Pumpkin ale disaster

[JINKS]

So today was Steampumpkin ale bottling day. Bottling is pretty straight forward as I have done it numerous times before. This day turned into a potential disaster. The ale kit comes with spices and directions to put them into a cup of vodka to steep. Simple, easy, understandable, I followed the directions and the spices have been steeping in vodka since brew day. Today I tried to add the spices to the bottling bucket as per directions only to discover that they had turned into a gelatinous mass. No problem, I figure it will break apart with the addition of 5 gallons of beer. Ya, not so good. The mass plugged my pickup tube and valve. What to do? Well I thoroughly sanitized my arm and reached (elbow deep) into the bucket to remove the pickup tube, which thankfully had all the mass attached, and proceeded to bottle as usual. Only time will tell if I totally destroyed this batch of ale. At least the bottle labels are awesome.

 

[Fordzilla]

You'll be good. Sounds like you might not have as much pumpkin flavor as you'd hoped, though. You could've probably tried to strain the spices out of the vodka and just added the vodka.

Get yourself a nice long stainless steel spoon for the future. It will be nice for stirring during the boil, and you could've used it here to reach the bottom of your bucket.
Something like this.

For my pumpkin ales I just add the spices at flameout. This has turned out very well for me in the past.

 

[RmikeVT]

I've gone bicep deep into unfermented wort before to retrieve grommets and stir bars and never had an issue. As long as your arm was clean/sanitized hopefully you will be good. Weird about the spices and such. You will probably just have a pumpkin ale without the spices, it will still probably be good.

 

[JINKS]

Definitely hoping for the best, that's why I bottled instead of dumping down the drain. Remember the kids toy slime? Thats what the mass reminded me of except brown instead of green.

 

[Reef]

Definitely hoping for the best, that's why I bottled instead of dumping down the drain. Remember the kids toy slime? Thats what the mass reminded me of except brown instead of green.

Sounds delicious!

 

[GrogNerd]

Definitely hoping for the best, that's why I bottled instead of dumping down the drain. Remember the kids toy slime? Thats what the mass reminded me of except brown instead of green.

enjoy!

 

[JINKS]

For my pumpkin ales I just add the spices at flameout. This has turned out very well for me in the past.

Instructions I had said to steep spices and add at bottling time. Being a new brewer I don't variate from directions to much. If I make again I will try your way.
P.S. I have and did use a long handled spoon, this mass was undisolvealble. I stirred gently for about 5 minutes trying to get the mass to disappear without oxygenating the beer. Didn't work was non water soluble but the garbage disposal took care of it.

 

[UCChemE05]

Did you try contacting the kit supplier to see what went on with the kit? If there is an error in their directions, they may supply you with a new kit.

Did they tell you to do the vodka extraction for that long? (what you called steep) assuming the spices were finely ground, you shouldn't need to let them sit for more than a couple to several hours, SEALED.

 

[j1n]

i know what you mean. i put some cinnamon sticks in some vodka in a mason jar to make a cinnamon extract tincture for a hard cider i was planning on making. for got about it and saw it the other day and its just a slimy goopy mess in there. gonna throw it out and do it again with much less time.

 

[JINKS]

Yea no timeline on how long to leave spices in the vodka so I made it on brew day and it sat sealed for 30 days. I did shake it every now and then.

 

[JINKS]

Update: Put one in the fridge the other day. Not the best thing I've ever tried. Mostly an overpowering flavor of cloves. Gonna sit on this one for a few months to see if the flavor evens out. If not guess what my buddies are getting for Christmas?

 

[GrogNerd]

my pumpkin barleywine was brewed in October, bottled in December, tried it last month and still too much pumpkin spice. didn't help that it dried up to almost nothing (OG 1.115 to FG 1.004).

at 14.5%, it might take some cellaring to mellow it out

 

[JINKS]

Stuck 6 in the fridge today will sample later this weekend to see if I will have to dump or not.
I can't imagine any more time will make it better after 2 months+ in bottle.

 

[treacheroustexan]

Stuck 6 in the fridge today will sample later this weekend to see if I will have to dump or not.
I can't imagine any more time will make it better after 2 months+ in bottle.

Keep us posted. I added my pumpkin pie spice at flameout on my cream ale and opened up my primary and just added another teaspoon without soaking in vodka or anything. I just dumped it in and it tastes fantastic.

 

[JINKS]

Time has helped definitely drinkable but for sure not my favorite flavored beer. Think I'll keep it and give away as Xmas presents and such.

 

[MindenMan]

The cinnamon is the trouble here, it will suck all the water out anything it is in.
I use a coffee filter, I put the cinnamon, and the other spices in a coffee filter, and pour the vodka over them.

 

[JINKS]

Had a couple of friends over last night. They complimented me on the flavor of the pumpkin ale. I saw some improvement but nothing amazing. Maybe I have a lingering memory of how awful it was at first try.

 

[kh54s10]

I made my pumpkin ale last fall. I used a medium pumpkin, baked until the edges started to brown. No spices. It had a very slight pumpkin taste. It was what I wanted. I will do another this fall and use more pumpkin and caramelize it more (longer baking).

I was looking for just pumpkin and not cinnamon or other spicy flavors.

 

[JINKS]

Haulin a 6er over to a friends tonight. These seem to get better and better the longer I leave them. Still not pumpkin but the clove is toning down considerably.

 

[GrogNerd]

my pumpkin barleywine was brewed in October, bottled in December, tried it last month and still too much pumpkin spice. didn't help that it dried up to almost nothing (OG 1.115 to FG 1.004).

at 14.5%, it might take some cellaring to mellow it out

don't have final results yet, but my pumpkin barleywine lost in a brewclub competition on Wednesday to a BEET BEER

yes. a beer made with beets.

 

[j1n]

don't have final results yet, but my pumpkin barleywine lost in a brewclub competition on Wednesday to a BEET BEER

yes. a beer made with beets.

That Belgian candi sugar stuff you can buy at the HBS is made with beet juice. That stuff tastes pretty good in beer so its not a stretch that beets in beer would turn out good.

 

[GrogNerd]

I may be wrong (it happens) but I think there's a difference between a sugar beet, used to make sugar - including Belgian candi sugar - and the table beet we serve for dinner.

this beer was made with table beets.

 

[j1n]

I may be wrong (it happens) but I think there's a difference between a sugar beet, used to make sugar - including Belgian candi sugar - and the table beet we serve for dinner.

this beer was made with table beets.

I had to google it and you're right. I had no idea.

 

[GrogNerd]

I had to google it and you're right. I had no idea.

neither did I

it's called "learning"

 

[william_shakes_beer]

Do what you want. but 2 weeks ago I did a pumpkin ale. Put the spices in the last 10 minutes of the boil. Smelled great dropping to the ferments. I plan to sample it again at bottling time a nd if necessary add more slice with the priming solution. 5OZ cane sugar, 2 cups water and spices boiled and cooled. I used cinnamon in a careamel apple cider and switched from powdered cinnamon to extract becaue rhe powdered, when not boiled, tended to float a the top of the bucket and end up in the last few bottles. Never heard of any spice bill being soaked for 30 days in vadka, although solid spices (cinnamon sticks, whole cloves) might be a different story

 

[JINKS]

don't have final results yet, but my pumpkin barleywine lost in a brewclub competition on Wednesday to a BEET BEER

yes. a beer made with beets.

Yea judges tastebuds are broken from drinking 200 ibu beers.

 

[GrogNerd]

competition was only 8 beers and limited to BJCP Category 21A, Spice, Herb, or Vegetable

all were pumpkin, with the exception of the beet beer

 

[wtaylor3]

Do what you want. but 2 weeks ago I did a pumpkin ale. Put the spices in the last 10 minutes of the boil. Smelled great dropping to the ferments. I plan to sample it again at bottling time a nd if necessary add more slice with the priming solution. 5OZ cane sugar, 2 cups water and spices boiled and cooled.

+1...I mashed with 7.5lbs of uncooked pure canned pumpkin (I now wish I had baked it) and then added pumpkin pie spice with 15 min left in boil...after fermentation had completed I couldn't taste pumpkin at all when I drank the hydrometer sample if their is still no pumpkin flavor on bottle day ill add more to priming solution....been in fermenter for 3 weeks so I should know soon

 

[JINKS]

Do what you want. but 2 weeks ago I did a pumpkin ale. Put the spices in the last 10 minutes of the boil. Smelled great dropping to the ferments. I plan to sample it again at bottling time a nd if necessary add more slice with the priming solution. 5OZ cane sugar, 2 cups water and spices boiled and cooled. I used cinnamon in a careamel apple cider and switched from powdered cinnamon to extract becaue rhe powdered, when not boiled, tended to float a the top of the bucket and end up in the last few bottles. Never heard of any spice bill being soaked for 30 days in vadka, although solid spices (cinnamon sticks, whole cloves) might be a different story

Drank a professional made pumpkin beer, Elysium I believe, it had an owl on the label. Turns out I don't like pumpkin beer, go figure, I love pumpkin pie and any other beer under the sun tastes fine to me. I may try to make one without the clove.