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oldhat

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I didn't know whether to put this thread in this section or the extract section so apologies if I messed up on that ground.

Okay, so. without getting in to a big story about it, I have an idea for a Pumpkin Coffee Ale for next month, but money is REALLY bad right now so I can't afford a lot of the things I'd like and besides, I really just want something simple and fun to make. I figured that it may be a good idea to pay for an extract kit (in this case Cooper's Brown Ale) and then add some things to it.

The plan is to add the following:

- Chinook hops: I know the kit is hopped already, but I just want to add .5oz at the last 5 minutes of boil to give it a kick.

- Grains: I still have some caramel 45 malt kicking around and I figure it might add a bit more depth to the brew if I steep about 1lb of it before adding the malt kit. Now, I know that for grains using 6-Row will help bring out the sugars in the pumpkin, but I'm not sure I'll be able to afford it...my LBS is expensive.

- Pumpkin stuff: Either buy canned or a whole poumpkin to roast in the oven and then pop in the boil. And all the spices involved (allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla extract...). Will be researching the measurements for those.

- Coffee! Devil's Brew coffee, roasted and blended right here in Toronto. To drop in to the fermenter cold while in it's second week of fermentation or while bottling. Again, research will be needed for measurements.

So that's it...minus the kit itself (which will be $18 or so) all the other ingredients will come to less than $10, which is all within my current price range.

My question is: does this look okay, or will this be a recipe for disaster?

As always with this forum, any and all help is greatly appreciated and you have my thanks in advance!
 
1 pound of crystal is too much, drop to .25 or .50 lbs

6-row needs to be mashed

Not too sure about the pumpkin, I read a lot about brewers adding the pumpkin to the mash tun. Someone else will need to help you with this.


Make sure your coffee is sanitary, i figure people do this by making a slightly weaker batch then bring to a quick boil, chill and add.
 
Hi, hopsalot. Thank you!

so sorry, I'm a bit confused. Is the crystal usually made with 6-row?

And thanks for the tip on making the coffee sanitary! I actually didn't think of that.
 
Malt is cheap as hell here. I'd just turn up, see what you can get and mash a small amount as an added flavour rather than relying on the malt for much sugar...i just did it, it's easy! Just remember, it might seem like a decent amount of cash, but you dont wanna spoil a large batch.

Last 5 mins will just add hop aroma. If you want extra bitterness, add it in earlier.

Consider steeping something in with the priming sugar too, I do it with ginger, cinnamon etc and it's great, you get it on the nose when you open the bottle or pour a pint.

You could also caramlize a small amount of the wort for extra flavour. The sugar will still be there, and it'll add a sort of toffeeness to it - just leave a small amount in and boil the crap out of it until it's gooey.

Just ideas. Looks good, although pumpkin coffee sounds awful to me :p
 
@RobWalker WOW! Thank you! I have some questions if that's okay!

Out of curiosity, how much hops and for how long? I just want a sliiiight bitterness.

For the steeping with the priming sugar, would that just be throwing some shredded ginger and a cinnamon stick or two in to a filter bag and putting it in while the water boils and the sugar melts?

I love love LOVE the idea of caramalizing a small amount of the wort. I actually think I will try that.
 
Hi, hopsalot. Thank you!

so sorry, I'm a bit confused. Is the crystal usually made with 6-row?

And thanks for the tip on making the coffee sanitary! I actually didn't think of that.

The term "6-row" refers to a base malt. These are malts that need to be mashed in order to activate the enzymes that release the sugars. Base malts are generally just dried while some are kilned for a little color and flavor!

A base malt that has been heated varying temps for varying times becomes a specialty malt. The more heat and time applied allows for more color and complex flavors! like a marshmallow in a fire, a little heat will slightly brown the outside and add a little caramel flavor while a lot of heat and time turns the marshmallow black and toasty flavored!

Specialty malts do not necessarily have to be mashed most can be steeped however when you steep a grain you are only getting color and flavor, not the sugars which require the enzymatic process!
 
Consider steeping something in with the priming sugar too, I do it with ginger, cinnamon etc and it's great, you get it on the nose when you open the bottle or pour a pint.

I was reading about this earlier, Revvy's bottling thread, sounds like a great idea
 

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