key thoughts on it.

Definitely lots of different thoughts on the MW review section:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/pumpkin-ale.html?p=1#Reviews_tab

 

Apologies for the duplicate post. I didn't realize moderator approval would prevent me from seeing the post until it was approved. Sorry for the extra work!

 

In my pumpkin recipe I found that baking the pumpkin as instructed above worked best in my situation. The only difference was I mixed brown sugar in to caramelize with the pumpkin and then added that to my mash.