Pumpkin beers: Discussion, developing recipes, tips tricks, and a good practices

[KingBrianI]

I agree and expect mine to be this way. OK with me though. I'm really not a flavored beer guy so I made this for the parents walking with their kids on Halloween night who might want a cup. Though next year I expect I'll boost this with more crystal instead of backsweetening.

Come to think of it I might simply have been tasting a little too much spice before which put it out of balance. So it needed some sweetnes to balance it out.

I know exactly what you're talking about. One of my favorite pumpkin ales is weyerbacher's imperial pumpkin, and its definitely sweet and viscous and luscious. I really like it, but it's not something I could drink all night. It'd be great for a quick cup on a cold night walking kids around the neighborhood though!

 

[passedpawn]

I know exactly what you're talking about. One of my favorite pumpkin ales is weyerbacher's imperial pumpkin, and its definitely sweet and viscous and luscious. I really like it, but it's not something I could drink all night. It'd be great for a quick cup on a cold night walking kids around the neighborhood though!

First, that one is my favorite (so far). Second, yea, I can't imagine a pumpkin beer being a session beer.

 

[dontman]

I'm also serving mulled hot apple cider (non-alcoholic) for those that can't handle a beer.

 

[KingBrianI]

Do such beings exist?!

 

[dontman]

I know! Outrageous. Maybe this year I'll just substitute some Apfelwein. You can barely tell there is alcohol in it.

I was at a party recently where I gave out samples of my blueberry cider and after a bit I saw a little girl walking by with a cup of the "blueberry soda" her mom had just given to her. She got all belligerent when we tried to take it from her. Had to get the bouncers involved.

 

[imaguitargod]

Ok, I've searched and searched and read but haven't found an answer.

After fermentation is complete, I want to take about two or three gallons of the pumpkin beer and siphen it into a hollowed out, large pumpkin. Then seal it up and stick an airlock on it for a week. Good idea or bad idea?

 

[FishinDave07]

Ok, I've searched and searched and read but haven't found an answer.

After fermentation is complete, I want to take about two or three gallons of the pumpkin beer and siphen it into a hollowed out, large pumpkin. Then seal it up and stick an airlock on it for a week. Good idea or bad idea?

What are you looking to gain? It certainly would be "authentic"

 

[dontman]

Ok, I've searched and searched and read but haven't found an answer.

After fermentation is complete, I want to take about two or three gallons of the pumpkin beer and siphen it into a hollowed out, large pumpkin. Then seal it up and stick an airlock on it for a week. Good idea or bad idea?

I'd be surprised if you didn't get some sort of "secondary fermentation" most likely from lactobacillus.

I have heard of people successfully doing this for the mash where they were going to boil it afterward. But I can't recall any successful ferments doing this.

 

[RobbyBeers]

Some people were asking earlier in the thread about brew in a bag (BIAB). I just made an all-grain BIAB pumpkin ale last night.

I lightly pre-boiled fresh pie pumpkins, fork-mashed them, and added them to the mash bag with the grains. No problems at all, just pulled the whole bag out, pumpkin and all, once the mash was done. Doesn't even appear to be a particularly thick trub in the carboy.

Some people may frown upon BIAB, but I would say that for this style in particular, it might represent a nice alternative.

 

[conpewter]

I plan to test the "fermenting in a pumpkin - lacto" by brewing a 6 gallon batch, 5 goes the normal way, 1 gal gets put in a pumpkin I bought yesterday and fermented there. If nothing else I'll get cute pictures of a pumpkin with an airlock stuck out the top of it. Maybe I'll even draw a face on it

 

[imaguitargod]

What are you looking to gain?

I have no idea....Seemed like a fun idea.

 

[jeremyx]

So we are in the midst of sparging a decoction mash pumpkin ale.

- We only did one decoction, (held @ 150 for 20 mins, boiled for 20 mins). It was so thick and goopy because of the pumpkin we decided to skip the 2nd decoction for mash out
- Pumpkin and gains in the decoction mash boiling was dangerous - we got burned. Think bubbling cauldron.
- The sparge is happening now and slow like. Part of the reasoning for skipping the second decoction was that we had some grain husks left in the main mash to hopfully help with sparging....

I'll let you know what happens....

 

[jeremyx]

...oh and we baked the pumpkins for hours with brown sugar sprinkled on top and we're not adding any spices. I want a real pilgrim style pumpkin ale. The decoction should bring out the malty flavors.

 

[jeremyx]

still very very very very s l o w l y sparging...the ball valve is wide open and a small trickle is coming out....seems ok, just slow. Iive vowed to not mess with it. The temp of the mashis ~150 degrees F.

Anyone see any issues with this taking a couple more hours if I maintain these conditions?

 

[JamesM]

I brewed a batch of pumpkin ale about a week and a half ago. Its fairly light bodied. I wanted to make a Pumpkin porter too. Someone in this thread mentioned that after I drain the ale I already made into the secondary, I could toss the porter right on top of the trub instead of needing new yeast. Does this sound right??

ALSO - I can't find an extract recipe for a pumpkin porter, I did the first batch all grain and I don't have that kind of patience again just yet. Thanks for any advice you all can give!!

 

[dontman]

Sure, if you're doing a Pumpkin Porter who can pitch on top of the other cake. No problem. If you've got room that is. A lot of people who have too much trub from the first pumpkin to add another 5.5 gallons to the carboy. And it is going to ferment big so you'll likely lose more through blowoff.

Of course rinsing some of the trub away is easy enough if you do have too much stuff at the bottom when it comes time.

 

[KingBrianI]

After carbing and kegging I can definitely say this recipe rocks. The final recipe is posted here https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f76/samhain-pumpkin-ale-140674/

 

[JLem]

Not sure if this info is worth anything - particularly since it's buried here on page 20...but after doing a little searching, I came across this article that indicates that winter squash starches have a gelatinization temperature ranging from 60.6 to 63.5 °C (140.5 to 146.3 °F). This means that pumpkin starches will gelatinize at normal mash temperatures and baking is not necessary (at least for gelatinization purposes). I am assuming that pumpkin is sufficiently close to the winter squash analyzed in this study.

 

[passedpawn]

Not sure if this info is worth anything - particularly since it's buried here on page 20...but after doing a little searching, I came across this article that indicates ...

Bad Link.

 

[JLem]

Bad Link.

Perhaps this one will work --> new link

 

[Revvy]

I think roasting is more to produce some complexity in the pumpkin, some roasted notes more that anythinng. I do a roasted vegetable soup that I stick all the veggies under the broiler first. It is 10 times more flavorful and complext than when a make a "normal" veggy soup.

 

[passedpawn]

Perhaps this one will work --> new link

That's a good one. You're right, pumpkin falls right into the common sac rest temps. Here's a chart I got from somewhere that shows gelatination temp ranges for lots of stuff. Pumpkin is not in there though.

 

[smokinghole]

Here's what I have planned in the very near future.

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Pumpkin Ale
Brewer: Adam Cole
Asst Brewer:
Style: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 6.00 gal
Boil Size: 7.58 gal
Estimated OG: 1.071 SG
Estimated Color: 10.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 19.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
9.00 lb Pale Malt (MO) (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain 56.25 %
2.00 lb Munich Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 12.50 %
2.00 lb Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 12.50 %
1.00 lb Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM) Grain 6.25 %
1.00 lb Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) (Toasted) Grain 6.25 %
1.00 lb Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 6.25 %
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.90 %] (60 min) Hops 15.3 IBU
0.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.90 %] (15 min) Hops 3.8 IBU
0.25 tsp Nutmeg (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
0.50 tsp Ground Cinnamon (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
1.00 lb Rice Hulls (Mash 5.0 min) Misc
60.00 oz Pumpkin (Mash 5.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Edinburgh Ale (White Labs #WLP028) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 16.00 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Medium Body
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 20.00 qt of water at 165.9 F 154.0 F
10 min Mash Out Add 11.20 qt of water at 202.8 F 168.0 F

 

[JLem]

That's a good one. You're right, pumpkin falls right into the common sac rest temps. Here's a chart I got from somewhere that shows gelatination temp ranges for lots of stuff. Pumpkin is not in there though.

Should a step mash be used for those starches with gelatinization ranges below the typical sac rest, e.g. rye, or will they gelatinize and convert just fine at the higher sac rest temp?

 

[masonsjax]

I would avoid ground cinnamon. It is fine enough that it doesn't easily drop out of suspension and leaves an unpleasant bitterness. I will only use cinnamon sticks from now on.

 

[smokinghole]

Good thing my SWMBO bought some cinnamon sticks at the indian market when I was picking Jaggery for my saison.

 

[passedpawn]

Should a step mash be used for those starches with gelatinization ranges below the typical sac rest, e.g. rye, or will they gelatinize and convert just fine at the higher sac rest temp?

If you use whole-grain rye, you will need to do a cereal mash to gelatinize it (as you suggested above).

However, most brewers will choose flaked/rolled rye. During the rolling process, the rye is flattened under hot, heavy rollers. The heat and pressure from the rollers gelatinizes the rye starch, thus eliminating the need for precooking the rye: flaked rye does not require a step mash.

Be careful using rye, it is high in beta-glucans and produces a very sticky mash, similar to wheat. Create a thinner mash (more water), and have a contingency plan if the sparge clogs. If you are also mashing pumpkin, you are braver than I!

 

[JLem]

If you use whole-grain rye, you will need to do a cereal mash to gelatinize it (as you suggested above).

However, most brewers will choose flaked/rolled rye. During the rolling process, the rye is flattened under hot, heavy rollers. The heat and pressure from the rollers gelatinizes the rye starch, thus eliminating the need for precooking the rye: flaked rye does not require a step mash.

Be careful using rye, it is high in beta-glucans and produces a very sticky mash, similar to wheat. Create a thinner mash (more water), and have a contingency plan if the sparge clogs. If you are also mashing pumpkin, you are braver than I!

I'm not mashing rye - though perhaps in the future. We're getting a bit off topic of pumpkin beer here, but...

My question was out of curiosity as to how to handle those starches that have gelatinization temps lower than normal sac rests. So, you are suggesting that the higher sac rest temp will not gelatinize rye starch? I thought the problem was normally that sac rest were not hot enough for some starches (e.g. rice). Confused.

 

[passedpawn]

Hmmm, I thought I answered your question (Will [rye] gelatinize and convert just fine at the higher sac rest temp?). You did ask about rye, and I addressed that.

Normal sac rest is too hot for rye. However, flaked rye has been "pre-gelatinized" and it's starches are available for enzymatic conversion. Use flaked rye with single infusion mashes.

Regarding other starches, if there is a flaked version, use it. If not, you'll need a step mash. I only do single infusion mashes, so I'm getting out of my element here.

 

[JLem]

Hmmm, I thought I answered your question (Will [rye] gelatinize and convert just fine at the higher sac rest temp?). You did ask about rye, and I addressed that.

Normal sac rest is too hot for rye. However, flaked rye has been "pre-gelatinized" and it's starches are available for enzymatic conversion. Use flaked rye with single infusion mashes.

Regarding other starches, if there is a flaked version, use it. If not, you'll need a step mash. I only do single infusion mashes, so I'm getting out of my element here.

Thanks for the clarification. While, yes you did answer my original question, the answer did not jive with my apparently flawed understanding of the gelatinization process, so that was my way of saying "Are you sure?" - the skeptic in me...sorry. I did not realize that it was possible for temps to be too high for gelatinization to occur. I figured you needed to reach a certain minimum temp and anything above that was good. Any idea what happens at the higher temps to prevent gelatinization?