Autumn Seasonal Beer Imperial Pumpkin Pie Ale

[MacGruber]

Jwible, you're the man!

 

[jasert39]

what size starters are you guys making out of that wyeast package to ferment this to 9 abv...really just using one package of yeast? This recipe sounds like a winner, just want to make sure i order enough yeast.

 

[jwible204]

what size starters are you guys making out of that wyeast package to ferment this to 9 abv...really just using one package of yeast? This recipe sounds like a winner, just want to make sure i order enough yeast.

I have a stir plate and always use the calculator below to determine what size starter I'm going to use. Alternatively, you could pitch multiple packets of yeast. At 1.089 and 5.5 gallons its showing 333 billion cells needed (ideally). Even with a stir plate and a 1.5L starter I'll need to step it up to achieve 333, for 11 gallons I need to double that.

http://www.yeastcalc.com/

Please note, my first time around on this beer I made about a 500ml starter without a stir plate and it attenuated as described. Since then, I've been making starters with the stir plate and this beer attenuated to 1.015 (I'll adjust the mash schedule accordingly to keep it a tad sweeter).

 

[MacGruber]

I pitched mine onto a yeast cake from a low gravity smash ale I made. PLENTY of yeast there lol.

 

[jwible204]

I pitched mine onto a yeast cake from a low gravity smash ale I made. PLENTY of yeast there lol.

MacGruber, are you taking the beer to Pumpkin Chunkin? I actually was hoping to do the same. If I am able to go I'll let you know, maybe we can meet up and try each other's beer.

 

[MacGruber]

Absolutely! I would love to meet up. This is my sixth year in a row going.

 

[kmac666]

Well, just finished brewing this. Hit an OG of 1.088, pretty damn happy. Mash at 155. Decided to put some pumpkin in the boil too. 90oz of Libby's, baked in oven first for 90min @ 350 w a teaspoon of pumpkin spice mixed in to camarlize pumpkin. Dumped in with 15 min left in boil with 1lb of brown sugar. Added all the other spices per the OP.

Now it's time to wait.

 

[pbarrett]

I'm totally new to home brewing and I had a few questions. Note that I will be making a 5sandwich gallon batch.

How long do you steep the grains in the beginning and at what temperature?

Also, do you boil/steep all five gallons?

Thanks for any and all help.

 

[MacGruber]

I mashed the grains at 153.

 

[pbarrett]

I mashed the grains at 153.

All five gallons? And for how long?

 

[MacGruber]

You sound new to this based on these two posts. If I were you I would probably get some pale malt extract and two lbs of crystal 20 to steep. Brew it as an extract beer- you LHBS could help you with everything you'd need.

If you're going to do all grain brewing then no you don't steep the grains- you mash them. Read up on mashing procedures in the all grain section if you have the equipment to do all grain brewing.

This site is amazing with many knowledgable and helpful homebrewers. If you're new to it welcome!

 

[MacGruber]

Go back to p. 3 on this thread and Max said 12 lbs of pale extract (liquid or dry would work- up to you I guess) and two lbs of crystal 20( actual grain for color/body). Basically you'd need a cheese cloth/grain bag and would put the 2 lbs of crystal 20 into it. Steep those in about 2 gallons of water at 153 for 30-45 min. Remove the bag of grains and add you extract in and make sure it's well mixed. Bring it to a boil. Add your 60 minute hop addition. Watch for boil overs. After 30 mintues add your next hop addition. 15 minutes later/45 min into the boil- add your spices and Whirlfloc/irish moss. Take it off the heat and put the entire pot in an ice bath. Get the temperature down to about 70 and transfer to your fermentor. You can top it off at this point with preboiled and chilled water. Also you can speed the cooling process by adding pre boiled and pre measured ice to your fermentor to bring you up to your desired volume. Once again, this is BASIC extract brewing and you'll find more info in the extract section. Good luck!

 

[MacGruber]

Take it off the heat another 15 minutes after you add the spices - 60 minute boil time total

 

[pbarrett]

You sound new to this based on these two posts. If I were you I would probably get some pale malt extract and two lbs of crystal 20 to steep. Brew it as an extract beer- you LHBS could help you with everything you'd need.

If you're going to do all grain brewing then no you don't steep the grains- you mash them. Read up on mashing procedures in the all grain section if you have the equipment to do all grain brewing.

This site is amazing with many knowledgable and helpful homebrewers. If you're new to it welcome!

Haha yeah I am completely new to this. This will be my first all grain attempt. I used some kits before, and they come with some pretty precise instruction sets. I figured that I'd ask a few questions here rather than brewing bad beer.

 

[kingmatt]

Haha yeah I am completely new to this. This will be my first all grain attempt. I used some kits before, and they come with some pretty precise instruction sets. I figured that I'd ask a few questions here rather than brewing bad beer.

I would recommend reading up on the all-grain brewing process before jumping in with both feet. If you aren't familiar with the terms sparging, doughing-in, saccharification rest, vorlaufing etc then you probably shouldn't be brewing all-grain just yet.

I highly recommend reading John Palmer's book "How to Brew"; I have linked the free version at the all-grain process below

http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/index.html

 

[MacGruber]

I'll recommend Charlie Papazzian's Complete Joy of Homebrewing and Homebrewing for Dummies. I read those bad boys cover to cover so many times. It really helped me understand the all grain process.

 

[nukularpower]

Dumb question, but does this mean 1 teaspoon of each of these, or total?

Spice Additions - 1.0 heaping tsp of the following added @ 5 minutes -
nutmeg, cloves, alspice, ginger, cinnamon

 

[nukularpower]

Guess this didnt go through before:

Know it's a dumb question, but does this mean 1 tsp of each of these, or all combined?

Spice Additions - 1.0 heaping tsp of the following added @ 5 minutes -
nutmeg, cloves, alspice, ginger, cinnamon

 

[MacGruber]

Each

 

[jwible204]

Guess this didnt go through before:

Know it's a dumb question, but does this mean 1 tsp of each of these, or all combined?

That's 1 tsp each, but remember that's for a 10 gallon batch.

 

[MacGruber]

Any more than half a tsp of each in a five gallon batch would be way too much. Half tsp each in 5 gallons at 15 min left in the boil and another half tsp each at kegging is PERFECT!

 

[MacGruber]

I just made this again today. 5 gallon batch and I hit 85% efficiency for the first time ever. OG was 1.100 PA 13%. I'm hoping that it finishes around the 1.033 mark for a respectable and sweet 9%er. This time, instead of actual pumpkin, I used two cans of Libby's Pure Pumpkin mixed with the spices and baked it at 350 for about 45 minutes. That went into two nylon paint strainer bags and steeped in the wort for the last 15 minutes and cool down. I also put a charge of 1/2 tsp each spice in at 15 minutes left as well. It still smelled great, just like last year. We'll see if it's as good or better than the one I made last year!

 

[MacGruber]

I pitched two large mason jars of 1056 I washed out of a low gravity honey orange wheat ale I kegged today. Fermentation took off in two hours.

 

[jwible204]

I just made this again today. 5 gallon batch and I hit 85% efficiency for the first time ever. OG was 1.100 PA 13%. I'm hoping that it finishes around the 1.033 mark for a respectable and sweet 9%er. This time, instead of actual pumpkin, I used two cans of Libby's Pure Pumpkin mixed with the spices and baked it at 350 for about 45 minutes. That went into two nylon paint strainer bags and steeped in the wort for the last 15 minutes and cool down. I also put a charge of 1/2 tsp each spice in at 15 minutes left as well. It still smelled great, just like last year. We'll see if it's as good or better than the one I made last year!

Wow, that's great efficiency and you're going to have a monster beer on your hands if it attenuates.

I'm brewing mine this Sunday. I have a 2L starter of ESB/English Ale going now, plus I'm going to step it up again with another 2L which should result in about 700 billion cells for the 11 gallons. I'm stoked to have 2 full kegs this year!

 

[MacGruber]

I'm comparing this one to my next one. The next one,I'll be using real pumpkin again instead of the canned. The fermentation took off in under three hours. This morning, I have sanitizer and yeast pouring out of the blowoff bucket. It's a monster. I'm going to pitch the next one right on top of this cake. I'm using 1056, not the ESB yeast, Plus I add brown sugar. I'm excited and so is everyone that had it last year. I've had 8 people ask when it's going to be ready so far.

 

[MacGruber]

My pre-boil gravity was 1.075. Why do you use ESB yeast? I'm curious. Is it because it's maltier/sweeter?

 

[jwible204]

My pre-boil gravity was 1.075. Why do you use ESB yeast? I'm curious. Is it because it's maltier/sweeter?

Yes, I like the maltiness it brings out in the beer. I coupled it this year with Dry English Ale as a blend so hopefully I can get the maltiness from the ESB and the flocculation/attenuation from the Dry English Ale.

 

[MacGruber]

I will have to try that then. I've only used 1056 because I usually have it on hand. I would love to split one recipe into 5 different fermentors and use 5 different yeasts. I do love 1056 though because it allows the pumpkin flavors to shine through.

 

[jwible204]

I was going to split into 2 and use ESB in one and English Ale in the other, but decided last minute to just combine them.

 

[LazyPasta]

Hey guys, I'm going to be buying the supplies for this recipe and I can't help but to think about how much I'll be mashing! Did anyone else do this recipe with less grains? Or is having such a high OG what makes this so "pumpkin pie-ish"? I won't skimp out if this is what everybody else did and had great results with, but I figured I would ask. Thanks!