Another Pumpkin Beer ( Hello Gourd-geous)

[Sully1986]

I know clever title, just looking for some critique before I brew this weekend. Looking for a dark brown Ale with some backbone and pumpkin Flavor.

5Gal Batch

Aiming for
1.063 OG
1.011SG
25. IBUs
7.0 ABV

9lbs Pale Malt
1lb Caramel Malt 90L
1lb flaked Oats for some head retention/mouthfeel
4 oz or .25lb of Chocolate Malt
2lbs of Roasted Pumpkin Puree into Mash as well
1lb Brown Sugar added into boil

Mashing at around 154-155 for that Medium Full bodies feel.

Adding 1oz WIlliamette at 60min
then again at 10min

with 1 TBSP of Pumpkin Pie Spice at 5min

pitching 2x Wyeast 1056 in my fridge at 66 degree F

Thoughts?

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Why 0.4oz chocolate malt? And, how many gallons?

 

[Sully1986]

Edited Size above, its a 5gallon batch, just wanted some malted Flavor, as well as the nutty characteristic it can bring. Also the coloring. Only makes up 2% wanted to see how it would come out with it.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Your grain bill as presented doesn’t seem to get you to the desired OG and the very small addition of chocolate malt hardly adds to the color (whoops I didn’t account for the brown sugar). Anyway, I recommend, if you haven’t, to use a recipe calculator such as Brewer's Friend | Homebrew Beer Recipes, Calculators & Forum if you have at least use 1-4 oz of the chocolate malt so that the contribution is noticeable.

 

[Sully1986]

i need to pay attention to what i read.. lol im actually doing 4 oz... .25 of a lb or choc malt.

 

[Sully1986]

Your grain bill as presented doesn’t seem to get you to the desired OG and the very small addition of chocolate malt hardly adds to the color (whoops I didn’t account for the brown sugar). Anyway, I recommend, if you haven’t, to use a recipe calculator such as Brewer's Friend | Homebrew Beer Recipes, Calculators & Forum if you have at least use 1-4 oz of the chocolate malt so that the contribution is noticeable.

i use beersmith. I just mistyped up there. Its 4oz or .25 of a lb. making up 2% of my grain bill lmao

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

i use beersmith. I just mistyped up there. Its 4oz or .25 of a lb. making up 2% of my grain bill lmao

That makes more sense. You might want to scale back on the pie spice a little goes a long way, and the right amount is personal taste, however one would not want to over power the other flavors. You can always add more later via tincture, but once it’s in it can‘t be taken out. I’d go with 1.5 tsp.

 

[Sully1986]

That makes more sense. You might want to scale back on the pie spice a little goes a long way, and the right amount is personal taste, however one would not want to over power the other flavors. You can always add more later via tincture, but once it’s in it can‘t be taken out. I’d go with 1.5 tsp.

Thanks. Ill look into it. Its my first try at this. Its about my 10th or so overall brew. So we will see how it turns out. Also my lbhs ran out of the 1056. Switched me out for Omega west coast ale. Said its the same strain and should really chamge anything.

 

[Beermeister32]

just looking for some critique before I brew this weekend.

Ok you asked for it … lose the Pumpkin Pie spice. I’ve never had a pumpkin beer that I liked and it boils down (pun) to that pumpkin pie taste in an otherwise good beer. 5 gallons of it… Woof

 

[BrewMan13]

You said " Mashing at around 154-155 for that Medium Full bodies feel." The brown sugar addition will thin the beer out, and offer only a slight flavor contribution. Regarding the spice amount, I use a spice mix that totals 1.5 tsp, and it's as high as I would go personally.

 

[Sully1986]

Ok you asked for it … lose the Pumpkin Pie spice. I’ve never had a pumpkin beer that I liked and it boils down (pun) to that pumpkin pie taste in an otherwise good beer. 5 gallons of it… Woof

View attachment 747774

You said " Mashing at around 154-155 for that Medium Full bodies feel." The brown sugar addition will thin the beer out, and offer only a slight flavor contribution. Regarding the spice amount, I use a spice mix that totals 1.5 tsp, and it's as high as I would go personally.

Lol to the pumpkin. Thanks for the input and advice. Seems general consensus here is to possibly tone down the spice. May rethink the amount. Possibly brewing tonight if time allows. As far as the sugar flavor. I understand that i will lose flavor adding to boil. Not super looking for the flavor. More the addition to abv.

 

[Leezer]

Highly recommend adding rice hulls to the grain bill. I add roasted canned pumpkin to the mash (biab) and the one time I skipped the rice the bag wouldn’t drain because the pumpkin clogged things up.

 

[Sully1986]

Haveing a taste during carbonation. Tastes good. Not alot of pumpkin flavor. Nice malty finish. Came out nice. Gonna be nicely done for our friendsgiving this weekend and hopefully some left for thanksgivng.

 

[Sully1986]

A better finished pic.

 

[HectorJ]

I made a few pumpkin ales +/- 20 years ago, roasted the pumpkin in the oven, removed flesh from the skin, added to mash tun.... Talk about a stuck-sparge!

I was underwhelmed by the pumpkin flavour, the cinnamon and clove never made it through (really). It was "ok", but I never repeated it. To much of a faff to make...