looking to make a pumpkin ale

[Crazyfists]

So as we are nearing the fall season I was looking to make a pumpkin flavored beer. While looking at some recipies a lot show adding the pumpkin right in the mash. I was wondering if I were just to put a small baked pumpking right in the carboy kind of like dry hopping what that would do to the beer.

 

[david_42]

Well, green beer tastes like fresh-cut pumpkin, so ...

The two main schools are: A. mash the pumpkin B. spices only.

 

[Crazyfists]

I don't really understand what your saying. What's green beer and is mashing the only way to get that flavor? I thought by maybe putting it in the secondary I would get just a light pumpkin flavor to go with it.

 

[cactusgarrett]

Set aside some time to read:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/pu...ng-recipes-tips-tricks-good-practices-131786/

 

[Crazyfists]

Ok well basically what I'm asking is should I add the pumpkin and spices to the secondary or will that just mess everything up? I just wanna know if anyones done it and how doing something like that turns out.

 

[munklunk]

I have and would suggest mashing the pumpkin if you plan on using one. If you want less body and bit more zip, use only spices. I have never heard of anyone adding it to the secondary, but why not try? I know that you can pull a little bit of the pumpkin's sugars out when you mash with it, adding to the overall pumpkinyness.