Ok, I decided to post it here just in case anyone else wants to see it. To start, I use 100% RO (or distilled works) water. I add all of my salts in the mash, and then I add my sparge salts in my HLT AFTER I have pulled my mash volume up. If you dont use RO and simply use your tap water, you SHOULD be ok without many salts, but I target the following:
CA - 50
MG - 8
SO - 38
SU - 82
CHL - 64.8
Bi - 101
to get to this using distilled water, I add the following into the MASH:
2.70g Baking Soda, 2.56g CaCL, 1.70 Epsom salt and 1.62g Gypsum
I add the following into the SPARGE water, after I'm mashed in, then stir and let it sit till i sparge out:
1.95g Baking Soda, 1.85g CaCL, 1.23 Epsom salt and 1.17g Gypsum
Or if your using BS3, I use the "Brown Balanced" profile.
I use a decent size (1L ) starter of Irish Ale (WY1084)
For this recipe, I use 2 cans of libby's 100% pumpkin ( have spread it out and baked it at 350 for an hour, and I have also used it straight out of the can into the mash, both work just fine with no discernible difference)
grains are:
11# pale malt (I use Skagit valley pilot pale, but any should work just fine)
2# Munich (10L)
1# Flaked Oats
.5# Chocolate (350SRM)
and 1# rice hulls.
My mash temp is 152 on this. I usually get my water into my mash tun, and scoop a few spoons into the water of the pumpkin (again either baked or non works) and some rice hulls, then the grain, all while stirring (this takes 2 people) and keep repeating until it is all in the mash tun. since this process takes me a while to stir good, I usually strike in at 156, so that by the time i am stirred and ready, I am back down to 152 for a 90 min mash.
I do a 90 min boil with the following additive/HOP scedule:
.35oz Magnum FWH
2oz Spalter Select at 15 min
1tsp Ground Ginger @ 10 min
1tsp Ground Cloves @ 10 min
1tsp Ground Nutmeg @ 10 min
2 whole cinnamon sticks @ 10 min
2 heaping cups light brown sugar @ 10 min
Once in the fermentor USE A BLOW-OFF TUBE!! I let this sit for roughly 2 weeks @ 68°, and then I secondary onto a tincture (posted below) of 2 whole vanilla beans.
tincture:
go buy yourself 2 whole vanilla bean pods (I use 2 because they usually arent fresh, if you can get fresh then 1 will suffice). I slit them long ways, and scrape the pod inside and put in a small jar, then cut the beans and put them in there along with about 1oz of vodka. THIS MUST BE DONE 2 WEEKS TO SIT BEFORE YOU PUT INTO THE SECONDARY.
When it is racking time, I pour the full tincture into the secondary, then rack ontop of it.
Finally, I let this sit for about 2 days and then begin cool down to 40°-45° for a week before I keg.
Carb to 2.3vol.
