pumkin shmumkin

[shawnstr71]

I racked my pumpkin ale yesterday after being in primary for 10 days. I had 6.5 gal.s of wort originaly. Now I have 4 gal.s of beer in carboy. :-(
I don't think I will be adding 4 cans of pumpkin to the boil next time. I will just go with spices

 

[DocScott]

Yeah, pumpkin beers make for a lot of trub!! Worst part is the pumpkin doesn't add noticeable flavor or significantly contribute fermentables!

That being said, I add one can of pumpkin purée into my hlt when I heat my mash and sparge water for my pumpkin beer. I pull it out before mashing in though so it doesn't contribute to wort loss in the brew.

The spices are the key in a pumpkin beer

 

[bobeer]

I only used 1 can of pumpkin for my 2.5 gallon pumpkin porter last year. I added half of it in at 45 min then the rest at 10 minutes. After I cooled the wort I strained it out as I put it into my fermentor. I didn't have a lot of trub and the pumpkin taste came through nicely.

 

[twistr25]

Did you dump it straight in or use a muslin bag? I did a pumpkin ale last year with 2 cans of pumpkin, I certainly had some trub, but I also thought it added some valuable flavor to the beer.

 

[Brewnoob1]

Pumpkin primarily adds to the mouth feel while the spices add the flavor. I make a pumpking ale with NO real pumpkin and I received raved reviews last year. I'll be doing that same recipe again this year....if I can find where I put it lol.

 

[shawnstr71]

I think the next time I will use no pumpkin and add more spices. Of course, I havnt even tried this beer yet, I was just unhappy with the volume.

 

[Beernik]

If you can't use it in a mash, you want to pulp it in a mesh or muslin bag. Bananas are the same way.

 

[bobeer]

Did you dump it straight in or use a muslin bag? I did a pumpkin ale last year with 2 cans of pumpkin, I certainly had some trub, but I also thought it added some valuable flavor to the beer.

I didn't use a bag I just threw it in there. I didn't use any spices either and it still had some pumpkin taste to it.
I think I'm going to do the same thing this year but use a little pumpkin pie spice in it to get more of the pumpkin flavor that people are looking for.

 

[twistr25]

Yeah, I did pumpkin in the boil and a teaspoon and a half or so of spice around ten days into fermentation

 

[Demus]

If you can't use it in a mash, you want to pulp it in a mesh or muslin bag. Bananas are the same way.

I just read an article in Zymurgy that did use the pumpkin in the mash. The author felt a mash and slow sparge gave time for the pumpkin to convert at least some fermentable sugar, as well as add the characteristic orange color. You just need plenty of rice hulls to keep the mash from sticking. I haven't tried it myself but plan to in a few weeks.

 

[Ivypunx]

I am still trying to figure out a good way to do a pumpkin. I hear pumpkin is very hard to work with

 

[Demus]

I am still trying to figure out a good way to do a pumpkin. I hear pumpkin is very hard to work with

I hear ya, and examples that would inspire me to try are few and far between. To me the stronger ones taste like medicine and the weaker ones, well, weak. I LOVE pumpkin pie tho so that Zymurgy article has me wanting to try. Ever heard of a pumpkin wheat? I was thinking that bready wheat beer taste might go well against the sweetness...

 

[Beernik]

I just read an article in Zymurgy that did use the pumpkin in the mash. The author felt a mash and slow sparge gave time for the pumpkin to convert at least some fermentable sugar, as well as add the characteristic orange color. You just need plenty of rice hulls to keep the mash from sticking. I haven't tried it myself but plan to in a few weeks.

Most people use pumpkin in the mash. It's the easiest way to handle it. Pulping it is what you want to do if you don't mash.

The only time I use more than just a couple ounces of rice hulls is in my pumpkin-citra Saison.

 

[Demus]

The only time I use more than just a couple ounces of rice hulls is in my pumpkin-citra Saison.

Pumpkin Citra Saison. That sounds friggin' awesome!! Care to post the recipe?

 

[Ivypunx]

I hear ya, and examples that would inspire me to try are few and far between. To me the stronger ones taste like medicine and the weaker ones, well, weak. I LOVE pumpkin pie tho so that Zymurgy article has me wanting to try. Ever heard of a pumpkin wheat? I was thinking that bready wheat beer taste might go well against the sweetness...

Pumpkin wheat is pretty good. I REALLY want to figure out a way to do something like punkin for dogfish head. I think I am going to try doing a small batch, 1 gallon, before I do a full batch

 

[Beernik]

Pumpkin Citra Saison. That sounds friggin' awesome!! Care to post the recipe?

Thanks.

It's in the recipe section

 

[DrunkleJon]

Pumpkin wheat is pretty good. I REALLY want to figure out a way to do something like punkin for dogfish head. I think I am going to try doing a small batch, 1 gallon, before I do a full batch

Try the Punkin' Ale by Reno_eNVy. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f76/punkin-ale-145060/ I am fermenting my first batch of it currently. It looks to have rave reviews and smells freaking amazing. There is also mention that he created this trying to clone the DFH Punkin Ale.

 

[Ivypunx]

Try the Punkin' Ale by Reno_eNVy. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f76/punkin-ale-145060/ I am fermenting my first batch of it currently. It looks to have rave reviews and smells freaking amazing. There is also mention that he created this trying to clone the DFH Punkin Ale.

I just logged it into brsmith right now. Im converting it into a small batch(1 gallon) to try it for the first run

 

[Demus]

I've had the DFH Punkin, wasn't a fan. Tasted almost medicine-like to me...

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

I just read an article in Zymurgy that did use the pumpkin in the mash. The author felt a mash and slow sparge gave time for the pumpkin to convert at least some fermentable sugar, as well as add the characteristic orange color. You just need plenty of rice hulls to keep the mash from sticking. I haven't tried it myself but plan to in a few weeks.

Just did this yesterday, had a total of 60oz of Pumpkin puree in the mash.

I had a horribly slow drain but it was tolerable, i added a whole pound of rice hulls after the mash and stirred them in to try and help it did a bit but not much.

For the sparge after recirculating back in with my pump to clear it, i just used the pump to empty the tun instead of gravity, it helped speed it up quite a bit.

 

[DrunkleJon]

I just logged it into brsmith right now. Im converting it into a small batch(1 gallon) to try it for the first run

Leave plenty of fermenter headspace. It seems to really take off.

 

[Ivypunx]

Leave plenty of fermenter headspace. It seems to really take off.

Noted. Ill just set up a blow off and let it blast through that