Anyone attempted this "The Perfect Pumpkin Ale"?

[mlatner]

Here is the link to the article: https://beerandbrewing.com/brewing-the-perfect-pumpkin-ale/

It sounds amazing! But I'm pretty new and not sure about the quantity of ingredients needed. Has anyone attempted this or have a recipe of something similar?

 

[enkamania]

I do pretty similar, although I do smaller spice additions. (I do a tsp at the end of boil and a tsp after 4 days in the fermenter) At kegging, I add pumpkin pie extract. Do use a paint strainer bag for the pumpkin. Now prepare yourself for posts telling you not to use fresh pumpkin.

 

[oceanic_brew]

Me and my wife cut the pumpkin into small pieces and then nearly char it on broil setting in the oven, we mash half and boil some of the bigger pieces.

It kinda sucks boiling prepare for clogs and all that beauty

 

[bluemoon737]

I do pretty similar, although I do smaller spice additions. (I do a tsp at the end of boil and a tsp after 4 days in the fermenter) At kegging, I add pumpkin pie extract. Do use a paint strainer bag for the pumpkin. Now prepare yourself for posts telling you not to use fresh pumpkin.

Am I reading this right? You put pumpkin in your finished beer?

 

[enkamania]

Am I reading this right? You put pumpkin in your finished beer?

No real pumpkin, pumpkin pie flavor extract, something like https://www.olivenation.com/pumpkin-pie-natural-flavor-organic-compliant.html

 

[bbohanon]

I brew a pumpkin (I call it Thunderstruck Pumpkin) every year for a group of friends who love these beers (I am indifferent to them honestly) and I normally do a combo of some of the suggestions..

I use pumpkin in the mash tun along with some amalyse in the mash to help conversion (messy as hell, but works and remember to use plenty of rice hulls for this!) and then a tsp of allspice into the keg when it gets kegged up.

I also try this time of year to find a few "Candy Roaster" pumpkins (they are very pale sweet pumpkins)..they are hard to find if its late in the season but they seem to make a huge difference to my pumpkin beer lovers since I moved to using them as my pumpkin additions. I also cut up and bake the pumpkin at 400 deg until its starts to almost wilt and carmelize. The skin will just fall off and the pumpkin will easily be turned into slush (make sure you keep the pumpkin drippings from the roasting pan!) if done right.

Additional Note: I did this 2 years ago and added some Grade B maple syrup at the end (10 mins to flameout) and it really turned out interesting..was a very smooth, sweet fall beer that came in at around 10% ABV, had no alcohol hotness at all to it and had that pumpkin profile with a just a nice hint of maple to it..I called it "Canadian Pumpkin Ale".


Cheers!

 

[bbohanon]

My Canadian Maple Pumpkin if interested is below..its a hybrid of Yuri_Rage's pumpkin recipe that I swapped out the honey for maple syrup (again using grade B to leave some of that maple "taste" behind as Grade A will ferment completely out) and beefed up the grain bill just a tad.

This one really highlights the malt/biscuit character and with the Grade B syrup addition, rounds out the beer for a solid fall pint nicely.

Canadian Maple Pumpkin (Its a DARK Pumpkin..trust me)

Batch size - 10 gallons
OG: 1.087
FG: 1.021
ABV (standard): 8.65%
IBU (tinseth): 11
SRM (morey): 20
Efficiency: 85%

Fermentables:
15 lb United Kingdom - Maris Otter Pale
3 lb American - Caramel / Crystal 40L
2 lb Belgian - Biscuit
1 lb Flaked Wheat
1 Gal Grade B Vermont Maple Syrup (added 15 mins before flameout)
2 lb Rice Hulls

Hops
1.5 oz Tettnanger 4.5AA for 60min

Other Ingredients

1 cut-up/roasted@400deg Candy Roaster Pumpkin - Use in Mash along with a tsp of amalyse to help conversion.
1 Whirlfloc Tab - Add to boil 10 mins before flameout
1tsp Allspice per 5 gals - When xferring to keg or when bottling (Optional depending on your taste and could be more/less as per your taste)

Yeast
2 Vials of WLP002 - a tad bigger than usual starter is needed!

Brew Notes:
- Using water profile to target 5.4 Mash PH
- Mash-In at 152deg for 60min - Mash out at 170deg
- Boil for 60 min
- Ferment at 64-67Deg for 2 weeks (I usually ferment at the lower end temp wise)- Xfer and bottle/keg as normal (adding tsp of allspice to keg if desired).

 

[jtp137]

Am I missing something I dont see how much spice he is using

 

[jinjorge]

Am I missing something I dont see how much spice he is using

The recipe referred to in the article is here

 

[LarMoeCur]

I think those spice additions are way...way...way to much. You want the beer to be beer FIRST and remind of you pumpkin pie. It CAN NOT be beer and pumpkin pie at the sametime. I put about 1/8 to a 1/4 tsp of those spices into my boil. I ferment the beer out completely and then tasted it. If I like the blend I carbonate. If it's missing something. I mix each spice with vodka in separate containers. I then pull exactly 4 oz of beer and add a few drops of what I think it needs then taste. I may have to do it two or three times until I get the taste I'm looking for. I then do the math for the remaining beer and add the correct amount of vodka spice mix to the kegs. The amount really depends on how fresh your spices are.

This recipe calls to roast then boil. I've never tasted boiled pumpkin. I've had boiled squash but not pumpkin. Boiled squash has no taste. They are mostly a carbohydrate. I think roasting, pulping, and adding to the mash will result in a better beer. Let the amylase chew on them and give something the yeast can use. Roasted pumpkin/squash is a taste I like. Sweet caramelized pumpkin! Now we are talking pie!

Pumpkin beer is one of my favorites not because of the beer but because of the season. I've had a lot of really good ones and when I ask the brewer about making it. Almost all of them say they took a great beer recipe and thought adding pumpkin/spices would make it better.

 

[jalc6927]

I've read many posts on this, some say no need for pumpkin just use the spice while others say use pumpkin, and yet others say use pie filling?

Then to muddle even further some say in primary, some at flameout, secondary and even in the mash.

Wow, makes your head spin.