Mash Profile Advice

[KDBrewer]

I'm planning my first all grain brew and I need some advice on the amounts of water to use for the mash. Its an imperial pumpkin from a recipe found in zymurgy. Here is the recipe:

Beersmith has a total boiling volume of 8.89 for a 5.5 gallon batch.
The protein rest has a volume of 15.75 qts at 134 degrees and the sacc rest has a volume of 16.80 qts at 191 degrees for a mash temp of 154 and a batch sparge of 3.65 gallons. Water/Grain ratio for protein rest is 0.75 qts per gallon.
How do these water ratios look? Does anyone have any advice for this recipe?
Also, when I put the recipe intone beer smith the est OG IS 1.082 VS the 1.118 on the recipe. Is this because the 3 pounds of pumpkin isn't accounted for in beersmith?

 

[masonsjax]

The easiest thing to do is to mash in with around 1.5 quarts per pound of grain. You dont need a protein rest, for a first batch anyway I'd keep it simple and just do a single infusion. After the mash, collect your runnings and use a dipstick calibrated to your kettle to see how much you have. This will tell you exactly how much more water you need to hit your target pre boil volume. Since the grain is already saturated, whatever you put in is exactly what you'll get out. No guessing necessary. Have fun!

 

[KDBrewer]

Okay. Sounds simple enough. Thanks for the advice


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[KDBrewer]

The dipstick idea sounds pretty cool


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[acidrain]

My opinion... that is a horrible recipe for a first time.
Pumpkin notoriously gets a stuck sparge. Add rice hulls if you go forward.

I made a pumpkin beer on about my 5th batch.... turned out really good, but after about 6 months in a keg taking up space in my fridge, I dumped it.

 

[KDBrewer]

My opinion... that is a horrible recipe for a first time.
Pumpkin notoriously gets a stuck sparge. Add rice hulls if you go forward.

I made a pumpkin beer on about my 5th batch.... turned out really good, but after about 6 months in a keg taking up space in my fridge, I dumped it.

I'm thinking about doing a couple small IPAS before this one for that reason but as far as the dumping goes none of the beer I make lasts very long. All of my friends are beer fans to say the least.


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[JimRausch]

KDBrewer:
We all do what we want, but I agree with acidrain - this is a huge monster of a beer to be experimenting with on your 1st go at AG.
I did PM batches for a year and a half before stepping up to AG, and even with that, there was a learning curve that took me 3-4 batches to get locked in.
I'd recommend trying a simpler recipe at 1st, learn from your mistakes(if any), and then if you still want to try it......
Anyways, good luck to you!

 

[masonsjax]

I wasn't a fan of the pumpkin beers I've done in the past. It tastes like squash when what you really want is the spice. Make a simple amber ale and put some cinnamon stick (not ground), cloves and whatever other spices you like in pie with some real vanilla extract into the secondary. You can also make a tea out of those things and add to taste.

 

[KDBrewer]

I wasn't a fan of the pumpkin beers I've done in the past. It tastes like squash when what you really want is the spice. Make a simple amber ale and put some cinnamon stick (not ground), cloves and whatever other spices you like in pie with some real vanilla extract into the secondary. You can also make a tea out of those things and add to taste.

That sounds like a good idea for my first all grain brew. I'll have to look into that. Thanks for the advice


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