Pumpkin Ale recipe help

Looking to make a Pumpkin ale. I am using Marris otter, munich, crystal 90L, and special Roast. EKG and some fuggles Wyeast 1335. Trying to think about either adding brown sugar to this or Maple syrup? Or both? any ideas on whats good? any experiences with these and how they taste? Does maple add soem taste profile to the batch?

 

I've done plenty of pumpkin ales and a few maple beers... I can tell you that you really aren't going to get much maple flavor unless you use the maple extract (before being boiled down to syrup) from some maple trees and use that instead of brewing liquor. Otherwise, what sadly happens is all the mapley flavor gets scrubbed away due to fermentation and you're left with a woody, piney character.

Brown sugar, especially the darker stuff, adds a molasses-like flavor which is important especially if you're going for a pumpkin pie flavor.


But if you're really looking to add maple flavor, use fenugreek. That's the stuff they use in fake maple syrup.

 

ahh okay thanks Reno. I read about the Fenugreek somewhere. Sounds good. Will be using some Brown sugar then. since I got the Pumpkin Roasting in the Oven now and I do have Brown sugar on hand. If I add about 1/2 cup of this to a 2.5 gallon batch about how much more alcohol is made? what if 1 cup?

 

Well got the Pumpkin ale in the fermentor now with the pitched yeasties. I hope it turns out okay. Got an OG of 1.060 on the Hydrometer. I did end up using just a 1/2 cup of brown sugar in this 2 gallon batch of beer.

 

Nice. Not really sure how much the half cup would have contributed considering sugar can be compressed and thus volume is not an accurate measurement. Next time weigh it out.

Either way, you have beer!