Ideas for spiced pumpkin ale

[jetmech_63]

So Norther Brewer has pumpkin ale extract kit that is now headed my way. But the actual pumpkin flavoring is left to the brewer. I've read everything from cutting up pumpkin, boiling it and using the boiled flesh, to boiling and adding canned pumpkin purée. I had an idea of buying a large pumpkin, skinning it, cutting the flesh up in chunks, throwing it in the brew kettle with about 3-4 gallons of water and boiling for an hour. After which I would remove the pumpkin and brew using the "pumpkin broth if if you will. Ideas?

 

[ArrogantDusty]

Most of the pumpkin taste in a beer comes from the spices you use. I've not heard of using actual pumpkins at all but I probably haven't researched like you have for this either. I've seen mostly cans of puree and spices, though the puree itself does not give much flavor.

 

[Bramstoker17]

Arrogant Dusty is right about most flavor coming from spices, which Northern Brewer provides with the kit. You can add real pumpkin in various ways however. It will add to the mouthfeel and give you some color, but it wont add much taste. I baked 60oz of Libbys canned pumpkin in the oven at 350 for an hour on a cookie sheet then added it to the boil. I just left the pumpkin in the fermenter as straining it in my funnel was way too time consuming. I had good results with that method. It can also be added to the mash if you do partial or all grain to get some starch conversion as well.

 

[Bramstoker17]

I forgot, use either baking pumpkins or canned with no preservatives. They are more flavorful than carving pumpkins and better suited to use in beer.

 

[45_70sharps]

I just made some pumpkin ale and looked at a few recipes before I chose what I wanted.
I was going to do an all grain that called for something like a 10 pound pumpkin, you cut the pumpkin "meat" and baked it at 350, then I believe it went into the boil.

I decided that it wasn't going to add much over a recipe that used can pie filling so I found one that used that.
I also decided that I was just going to convert it to extract.

I think that most of the flavor does come from pumpkin pie spice.

I just brewed it up Sunday and put it in the primary around midnight, so I have no idea how it's going to taste.