Pumpkin Ale Questions

[Lucky137]

Hey all,

Planning on brewing a pumpkin ale tomorrow, and had a couple questions:

1. I'm already planning on putting the pumpkin in the mash, but what's the best way to prepare it? I am planning using real pumpkin, peeling/de-seeding it, cutting into small bits (maybe 1/2 inch cubes), and roasting similar to how one would roast squash or potatoes (350 F for about 40 min). From here, should I just throw the pumpkin cubes straight into the mash? Or should I smash up the bits first so it's more of a puree (consistency of dry mashed potatoes), and then add? Or am I going about this all wrong and is there a completely different method I should use?

2. What kind of fermentables can I expect to get out of 1 lb of pumpkin? I want to make sure this beer isn't too high ABV wise (relatives get drunk enough as it is).

3. What kind of pumpkins should I get? Are the ones that the supermarket has just sitting outside the ones I want? I imagine I should go smaller rather than bigger?


Thanks all! And let me know if there's anything I else I should consider that you think I may have over looked.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

Some people use pumpkin pie filling, which already has spices in it. I believe the accepted procedure for fresh pumpkin is to cut it up in small peices and roast until its soft, then throw it in the boil. Not sure about mashing, I do extract. The pumpkin itself adds very little in the way of fermentables, its mostly mouth feel. The flavor comes from the spices. I have done 2 pumpkin ales, and no actual pumpkin was involved.

 

[djfriesen]

If you mash, it might be good to try a grainbag type approach to keep a majority of the pumpkin trub out of the final product. A LOT of people have complained lately about hom much beer they lost to this.

I would think you could mash your baked pumpkin, and then teabag it, either in the mash, or like a late-boil hop addition. Hopefully you would get taste and aroma, but not be stuck with all the sludge.

Discalimer: I haven't used this method, and I haven't seen anyone else say they've used it. It's just what I will try when I get around to brewing a pumpkin ale. I have seen people add it to the mash, but I want a way to keep all that trub out. A grainbag seems to be a decent solution.

I don't think you'll get any fermentables out of the pumpkin, but if you can look up something similar on a calorie counting website, they might have relative amounts of sugar. A pumpkin from out front of the grocery store should be fine.

 

[BeerChef17]

I did a pumpkin in a mini-mash...just roasted it and left it in for the whole boil. In your case I would go as planned and add it to the mash cubed, or in a bag if you decide to smash it up into a mash potato consistency. For spices I did boil and a dry addition to the secondary to add a little more flavor after i took my gravity reading.

 

[BryanJ]

Don't bother with the pumpkin, it doesn't contribute much other than a headache for mashing. Your spices will far outweigh the flavor if any you get from mashing pumpkins. Get a nice spice schedule for your boil and you'll be happy with the results.