Just finished my 2nd batch - Pumpkin Ale

[dcodd87]

Bottled my first batch - Amber Ale this morning.

Started my second batch kit from Midwest Supplied - Pumpkin Ale.

I altered the recipe just a bit. Add 1 tsp of Pumpkin Pie spice and an additional tablespoon of brown sugar. Also, steeped about 15oz of organic canned pumpkin with the grains. Removed it prior to the boil. Then. with about 15 minutes left in the boil, I added an additional 30oz of pumpkin. I placed both batches of pumpkin in a nylon bag so that i didn't have to deal with the sediment. Chilled the wort down to about 75 degrees and pitched the yeast.

Took an initial gravity reading and its reading about 1.049. Gonna let it sit in the primary for a week and then move it to the secondary for 2+. Once in the secondary, I plan on adding an additional 30oz of pumpkin. So, a total of 75oz of pumpkin

2 Questions though.

1. Should i bake the canned pumpkin prior to adding it to the secondary like i did with the first 2 batched of the pumpkin?

2. Would it hurt placing the pumpkin in the nylon bag and then putting it into the secondary?

I don't want to deal with cleaning up the pumpkin sediment and I'm not sure if the nylon bag would affect the process in the secondary.

Any feed back would be much appreciated.

PS,

A BIG Thank You to everyone on this site for such a devotion to an amazing hobby. I've learned a lot from this site and I appreciate every bit of it!!!

 

[MisterTipsy]

1. go ahead and bake it. it changes the pumpkin flavor in a good way

2. it won't hurt to put it in a sanitized bag, but you might get less flavor

 

[barneygumble]

Nice. I brew my pumpkin patch beer in about a month for drinking in late Oct./Nov
I would give that beer at LEAST two weeks in primary, preferrably 3. Just my opinion.

 

[dcodd87]

How many weeks in the secondary?

 

[dcodd87]

What do you think an adequate time to bottle condition is?

 

[WhizardHat]

I get some bottles fully carbed at 2 weeks, but it's a crap shoot. Some are, some aren't. Try to wait the full 3 weeks before cracking one. It sucks to drink a beer that you worked so hard on and it would have been better a week later. Be sure to refrigerate them 2 whole days before opening them.

I just transferred my pumpkin to secondary on Monday, so 2 weeks-ish in primary, and I'm going to bottle tomorrow. I guess it's more of a cold crash than a secondary. It smelled really good when I transferred it. Better than either of my first two batches.

 

[dcodd87]

I know a lot of people add their pumpkin at certain points. I figured, what the hell, let's add them it at three different points. I think because I added it with the initial steep, I have a really nice pumpkin orange color. After adding it 10 min left in the boil, I have a nice pumpkin aroma. I'm hoping to add the final 30oz to the secondary to give me the flavor.

An amazing drink last October. Only for a good night out if your interested in trying.
Coat the rim of the glass in cinn-sugar. Add pumpkin ale with a shot of vanilla vodka!

 

[erasei]

I know a lot of people add their pumpkin at certain points. I figured, what the hell, let's add them it at three different points. I think because I added it with the initial steep, I have a really nice pumpkin orange color. After adding it 10 min left in the boil, I have a nice pumpkin aroma. I'm hoping to add the final 30oz to the secondary to give me the flavor.

An amazing drink last October. Only for a good night out if your interested in trying.
Coat the rim of the glass in cinn-sugar. Add pumpkin ale with a shot of vanilla vodka!

Getting ready to brew my pumpkin ale for the wifey. Just wondering how the 3 additions turned out? Wifey loved the one I made last year because it tasted like actual pumpkins, not just pumpkin pie spice. Last year I used fresh pie pumpkins I grew myself, roasted, in the mash. It worked great and I'll do it again this year, but she wants to have a pumpkin ale on tap for NFL preseason kickoff, so canned pumpkin will have to work for round 1.

 

[dcodd87]

Well I tasted one after like 3 days of bottling and there is def a wonderful pumpkin flavor. Nice addition of spices too.

I would def recommend it...but I lost close to a gallon due to the trub