Pumpkin Ale over-alcoholic - can anything be done?

[JayLove]

I brewed a Pumpkin Spice ale recently - primary is complete and I've just racked to secondary after 8 days.

My OG was 1.073 (which was over my projected OG by .010). I suspect the pumpkin may have added some sugar? I had a very quick and furious fermentation with one package of Nottingham yeast to a 5 gallon batch. My gravity is now at 1.017 and it may still have a little ways to got. There's definitely a strong alcohol heat going on toward - especially on the finish.

Is there anything that can be done at this point to cut down the alcohol or at least mask the flavor so that this brew is a bit more drinkable - hopefully methods that won't water down the beer?

I was thinking that maybe adding some lactose at bottling may dampen the heat by adding some body and sweetness...?

 

[RCCOLA]

Let it sit in secondary for about 2 months. The alcohol flavor and harshness will mellow if you didn't let it get too hot during fermentation. The worst thing you can do is to rush it to the bottle.

I say this because I have a 2 month old 9% belgian in primary that was harsh as heck at 3 weeks--now it's about to be bottled and is really nice. Would have been a shame to have trapped all that harshness in the bottle.

 

[FirefighterSR2]

Let it sit in secondary for about 2 months. The alcohol flavor and harshness will mellow if you didn't let it get too hot during fermentation. The worst thing you can do is to rush it to the bottle.

+1

The yeast should take care of some of those fusel alcohols (once again, assuming the ferment wasn't too hot). Time will take care of some more.

If it doesn't get better in a few months you can always brew up another batch of the same, or something like an amber...and then blend the two. It may not be a cure-all, but it beats pouring it down the drain.

 

[smakudwn]

I had the same issue with my wee heavy, one month later and its getting much better.

 

[malkore]

Age it a while. those spices will also be a little strong at first, especially cloves if you used any, but they mellow nicely.

it'll be ready for drinking at the end of october...when pumpkin beer is in season