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

[Revvy]

I don't know if I'm realistically going to ride the pumpkin boat either this year. With mom stuff going on and all. I would love to do the partigyle again, but would really love to do it as two 5gallon batches instead of the split 5 gallon partigyle I did last year, but I'd need to borrow someone's larger system to be able to do it.

And if I don't get it done by labor day, I might as well forget it.

 

[jacksonbrown]

I was just planning my pumpkin brew day this morning, I'll be cooking on the 21st. I brewed Yuri's Thunderstruck Pumpkin Ale last year with pretty solid results. Wife and friends loved it. I enjoyed it. It took about three months to come in to its own, so I figure I'll have it read for T-givin' this year. My notes said to lower the IBUs and clove and add more cinnamon. So I'm dropping this to 20 IBU from 25, cutting the amount of clove in about half, and adding an extra stick of cinnamon. I might play around with some allspice, we'll see. Hooray beer!

PS - what kind of yeat is everyone using? I used 1056 last year, but would like use a maltier profile one this year. Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

[KingBrianI]

PS - what kind of yeat is everyone using? I used 1056 last year, but would like use a maltier profile one this year. Thoughts? Suggestions?

I'll be using denny's favorite 50. It is supposed to make a really velvety beer with lots of malt coming through without finishing too sweet. Sounds like a good match to me.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Just wanted to say that the brewbuilder is pretty cool from brewmaster's warehouse. Here is my recipe:
Boerderij Kabouter Pumpkin Lager II // Brewmasters Warehouse

 

[Hambone]

After reading about Revy's trouble with using a carboy as his primary, I'm wondering what would be a better primary? I have the option of using a 6 gallon carboy or using my 5 gallon Pail Ale. Should I use the 5 gallon bucket for primary then the carboy for secondary, or vice versa? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

 

[conpewter]

I'll be brewing one sometime this fall, I'll let it age a year, I had a pumpkin beer from '07 that was just wonderful, the '08 had more vegetal flavor (this was back this winter).

I plan to mash in a pumpkin and thinking of fermenting in one. Not sure how long it would stand up to boiling (using an electric element). I'm growing my own pumpkins for this, atlantic giants.

 

[leavitt87]

Should I use the 5 gallon bucket for primary then the carboy for secondary, or vice versa? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

If you're making a 5 gallon batch, the 5 gallon Ale Pail might be a little tight for primary fermentation. I always try to use the largest container for the primary. A plastic bucket is more permeable to oxygen but I don't think it's a big deal unless you plan to leave the beer in secondary for an extended period of time. If you're only options are the 6 gallon carboy & 5 gallon bucket, I'd use the carboy for primary and bucket for secondary, IMHO.

 

[sleepystevenson]

My only advice: Go easy on the ginger.

I made a pumpkin ale a few years back. Undrinkable even after a year due to the medicinal flavor / aroma of (i think) the ginger. I followed a recipe from BYO, but the fresh ginger root I used was just too powerful. Didn't take much, either. Think Pumpkin NyQuil....or some other cough syrup....

Hmmmm.....maybe I outta open one of those pumpkin ales and see how 2+ years has mellowed 'er out. If I recall it was a really high ABV....so, you never know!

Anyway, that's all I got.

 

[Hambone]

Thanks for the quick response (I love this forum). That's what I had originally planned so I'll stick with it. I might even get another 5 gallon BB for secondary this weekend. Then I can use it to make more Apfelwine!

 

[masonsjax]

I was planning a 5 gal batch of simple American Amber Ale for this Sunday, but this thread has convinced me to try a pumpkin ale. Here's the changes I was thinking:
- A single hops addition to about 20 IBU
- Bake some canned pumpkin and add it to the mash
- Boil (a sliver of) Ginger, and Cinnamon, Cloves, Allspice, Nutmeg

I've read a ton of recipes and they all call for different amounts of pumpkin (7.5oz - 4lbs), and spices, and added at different times. I'm thinking the less pumpkin the better, but I would like to taste it. I guess I'll try (1) 15oz can and see how that works. With the spices, would dry hopping with them be too much? I'll probably go with the recommended amounts in Yuri's recipe, with the adjustments that jacksonbrown suggested.

Here's what I've come up with, please let me know what you think.

Batch Size (Gal): 6.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 12.75
Anticipated OG: 1.057
Anticipated SRM: 17.0
Anticipated IBU: 23.0
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

9.50 lbs. Pale Malt US 2-row
0.50 lbs. Victory Malt
1.00 lbs. Crystal 55L
1.00 lbs. Munich Malt Light
0.50 lbs. Crystal 120L
0.25 lbs. Chocolate Malt 350L

15 oz. Canned Pumpkin Puree

0.75 oz. Northern Brewer (GR) 8.90% 60 min.
0.25 oz Ginger Root 15 min
0.25 tsp Cloves (Crushed) 5 min
0.50 tsp Nutmeg 5 min
1.00 tsp Allspice 5 min
1.50 tsp Cinnamon (Ground) 5 min

Safale S-05 Yeast

Bake the pumpkin on a cookie sheet at 350F until starts to brown (20-30 mins).
Mash at 158 for 60 mins
Boil 60 mins.

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

I'm interested in how well the decoction mash will work with the pumpkin, please post your results, I have been learnig a bit more about the decoction process, and along with the pumpkin the results will be intriguing.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I was planning a 5 gal batch of simple American Amber Ale for this Sunday, but this thread has convinced me to try a pumpkin ale. Here's the changes I was thinking:
- A single hops addition to about 20 IBU
- Bake some canned pumpkin and add it to the mash
- Boil (a sliver of) Ginger, and Cinnamon, Cloves, Allspice, Nutmeg

I've read a ton of recipes and they all call for different amounts of pumpkin (7.5oz - 4lbs), and spices, and added at different times. I'm thinking the less pumpkin the better, but I would like to taste it. I guess I'll try (1) 15oz can and see how that works. With the spices, would dry hopping with them be too much? I'll probably go with the recommended amounts in Yuri's recipe, with the adjustments that jacksonbrown suggested.

Here's what I've come up with, please let me know what you think.

That all looks great to me. The only flag that was sent up for me was the ginger. I use way less than that, but who knows???

I think others have said dry hopping the spices takes a really long time for them to meld with the beer and generally isn't a good thing. I have no experience with it however.

 

[14thstreet]

I think others have said dry hopping the spices takes a really long time for them to meld with the beer and generally isn't a good thing. I have no experience with it however.

That's a good point. I think I'm going to take the whole of my spices and perhaps add 2/3rds of it to the boil for a minute, ferment, and then either secondary or bottle with the remaining 1/3rd, to taste, if necessary. Strictly going without any real pumpkin addition here. Maybe that's a mistake?

 

[absolutbmc]

I'm looking to start a pumpkin beer this weekend and I was looking for some opinions. My main question is what will be a suitable base beer? I am torn between a brown ale, pale ale, and amber/red. Any thoughts or experiences? I am hoping for a beer with a nice head, mouth, and of course great pumpkin pie taste. Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Any of those styles will provide a suitable base beer. Personal preference prevails.

 

[masonsjax]

That all looks great to me. The only flag that was sent up for me was the ginger. I use way less than that, but who knows???

I think others have said dry hopping the spices takes a really long time for them to meld with the beer and generally isn't a good thing. I have no experience with it however.

Ginger is easy to overdo. I'll cut way back on that, if I even use any. Thanks for the feedback. I will be doing this on Sunday and will post here on how it works out.

 

[absolutbmc]

OK, so I think I have created my recipe... As I am still a new at brewing I will not be going AG. my ingredients are as follows:

6 lbs Amber extract
1 lb. Crystal Malt 60
1/2 lb of Toasted Malted Barley
1 oz Fuggles or Kent Goldings
English Ale Yeast or Wyeast #1084
30-60 oz of canned pumpkin

I am thinking of boiling the pumpkin in 1 gallon of water for 30mins, straining the water to another gallon of water and then steeping the grains for 30mins @155. Then adding the Extract and hops at boil for 60mins. Or should I steep the grains for 30mins add the extract and hops for 60min boil and in the last half hour add the pumpkin?

When I rack to secondary, I will add .5oz of nutmeg, all spice, pumpkin pie spice and 2 sticks of cinnamon.

Any thoughts would be appreciated... I am unsure on the yeast and hops.

 

[absolutbmc]

I'm also unsure on the proper amount of pumpkin...

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I don't really know very much about extract brewing...

My only suggestions are to bake the pumpkin first to brown it, and I would suggest maybe throwing some 6-row malted barely in the steeping grains and put the pumpkin in the steeping grains as well. Basically that will make it a mini mash and you will hopefully convert some of the pumpkin's starches to sugars to make it more usable and beer friendly.

Hopefully some others will jump in with more extract experience.

 

[slimer]

I'm glad someone posted this thread. I was mulling a pumpkin beer last week. This is probably going to happen this weekend.

 

[bonesmalone]

I have my first pumpkin ale in primary right now but i think i can still give a few pointers.

You dont really taste or smell the pumpkin so i would advise that you mash with the pumpkin instead of boiling it. All you really get from it is a great dark orange color and a bit of body in the beer. I added 6 pounds of baked canned pumpkin continuously throughout a 90 minute boil while adding spices at 90 20 and 2 minutes and hops at 90 and 60. All was well until the end when i realized how my wort had become thick pumpkin soup and that there is NO WAY to filter out all the substance that my friends aptly named "poop sauce". I expect a tremendous trub at the bottom of primary and secondary... and quite possibly tertiary.

Next time ill mash or completely ditch the pumpkin as i was advised to do in the first place :/

 

[absolutbmc]

If am not doing AG how do I mash the pumpkin? Would I just place the pumpkin in a grain bag and steep it in the wort?

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

If am not doing AG how do I mash the pumpkin? Would I just place the pumpkin in a grain bag and steep it in the wort?

Exactly, do the same thing you are now, but add the pumpkin and some 6-row malted barely (maybe 1/2#) to the mix (for conversion power). You can still add some of the pumpkin to the boil if you want but I think the general consensus is you get more benefit by mashing the pumpkin.

 

[absolutbmc]

Should I not use canned pumpkin? I know canned Pumpkin is basically mashed up I could see that straining through the grain bag

 

[k2brew]

Per the above post. This is how I'm planning to do my Pumpkin Porter.

If you do a partial mash in the first step you put the baked pumpkin along with some 6 row malt you will be able to convert some of the sugars in the pumpkin along with the color, aroma & taste.

Also note as in cooking I prefer to use fresh spices whenever available, but in this case you will want to be careful not to overwhelm your beer (especially with fresh nutmeg).

A great resource for doing your first partial mash is John Palmer's Howtobrew.com or there is a great sticky thread in the beginner brewing section called Easy Partial Mash Brewing

My recipe (adapted from Palmer's Porter recipe)
6 lbs. of Pale Malt Extract (syrup)
1/2 lb. of Chocolate Malt
1/2 lb. of Crystal 60L Malt
1/4 lb. of Black Patent Malt
30 oz of Baked Canned Pumpkin
1/2 lb of 6 Row Malt

1 oz of Nugget (10%) at 60 minutes
1 oz of Willamette (5%) at 20 minutes
Pumpkin Spices (1/4 tsp of nutmeg, cinnamon & all-spice) at 5 minutes

Nottingham English Ale yeast (washed from a batch of English Bitter)

 

[absolutbmc]

K2brew -

Thanks for the link, the partial mash sounds pretty easy and not much different than what I currently do.

Should I mash the pumpkin with 6 Row and then steep the remain grains? Or should I do it all at once?

What kind of canned pumpkin are you using? Libbys?

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Just do it all at once. I used Libby's my first time and was happy with it. That's what I'll use again.

 

[jcdillin]

I brewed this kit last year and after a few months of aging everyone that tasted it, loved it.

Pumpkin Ale w/ 6 gm Munton's dry yeast :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies

Of course this year i'm brewing AG so I don't know if i'm going to do it or not.

 

[absolutbmc]

Thanks for all the help... Sorry for all the questions... I just want to make sure I have the procedures right..

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Thanks for all the help... Sorry for all the questions... I just want to make sure I have the procedures right..

That is why I started this thread! Happy brewing!