Pumpkin Ale Recipe Input Wanted

[Orpheus]

I almost hate to ask, but I wanted some experienced input on this.

The time to brew this is coming up fast. I found this recipe online. I intend to make modifications in parentheses.

Ingredients:

· 6.6 pounds amber liquid malt

· 1 pound 40L crystal malt

· ½ pound chocolate malt

· 30 ounces pumpkin (canned, unspiced) (It seems from feedback two cans minimum) (baked at 350 for 1 hour)

· 1 cup brown sugar

· 6 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

· 6 whole cloves

· 1 ounce Hallertau pellets (bittering)

· ½ ounce Fuggle pellets (flavor)

· ½ ounce Cascade pellets (finishing)

· 1 tbsp. Irish moss

· 1 package Danstar Nottingham ale yeast (recommended liquid yeast, Wyeast 21084T, Irish Ale)

I'd add the pumpkin in to steep with the grains for 30 mins, and then leave it be.

I'm really interested in feedback on the spices. Anything to add, or is there too much?

 

[Harvestsmiles]

When I made my pumpkin ale, I used moleasses instead of brown sugar... For the spices I went with 2 tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and 1 tsp cloves mixed all in a bowl. I used real pumpkin : First I cooked the 1 inch peices of pumpkin with half the spices sprinkled over top for an hour - makes the house smell great! Then steeped with grains... Added the rest of the spices with 5 minutes left for boil.
Started drinking after only one month of bottle conditioning (It was Halloween) but after two months the flavor was NICE (Thanksgiving). Saving a few bottles for another month to try at Christmas and see if the flavor gets more intense... I heard that using the whole pumpkin puts a shorter shelf life on the beer but I don't think I am going to have an issue this go-round....

 

[arover]

The best advice given to me about spice is this: Add half at boil-out (no more than 5 minutes, I do 0 minutes), add the other half after primary fermentation has finished. After you add the second half, start sampling it every few days until you find a spiciness that suites you. Works really well for me...otherwise I tend to just overdo the spices at boil.