Canned Pumpkin in Extract Brewing

[mrgrimm101]

So I want to make an extract pumpkin spice porter but I would like to include actual canned pumpkin, rather than just spices alone.

Forgive my ignorance, but I've been reading about how to utilize canned pumpkin in extract brewing and I'm not sure that I have it down. I understand that pumpkin is best used with all grain brewing, as it can be added to the mash, however I've not made the switch to all grain yet.

From what I read, I basically want to spread canned pumpkin out onto a baking sheet and bake for X amount of time until it becomes soft inside. I assume at this point that the starches in the pumpkin have somewhat converted to sugars and I can add the pumpkin to my boil.

How long should the pumpkin be boiled? At the 60 min or as a later addition?

Please correct me if my little understanding of the method is incorrect. If someone could explain the best way to use canned pumpkin in extract brewing it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

I am completely inexperienced with this, so please keep that in mind, but from what I've heard, the basic consensus on canned pumpkin is "just don't do it" due to the mess and complication that it creates.

But the bigger question, especially this time of year, is why wouldn't you use "real" pumpkin? Gut it, peel it, cut the correct amount into chunks, roast/toast it to bring out the sugars etc. (perhaps toss it with maple syrup before putting it into the oven) and add that to your brew. Here's an example, using a 1-gallon batch:

http://brooklynbrewshop.com/directions/Brooklyn_Brew_Shop_Maple_Pumpkin_Amber_Instructions_.pdf

Hope this helps.

 

[mrgrimm101]

Because I already have a can of pumpkin at home that I can use. It sounds like using real pumpkin will create much more mess than a can. The directions on that link still look like an all grain with a full mash.

 

[cswalker]

Add at the last 5 minutes of the boil. Muslin bag maybe? 30oz seems to be what i've seen as preferential.

 

[mrgrimm101]

If I put it in a muslin bag, it wont get mixed into the wort, will it? I had imagined that I would put it right into the wort so that it was in the fermentor.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

If I put it in a muslin bag, it wont get mixed into the wort, will it?

The muslin bag will act like a tea bag, releasing the flavour so that it gets into the wort during the boil and the cooling down. The mess itself (which is just pulpy fiber) will stay in the bag.

 

[alliemackie]

I've heard almost across the board that real pumpkin won't actually add any pumpkin flavour to a pumpkin beer. Just a sort of vegetable-like taste. All the flavour is in the spices.

Someone with more experience may correct me on this, but that's what I've read everywhere.

 

[mauer_62]

i brewed a pumpkin porter two weeks ago. i roasted the caned pumpkin on a baking sheet @ 350 for 1 hr. i added the pumpkin at the start of the boil. the only advise i can give is use somthing to contain the pumpkin. i just added it directly to the boil. i ended up with a slurry at the bottom of my carboy. i probably only get 3 gallons out of my 5 gallon batch.(first time brewing a pumpkin lesson learned)

 

[TasunkaWitko]

I've heard almost across the board that real pumpkin won't actually add any pumpkin flavour to a pumpkin beer. Just a sort of vegetable-like taste.

I do a good amount of cooking, and it really does depend on the pumpkin. A type such as a sugar pumpkin would be best, and the roasting in the oven does indeed bring out some very nice flavours due to the sugars and the Maillard Reaction.

As far as this transfers into beer brewing, I do not know, and won't pretend to know; howver, using a sugar-type pumpkin and roasting it should provide better results, if you use fresh pumpkin. Canned pumpkin would probably achieve the same thing; my main concern would be the mess, but the bag should (?) take care of that.

 

[CrypticIntent]

I've heard almost across the board that real pumpkin won't actually add any pumpkin flavour to a pumpkin beer. Just a sort of vegetable-like taste. All the flavour is in the spices.

Someone with more experience may correct me on this, but that's what I've read everywhere.

It depends on what is going on. When most people think pumpkin they think pumpkin pie or the "pumpkin spice" craze that happens this time of the year. If looking for that, then you are correct the pumpkin adds nothing. Nutmeg, allspice and other spices are what give this craze meaning.

Natural pumpkin is not terribly far from tasting like a slightly sweeter squash. Adding it to a beer will do some but it won't dramatically add any flavor unless working with very mildly hopped beers and non-overpowered malts.

Canned pumpkin typically already has some of the spices to it, so it can add it, but if that's the flavor you are going for, just use the spices straight as a tea.

 

[mrgrimm101]

I know it will not give any of the spice flavor of a pumpkin pie, but I wanted to use it to maybe thicken up the beer slightly to add for some mouth feel and maybe add a slight sweetness.

I could easily brew it with just the spices, but I thought I'd try and actually use pumpkin.

So I've been told to add it during the last 5 min and someone else says at the beginning of the boil lol. Which is it?

I've also read that when I bake the pumpkin, I should shave off the outside layer to get to the soft inside layers before adding to the boil. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Do I let it cool at all before putting it in the muslin bag and adding to the boil?

 

[sfish]

BTW

Canned pumpkin does not contain pumpkin but squash. Sometimes a mix of butternut, Hubbard, and Boston Marrow. The big Charlie Brown Pumpkin does not truly have enough flavor. Pick up a butternut and roast it.

When using any of these roast with the skin on when finished the skin slides right off. No need to peel.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

I've also read that when I bake the pumpkin, I should shave off the outside layer to get to the soft inside layers before adding to the boil. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

If it were me, I'd leave it on; that toasty-browned outer layer is "the good stuff," and should provide some good depth. I say this out of my experience in cooking, and don't see any reason why it shouldn't work in brewing - but check with those who have been doing it for a while. This assumes that we're talking about canned pumpkin - for fresh, the skin will slip off, as described above.

Do I let it cool at all before putting it in the muslin bag and adding to the boil?

This is just a guess, but I don't think it's necessary - whatever temperature it is, it's going into 212-degree wort, so it should be okay. Maybe at least let it cool to the point where you can handle it, which shouldn't take long.

 

[mrgrimm101]

Ok so I am going to use the canned pumpkin that I already have. My plan is to put the canned pumpkin on a baking sheet in the oven @350F for 1 hr. I am going to steep my grains and then add the extract and start my boil as I usually would. I am going to collect the pumpkin in a muslin bag and add it to the boil (still not sure when I should add it). At 15 minutes I want to add about 4 oz of brown sugar. At 5 minutes left I am going to add probably 2 tsps of pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp of cinnamon, and some vanilla (but I don't know how much or in what form.)

Does anyone know when I should add the pumpkin? At the beginning of the boil or at the end?

Also, should I get vanilla extract or actual vanilla bean? How much would suffice?

Thanks again for all the advice.

 

[mrgrimm101]

I think the only other thing that I am curious about is if I should be careful to not let the muslin bag with pumpkin touch the bottom of the kettle during the boil. I dont want to scorch the pumpkin.

 

[alliemackie]

It depends on what is going on. When most people think pumpkin they think pumpkin pie or the "pumpkin spice" craze that happens this time of the year. If looking for that, then you are correct the pumpkin adds nothing. Nutmeg, allspice and other spices are what give this craze meaning.

Natural pumpkin is not terribly far from tasting like a slightly sweeter squash. Adding it to a beer will do some but it won't dramatically add any flavor unless working with very mildly hopped beers and non-overpowered malts.

Canned pumpkin typically already has some of the spices to it, so it can add it, but if that's the flavor you are going for, just use the spices straight as a tea.

That's good to know, thanks! (same goes for other posters after him). I'm still very much learning, so it's interesting to know what pumpkin truly imparts to brewing.

Though canned pumpkin can come in several varieties. At our local supermarket there's plain canned pumpkin, spiced pumpkin, and pumpkin pie filling. I have to be wary because I buy pumpkin for my dog from time to time (helps firm up the gut, if you catch my drift).

Sorry to hijack!

 

[JohnSand]

I brewed Thunderstruck Pumpkin from the recipe section of this forum in September. It tasted great at bottling. That recipe says adding to the mash or boil makes no difference. Be careful with the spice, too little is better than too much, though they mellow over time. I BIAB, added the baked canned pumpkin to the mash. The bag must have strained out some of the fiber of the pumpkin, because it was hard to drain. Plenty was still left in the wort, but it settled with the trub. Report your results too, please.

 

[mrgrimm101]

So any more thoughts on when it should be added to the boil? I have some people saying at the beginning of the boil and others say during the last 15 minutes.

 

[KeninMN]

Check out the video on the following page:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/smashing-pumpkin-ale-extract-kit.html

Also, for more mouthfeel and a touch of sweetness you can add lactose. Lactose can either be added during the boil or with the priming sugar at bottling.

 

[mrgrimm101]

It's got maltodextrin as an ingredient, which, from my understanding, will help with more mouthfeel.

That video prepares the pumpkin in what I understand to be a "mini mash" with a small amount of 6 Row. Would this really be better than baking the pumpkin and adding it to the boil, as I was planning on doing?

 

[mrgrimm101]

So i have my ingredients, im pretty much ready to go but I am still unsure as to how i will introduce the canned pumpkin.

The guy at my LHBS said to put it in a muslim bag and add it with my steeping grains. He didnt say if I should remove it when I remove my steeping grains, or should I leave it in for the duration of the boil? Im really worried about having the bag amd pumpkin in the boil, as I dont want to be constantly stirring to avoid scorching the bag.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

[mrgrimm101]

I've decided to just tie the bag of pumpkin to the handle of the kettle, so it hangs and doesnt touch the bottm. Wish me luck

 

[JohnSand]

Sounds like a good idea.

 

[DevilNuts]

I just bottled a partial mash pumpkin ale. I added mine at the start of the boil, along with the LME. Just scooped it from the can into the pot.

At the last minute of the boil, I added the spices: Crystallized ginger cubes, smashed nutmeg seed, whole vanilla bean and a cinnamon stick. I left the spices in for the entire primary fermentation.

I had to cold condition for nearly a month to get everything to drop, and it's still a bit cloudy coming out of the bottle. But it tastes magnificent.

 

[mrgrimm101]

So here's what I ended up doing:

I spread the pumpkin on a large baking sheet and baked at 350F for 1 hour. I then collected all the pumpkin into a muslin bag. I heated 3 gallons of water to 160F and added the pumpkin, then added my steeping grains. I let the grains steep for about 25 min, then I removed them (the pumpkin stayed in the kettle) and increased heat to start the boil. Before it started boiling, I added my extract and boiled as usual. Basically, the pumpkin stayed in the kettle until flameout, at which point I removed the bag and let it drip back into the kettle. Chill and transfer as usual.

It seemed to work out ok. There was still a decent amount of pumpkin fibers in the bag that didn't steep out into the wort, which is good, but I'm still anticipating ending up with under 5 gallons due to all the pumpkin that probably did seep out into the wort.

My OG was slightly lower than I was hoping for, but considering it was my first pumpkin brew, I think it went well and cannot wait to taste the results. I will post my results when they are ready.

 

[JohnSand]

Thanks for the update. My AG pumpkin gravity was low too.

 

[mrgrimm101]

Hmm that's weird. I even added an extra 1 lb of LME and 4 oz of brown sugar, in the hopes that it would increase the gravity. Oh well, I'm sure it will still be delicious.

My only regret is that I didn't buy extra water to top it up to maybe 5.5 gallons to account for anything I might lose when the pumpkin settles in primary.

 

[mrgrimm101]

Baking pumpkin..smelled amazing.

Steeping the pumpkin with my grains.

After the bittering hop addition.

 

[COEBRA]

It Looks like I'm to late to chime in, but I baked 60oz of canned pumpkin for an hour at 350 and added it to my boil at 20 minutes inside a paint strainer bag from HD. Keep in mind that the spices really are what gives the flavor, but I wanted to say mine was made with real pumpkin lol. That was for a full boil, 5 gallon batch.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Looks like things are going really well, MrGrimm - glad that it's working out, and I'm enjoying learning about it.

Keep up the good work!