Pumpkin Specific Gravity

[mfp03001]

I made a pumpkin porter today. I added the pumpkin (cooked) during the boil. And determined by difference in pre and post gravity reads adjusted and for volume.

From that I concluded that my pumpkin has a PPG (sugar) of 8. Or one pound of pumpkin in one gallon of water makes a SG of 1.008. I was just wondering if anyone else has don't anything similar to this recently with pumpkins. To compare numbers. Though I am sure it varies from pumpkin to pumpkin. I was also wondering how the spices I add might affect the gravity. Though relativity to the total volume I wouldn't think they have too much affect.

If your wondering what kind of pumpkin I used. I don't know they were just standard small ones from the grocery store. I read small ones have a large sugar content than large ones. So natural I got them.

 

[dave5155]

I could not find any pumpkins when I started my "pumpkin ale" so I used fresh yams. I think I determined the ppg for yams was 12. turned out really good too by the way.

 

[funkswing]

So, you added the pumpkins straight the boil (but cooked the pumpkins first)?

Was it an extract recipe? Most people add the pumpkin to the mash. Did it just sink to the bottom during your boil? Was it a pureed pumpkin?

I don't know if it matters that it added 8 gravity points, because I doubt that even 90% of that gravity is fermentable. Its kinda like adding any solid to the boil, of course it is going to increase the SG, but that doesn't mean its increasing the sugar content.

EDIT: now I have people telling me that it is very much fermentable. I'm brewing one this weekend, we will see.

 

[cactusgarrett]

Spices won't affect the gravity at all, since they're added in such small quantities, nor are they soluble sugars.

 

[mfp03001]

It didn't just sink i moved all around with the water. I read in this book that I have to cook it before you boil it. I cut the pumpkins up into chunks it was not a puree. However, I didn't listen to the book and I left the pumpkin in after the boil. for about a week until I transferred to secondary. That was a VERY BAD idea. Pretty much a lot of the pumpkin dissolved into like slim for lack of a better word, and settled on the bottom. There was no way possible to strain this pumpkin slim out of the beer on the bottom so I pretty much ended up throwing out 2 gallons of beer. (I was able to siphon off the top 3 gallons above the pumpkin line.) So don't do that.

If you add your pumpkin during the boil make sure you strain it out before putting it into your fermentor. Or add it during the secondary. I image it would not dissolve then so badly, but I can't say for sure I never did it.

 

[cactusgarrett]

Life is easier when it's added to the mash. Actually, I've found it's easiest by leaving out the actual pumpkin entirely. As long as you've got your spice load in order, and you've brewed "properly", no one can tell the difference.

 

[JonK331]

Here's a good thread on this: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/how-much-fermentable-sugar-will-i-get-pumpkin-199558/

 

[Dynachrome]

Life is easier when it's added to the mash. Actually, I've found it's easiest by leaving out the actual pumpkin entirely. As long as you've got your spice load in order, and you've brewed "properly", no one can tell the difference.

Do you mean entirely no pumpkin?

I am thinking about using my Halloween pumpkins to get a little extra fermentables.

 

[funkswing]

From my experience you get no gain in OG from using pumpkin (I mash my pumpkin; quarter the pumpkin, rub with brown sugar, roast for 1 hour, and cut it up into cubes)

 

[Dynachrome]

There is a thick heavy smell of starch and a taste of pumpkin. There has to be something in there?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f127/eve-destruction-pumpkin-porter-204586/

 

[hotbrew]

After doing my pumpkin beer this year and plenty of research, I've discovered that it is a bad idea to add pumpkin to the mash. There isn't enough sugar in the pumpkin to attempt a conversion of the starches. It's only going to clog your equipment, resulting in a stuck mash, and wrecking your efficiency (especially if you use whole pumpkin chunks). The entire point of adding pumpkin is to add flavor and color, not to use the fermentable sugars. I wouldn't be surprised if there is 8 ppg of sugars from the pumpkin but it's not worth the effort trying to extract it.

All pumpkins used for a pumpkin beer (including the puree) should be placed in the oven for 1 hour at 350 degree F. This will caramelize the pumpkin, which brings out the flavor moreso than not roasting it. Introduce the pumpkin at the very beginning of the boil.

The only downside is that you will have a lot of suspended pumpkin in the wort even after transferring it to the primary (especially if you use puree). Whirlpooling will remove a good bit but there will still be a lot of pumpkin trub.

Oh and btw... those small pumpkins at the grocery are often referred to as Sugar Pumpkins, at least here in the south. Don't bother using large Jack-o-Lantern style pumpkins, it would be a waste.

 

[funkswing]

After doing my pumpkin beer this year and plenty of research, I've discovered that it is a bad idea to add pumpkin to the mash. There isn't enough sugar in the pumpkin to attempt a conversion of the starches. It's only going to clog your equipment, resulting in a stuck mash, and wrecking your efficiency (especially if you use whole pumpkin chunks).

I totally disagree. I used pumpkin chunks (after roasting the quartered pumpkin, which was rubbed in brown sugar, for 1 hour in over at 350 F) in the mash. My eff. was the exact same and runoff and sparging was the exact same.

Don't believe this "it will ruin everything" mantra. Pumpkin in the mash is the way to go. It lends a slight mouth feel to the beer. Yes, its really the spices that make a pumpkin beer stand apart from other beers.

The only downside is that you will have a lot of suspended pumpkin in the wort even after transferring it to the primary (especially if you use puree).

Yes is a horrible downside. Pumpkin in the mash FTW.

small pumpkins at the grocery are often referred to as Sugar Pumpkins

I agree. The smaller the pumpkin the more concentrated the sugars are. So use ones no larger than a soccer ball. I call them sugar pumpkins, too!

 

[Dynachrome]

FWIW It's a third sparge off of a porter I finished around midnight. I 'm reusing the grains more as a strainer thananything. There must have been some leftover sugars in i.

The pumpkin is still dripping down through the grains and I'm collecting about one quart an hour past the inital runnings. Im smelling the spices now and it tastes like something that might go well on pancakes. ;-)

Preliminary specific gravity is 1.046.

 

[hotbrew]

I totally disagree. I used pumpkin chunks (after roasting the quartered pumpkin, which was rubbed in brown sugar, for 1 hour in over at 350 F) in the mash. My eff. was the exact same and runoff and sparging was the exact same.

I'm sure it's possible to mash whole pumpkin chunks and the puree, but my experience has resulted in too much channeling and a semi-stuck sparge. My efficiency fell 8 percent when I mashed my pumpkin ale. Maybe some bad luck.

However I don't see much point in adding it to the mash considering the low amount of fermentable sugars from the pumpkin.

Even the guys at Salem Beerworks agree. http://www.audioholics.com/news/edi...e-brew-recipe-and-commercial-microbrew-recipe (Ignore the fact that it's on a audio website)

I'd rather deal with filtering out the pumpkin after the boil than potentially risk a stuck sparge. To each his own I guess.

 

[funkswing]

Well, of course its possible. Its what most people do. Whether or not you get fermentables from the pumpkin, you are getting the starches into solution and into your wort, w/o the solids of the pumpkin.

For anyone reading: mashing with the pumpkin does not lead to disaster! But I also wouldn't use canned pumpkin. Get a whole pumpkin and carve it up, its fun!

I really don't see the point of adding it to the boil, or even worse, adding it during or post fermentation. Mostly because it seems like it would be a PITA to clear the beer and you might lose a lot b/c of the sediment.

But of course many people do just that. Hell what's an extract brewer supposed to do?
But it also doesn't mean that the results are going to be the same.

I have never heard of Salem Beer Works, but my brewpub does the pumpkin in the mash, but you haven't heard of them. So who cares?

From that link:

There will be a tremendous trube on the bottom of the carboy. This is common due to the pumpkin and grains. It will be challenging to rack as it may clog the rack tube several times.

They even admit it sucks doing it this way.

 

[cactusgarrett]

Do you mean entirely no pumpkin?

I am thinking about using my Halloween pumpkins to get a little extra fermentables.

Right. In the past, i've used a LOT of canned pumpkin (7 cans/5 gallons), a LITTLE (2 cans/5 gallons) and NONE. Everyone that's had two or all three actually prefers the iteration with no pumpkin at all. As long as you have your spice load in order, you can make a great pumpkin beer without it. I've found the trouble it takes to use it far exceeds the minimal taste or fermentables it contributes.

 

[funkswing]

But then you can't call it a pumpkin beer! Its just a spice beer in the style of pumpkin pie. That's no fun. I mean, why do think there are some many pumpkins around this time of the year.......for mashing!

 

[cactusgarrett]

If i used canned pumpkin, do i have to call it a "squash beer"? Because of this, i always pay close attention to commercial labels and whether they call it a "pumpkin" beer or a "pumpkin spice" beer. I wonder if breweries have ever had to lawyer up regarding this issue...

 

[Dynachrome]

My wife has 4 pie pumpkins. Would trying to mash and ferment them without any grain be a test?

I read that papaya peals contain a pectin enzyme that breaks starches down.

Just askin'.