My first recipe: Pumpkin Ale

[onipar]

EDIT: I changed quite a bit with this. The specialty grains have been reduced and I added some different types. I also added to the base grains and changed the yeast. Thoughts on the recipe are very much appreciated.

Also, I'm torn between two names: Moon Hill Pumpkin Ale, or Spiced Midnight Pumpkin Ale. Or any other suggestions?

EDIT EDIT: This is the final version of the recipe. I'll post it in the recipe database very soon.

Moon Hill Pumpkin Ale
Partial Mash / BIAB / 5 gallon
OG: 1.052-1.056
FG: 1.014
IBU: 18
Color: 11 SRM
ABV: 5.1%-5.5%

Ingredients
Extract
3 lbs Pale LME
1 lb light DME
1/2 lb brown sugar
(optional) 8 oz wheat DME (this brings the OG up to 1.056).

Base Grains
2 lbs pale 2-row malt
3/4 pound Maris Otter

Specialty Grains
6 oz Caramel Munich
4 oz Briess Victory
4 oz Biscuit Malt
8 oz Briess 2 Row Caramel 80

Hops
.75 oz Mt Hood Hops (60 mins)
.5 oz Hallertauer Hops (30 mins)

Extras
2 29 oz cans or ~3-4 lbs fresh pumpkin (probably 2 pie pumpkins).
1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice (5 mins) [consider mixing your own instead of using pre-mixed]
Safale US-05


Secondary (optional)
.5 tsp cinnamon, .25 tsp nutmeg, .25 allspice (make an 8 oz. spice tea and add to secondary. Do this to taste.).

Instructions

This is just the quick look at my plans of how to brew this.

Caramelize pumpkin in the oven (350 for an hour). I really would like to use fresh, but I'm pretty sure I'll have to use canned.

Add 2 quarts of water per pound of grain (to make up for the pumpkin addition) for total of 2 gallons strike water. I'll have to figure out temps later.

Sparge with 2 gallons. (I'm figuring roughly a gallon of lost water to absorption)

Add water to bring to 3 gallons after mash and sparge (if needed). Bring to boil. Add light DME and first hop addition.

At 30 mins add second hop addition.

At 15 add whilrflock tab

At 5 mins add the LME, wheat DME, Brown sugar, and spice mixture

Chill, add top off water to fermenter, pitch yeast, aerate, etc.

Ferment for 3-4 weeks (You can secondary if necessary to get off pumpkin trub).

Bottle and condition at least 6-8 weeks, or more if needed.
----------------------------------------------------------

 

[msh227]

Be careful with canned pumpkin, I used canned in my 1st attempt at a pumpkin beer and I used way too much. 4lbs of fresh pumpkin is different than 4lbs of condensed canned pumpkin.

Beer came out okay it had a low ABV something in the 3% range but it was almost like drinking liquid pumpkin pie. Little too sweet.

Just my $0.02

 

[onipar]

Be careful with canned pumpkin, I used canned in my 1st attempt at a pumpkin beer and I used way too much. 4lbs of fresh pumpkin is different than 4lbs of condensed canned pumpkin.

Beer came out okay it had a low ABV something in the 3% range but it was almost like drinking liquid pumpkin pie. Little too sweet.

Just my $0.02

Will do. I'd probably use two of the 29 oz cans if I go with cans. I'll make that change on my recipe.

Also, you said your brew was a little too sweet. What types of specialty grain and amounts did you use, or what did you attribute the sweetness to? I ask because I'm a little worried about my grain additions, and I want to make sure I don't make it too sweet.

Thanks!

 

[msh227]

Let me check my recipe tonight when I get home.

I made it a second time and it was not sweet like the first batch I made. I think most of the sweetness that I was tasting came from the canned pumpkin, but I'll share the recipe later tonight when it is in front of me.

 

[msh227]

So here is the Pumpkin recipe that I brewed. I gave you bad information earlier (good thing I take these notes to remember!), I used a lot of pumpkin in the first batch and had a high ABV instead of a low ABV but it was all canned pumpkin flavor. The second had less pumpkin and a much lower ABV, my mistake. Anyways here is the recipe.

8lb Alexanders Pale Malt Extract
1/2lb Munton & Fison Crystal Malt 60L
1/2lb Munton & Fison Crystal Malt 20L
Carapils Malt 20L
5lb canned Pumpkin

3 whole Nutmeg
3 whole Allspice
2 whole Cinnamon sticks
sprinkle Brown Sugar
sprinkle Pumpkin Pie Spice

Spices added at 45 min

2oz Kent Goldings (60 min)
1oz Willamette (2 min)

Wyeast 1028LX London Ale Yeast

OG - 1.060
FG - 1.018
ABV - 5.5%

10 days primary fermentation @ 68-70 degrees
24 days secondary fermentation
Bottled with priming sugar


For the second batch I used the same recipe with the following revisions:

2 small cans of canned pumpkin instead of 5lbs

Spices were added at 30 min in hopes to bring out more of their flavor

OG - 1.036
FG - 1.020
ABV - 3%

10 days primary
27 days secondary
bottled with priming sugar

Conclusion:
I would brew this again following my second batch, but I would like to have a higher OG. I also might add some more spices or add the spices later in the boil or even at flame out.

Hope this helps

 

[onipar]

Thanks, Matt!

How much of the Carapils did you use?

Based on your recipe (and that you said it was a little too sweet) I'm thinking my brew may be too sweet with the amounts of specialty grains I have listed.

Anyone else think that may be the case? If so, which should I cut back on?

 

[msh227]

Geez I cant read my own writing!

1/2 lb crystals 60L
1/2 lb carapils 20L

 

[msh227]

I wish i could edit from the iphone app! Oh well

I would just be careful about how much canned pumpkin you use. With 5lbs I tried to brew a 5 gal batch and ended up with only about 3.5-4 gal because of all the pumpkin that was in the wort.

 

[onipar]

Thanks again for the updates! I dunno, I haven't gotten much criticism of the recipe. I may just brew the recipe as is (with your comments about pumpkin amounts in mind of course) and see how it goes.

 

[onipar]

I have edited the recipe quite a bit. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

 

[msh227]

How about Midnight Moon Pumpkin Ale or Midnight Hill Pumpkin Ale.

You got to let me know how it turns out I might have to try this. Sounds good. When you brewing it? Sooner than later I hope.

 

[unionrdr]

How about Ichabod's punkin ale? Show the headless horseman Splattering a punkin in the back of his head on the label!

 

[onipar]

How about Midnight Moon Pumpkin Ale or Midnight Hill Pumpkin Ale.

You got to let me know how it turns out I might have to try this. Sounds good. When you brewing it? Sooner than later I hope.

Oh, I like "Midnight Moon Pumpkin Ale" *a lot.* That's the new name! Awesome, man. thanks!

I plan on brewing this no later than July 31st, and as soon as July 24th. The problem is I only have 1 primary fermenter, and there's a Mild Ale in it right now. So I either have to wait till I bottle that, or buy a second fermenter when I order the ingredients for this.

It would be nice to have an extra fermenter, but I've been trying to save money. But yeah, no later than the end of this month. :rockin:

 

[onipar]

How about Ichabod's punkin ale? Show the headless horseman Splattering a punkin in the back of his head on the label!

Hey, sorry, I didn't see your post before. I like that name too! I was actually thinking about different Sleepy Hollow references at one point.