Pumpkin Spice Ale Recipe Critique

Hello everyone,

Would like to get some feedback on a Pumpkin Spice ale I am working on.

Thanks in advance!

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size (fermenter): 10.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 9.50 gal
Estimated OG: 1.062 SG
Estimated Color: 11.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 24.5 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 78.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 89.1 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amt Name
4 lbs Baked Pumpkin (3.0 SRM)
17 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
3 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM)
1 lbs 4.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM)
1 lbs Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)
4.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM)
0.90 oz Warrior [15.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min
0.75 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 30.0
2.10 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)
2.10 tsp Wyeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 mins)
1.00 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (Boil 0.0 mins)
3.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05)

 

Sounds good. Never made one exactly like it........guess I'd omit the chocolate malt.

 

Pretty standard recipe, except for maybe the chocolate malt. Looks good to me. Add rice hulls.

 

Thank you for your replies!

 

I made a similar recipe last year minus the chocolate malt. I also added 1tsp pumpkin pie spice to the pumpkin purée before I baked it. Are you mashing with the pumpkin or adding it during the boil?

 

I added some chocolate to mine this year for color (about 3oz in a 5 gallon batch), I'm interested to see what it does to the flavor. It shouldn't be too noticeable at that percentage of the bill. I always advise spicing moderately in the boil, then taste and spice accordingly in the secondary.

 

I highly recommend a toasted cinnamon stick in secondary, maybe halve the upfront spice.

 

For the record, I brewed this beer last year and my friends have literally been counting the days until pumpkins are back in season to get more. I've never seen people fiend for a beer as hard as they do for this one!


Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: London ESB and London Ale
Yeast Starter: Yes
Batch Size (Gallons): 10
Original Gravity: 1.089
Final Gravity: 1.021
IBU: 39.2
Boiling Time (Minutes): 75
Color: 12
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 14 @ 70
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7 @ 70
Tasting Notes: Pumpkin Pie, simple as that. Also, the ABV is hidden quite well.

31.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 89.5 %
4.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 10.5 %
3.00 lb Biscuit Malt - 25L (25.0 SRM) Grain 8.5%
2.00 oz Magnum [13.10%] (60 min) Hops 36.2 IBU
1.00 oz Sterling [6.00%] (10 min) Hops 3.0 IBU
4.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs London Ale (Wyeast Labs #1028) Yeast-Ale

Spice Additions - 1.0 heaping tsp of the following added @ 5 minutes -
nutmeg, cloves, alspice, ginger, cinnamon

At bottling - 1.25 tsp of Pumpkin Pie spice was added per 5 gallons as well as
~4 oz of real vanilla extract

 

The pumpkin beer IMO, is going to turn out really good. I can't wait to taste it after fermentation