Pumpkin Mead

I am looking to make a mead that tastes like pumpkin pie. My wife is a big fan of pumpkin pie and I have yet to find something that I HB that she likes. This might do the trick. If any one has a recipe or some suggestions please help. I am looking to use it for Halloween or thanks giving. Next year. Or a sweet mead that could be used this year.

Cheers

 

I don't know about pumpkin, but you could probably get the spice flavor going pretty well. Sorry, I don't have a recipe. Try Got mead . com

 

If you know a traditional receipe add about 10 to 15 lbs of fresh cubed pumpkin, 1 Cinnamon stick and 2 Cloves. This would need to be in the primary for about 2 months before racking to a secondary so I would suggest using Lalvin D47 yeast also.

If you don't have a traditional receipe I can get you a very simple one.

 

Yer not gonna get a drinkable mead in 30 days with complex flavors like pumpkin and spice...by thanksgiving you could have a semi-cloudly mead that might have a bit of hot alcohol bite to it.

mead is a lot like wine...it really has to age and mellow to truly peak.

 

I just tasted a month old mead and he's right, no way. It's jet fuel for a few months. 30 days is about where I'd rack it onto the flavoring agents.

 

I would say, skip the pumpkin and just go with pumpkin pie spices. It will be a pumpkin pie spice mead.

 

Hey I think the NEXT YEAR part got overlooked. Sorry but just adding the spices will not give the flavor I believe is being looked for here. Pumpkin is used in a few brews and several have been used to make mead. They server a great pumpkin beer at our Ren Fest in Kansas City, Stout by retains a hint of the pumpkin. Use the pumpkin and spices and you will get a good pumpkin nose and good hints of the flavor.

 

if you were to start with a good traditional mead/basic recipe, say 3#honey/gallon, in primary, then rack onto 2-3#/gallon of oven roasted pumpkin....the roasting will bring out the sweetness of the pumpkin by caramelizing some of the sugars. After a few months on the pumpkin, add some pumpkin pie spice, but not the ground stuff. Try to avoid racking until the pumpkin flavor is well established. Don't forget to add peptic enzyme when you add the pumpkin, but don't be surprized if it doesn't clear completely since the pumpkin was roasted.

It should be lovely by next year!

 

mgayer,

I just started a 7.5gal batch of pumpkin mead with pumpkin puree. You mention leaving it in the primary for 2 months before racking. What about the top 1 inch of the must that forms a skin??? that thick stuff?? I don't know the name it would be called. Is that ok to leave there? Should I try to stir that in every so often with my spoon ( once a week ? )

Thank you for your time to look and reply back.

Dennis

 

Dennis - wow 7.5 gallons? I hope it turns out for you. I doubt @mgayer is going to reply, his profile shows his last activity on this forum was in September of 2012...but who knows.

The "skin" you are referring to is called krausen and you should leave it. It will dissipate over time. It is a non-issue.

 

Most of that "Pumpkin Pie flavor" is just the spices. The actual flavor of pumpkin is a bit mild and tends to get blown out by the yeast. Pumpkin WILL add a nice mouthfeel though. I have also read that a little bit of baked sweet potato can do wonders in a pumpkin pie brew.

 

I know this is a necro thread, but for those who wanted an idea here is what i did. I personally love Mead for every one wine i brewed i have about 5 meads going. I love dry meads, but I am in a similar situations. To overcome this i made a Cheat method mead for people that are picky. I brew a batch of mead to dryness. a base mead and the cheat is in the back sweeting. When I back sweeten i add torani sugar free pumpkin pie syrup. about a cup (8oz) per five gallons but you should add to taste. This is not a method that appeals to purist, but it may fix situation or anyone in a similar situation. The nice thing is that it is sugar free so no worries about refermentation and they add the pumkin pie scent and flavor to ur drink.


A second cheat method and again this is not for purist is to make a regular base mead and the day you serve it add a pump or two of the sugar free torani pumkin pie syrup to your wine/mead glass, similar to the way they make the fancy coffee drinks at starbucks.

With mead there are so many things that you can try and one reason it is my favorite drink.. Cheers