Pumpkin Spiced Ale

[sweaterman]

Racked to the secondary today. Seems to have lost the pumkin pie smell now smells like beer(imagine that), hopefully still has some of the flavor.. The OG was 1.055 now is at 1.013. Looking good so far.

This is what happened with mine at bottling. It's currently sitting in the bottle waiting to be dranked. I'll report back with flavor in a couple weeks or so, but I am a bit nervous.

 

[OwenH89]

Mine has been in primary for almost two weeks now. I want to secondary for at least another week or two but, because this is only my 3rd batch of home brew, I don't have a carboy or better bottle yet. Can I just rack to a bottling bucket, clean the plastic primary bucket of the yeast cake, and move back to the primary? I figured it would be doing the same thing as it would in a carboy. Just no yeast cake and more time for sediment to settle. Thoughts?

 

[BarronVonCharron]

Mine has been in primary for almost two weeks now. I want to secondary for at least another week or two but, because this is only my 3rd batch of home brew, I don't have a carboy or better bottle yet. Can I just rack to a bottling bucket, clean the plastic primary bucket of the yeast cake, and move back to the primary? I figured it would be doing the same thing as it would in a carboy. Just no yeast cake and more time for sediment to settle. Thoughts?

Hey man I did a bunch of reading on this recently and what I am about to tell you could work out well in your favor.

When the schedule of primary and secondary fermenters was made the yeast available was not nearly as fresh as what we can get today. If you use fresh yeast like the Witelabs vials then you don't need to move it to a secondary. On this site I read a few guys left their beer in the primary for 5 months before bottling and had zero issues with it. Another thing is that by racking to a bottling bucket, then back to the fermenter you are running a much higher risk of infection than necessary. By leaving it in the primary a little longer the sediment will continue to settle out. Do your own research before making a final decision, but my $.02 says to let it sit.

 

[RedneckBrewer]

I will be brewing up my original recipe again in the next week or so. Here are some of the changes I am going to make:

7lb Pale Malt Extract
1lb 20 Lovibond crystal malt (to keep it as lighter color)
2 oz Willamette hops (60 min)
1/2 oz Cascade hops (60 min)
1 oz Mt. Hood hops (15 min)

10 lb Whole Pumpkin
1 tsp ground cinnamon -------> 1 1/2 tsp
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract (substitute 1-2 vanilla beans) (10 min) ---> 1 oz Madagascar Vanilla Extract in secondary, 1-2 oz at bottling
1/2 tsp freshy ground nutmeg (10 min) ---> 1tsp
1/4 tsp ground allspice (10 min) ----> 1/2 tsp
1/2 tsp ground dried ginger (10 min) ---1 tsp
1/2 tsp (1g) irish moss (15 min) ----> 1 tsp

WLP001 (California Ale Yeast) ----> Wyeast 1056 w/starter

OG: 1.069
FG: 1.018

This sounds like a GREAT recipe that I'm going to have to try. Sorry for the noob question, but are you steeping the 20L and then adding the pumpkin to the boil or steeping both? Thanks!

 

[craig_reed]

This sounds like a GREAT recipe that I'm going to have to try. Sorry for the noob question, but are you steeping the 20L and then adding the pumpkin to the boil or steeping both? Thanks!

Steep the 20L, and I added the pumpkin to the boil at the 40 min mark (20 min into the boil).

I still have 2 bottles left over, and am brewing this again for my 5th time this weekend.

Cheers!

 

[collinsDPT]

I will be brewing up my original recipe again in the next week or so. Here are some of the changes I am going to make:

7lb Pale Malt Extract
1lb 20 Lovibond crystal malt (to keep it as lighter color)
2 oz Willamette hops (60 min)
1/2 oz Cascade hops (60 min)
1 oz Mt. Hood hops (15 min)

10 lb Whole Pumpkin
1 tsp ground cinnamon -------> 1 1/2 tsp
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract (substitute 1-2 vanilla beans) (10 min) ---> 1 oz Madagascar Vanilla Extract in secondary, 1-2 oz at bottling
1/2 tsp freshy ground nutmeg (10 min) ---> 1tsp
1/4 tsp ground allspice (10 min) ----> 1/2 tsp
1/2 tsp ground dried ginger (10 min) ---1 tsp
1/2 tsp (1g) irish moss (15 min) ----> 1 tsp

WLP001 (California Ale Yeast) ----> Wyeast 1056 w/starter

OG: 1.069
FG: 1.018

Dang... this sounds AWESOME. Now I'm mad I bought the Midwest supplies pumpkin kit!

 

[craig_reed]

Dang... this sounds AWESOME. Now I'm mad I bought the Midwest supplies pumpkin kit!

Thanks it is amazing! I will post a pic of it tonight. Forgot to mention I bottle primed it with brown sugar!

 

[crisputer]

oooh I can't wait. I got all the ingredients in yesterday. Just waiting on the rest of my equipment and the pumpkins to come in around here.

 

[cimirie]

Hey man I did a bunch of reading on this recently and what I am about to tell you could work out well in your favor.

When the schedule of primary and secondary fermenters was made the yeast available was not nearly as fresh as what we can get today. If you use fresh yeast like the Witelabs vials then you don't need to move it to a secondary. On this site I read a few guys left their beer in the primary for 5 months before bottling and had zero issues with it. Another thing is that by racking to a bottling bucket, then back to the fermenter you are running a much higher risk of infection than necessary. By leaving it in the primary a little longer the sediment will continue to settle out. Do your own research before making a final decision, but my $.02 says to let it sit.

For the reasons you mentioned, a secondary is not needed. Personally, in a beer like a pumpkin with spices and pumpkin mush floating around, I would strongly consider a secondary, however. And regardless of usage of a secondary or not, leaving a beer in primary for 5 months is NEVER a good idea. If you need to let it condition longer than 7-8 weeks, transfer to a secondary is always recommended.

And while moving it from fermentor to bottling bucket back to fermentor does open up risk for infection, the risk is fairly minor as long as you are confident in your sanitation practices. I would be more concerned about some oxidation, but even that risk is low. I know I'm late to the party, but I thought another viewpoint might help.

 

[BarronVonCharron]

For the reasons you mentioned, a secondary is not needed. Personally, in a beer like a pumpkin with spices and pumpkin mush floating around, I would strongly consider a secondary, however. And regardless of usage of a secondary or not, leaving a beer in primary for 5 months is NEVER a good idea. If you need to let it condition longer than 7-8 weeks, transfer to a secondary is always recommended.

And while moving it from fermentor to bottling bucket back to fermentor does open up risk for infection, the risk is fairly minor as long as you are confident in your sanitation practices. I would be more concerned about some oxidation, but even that risk is low. I know I'm late to the party, but I thought another viewpoint might help.

I agree that leaving a beer in the primary for that long (especially with pumpkin floating around in it) is not a good idea, it was just to demonstrate the point that you don't need the secondary. I also agree that the risk of infection is minor when transferring as long as your practices are sound, but if you don't need to move it why chance it? No big deal really, it's all 6 of one and half a dozen of the other. Both ways are fine, and I have done both with no ill effects, I'm just sayin it'd be easier to leave it in the primary till you're ready to bottle.

 

[Skipper74]

When I tasted my hydrometer sample of this beer before bottling this weekend, I thought it was surprisingly bitter. When I ran it through Hopville, it came out to around 40 IBU (in hindsight, I should have done this before brewing). For those of you who have brewed this, do you find it to be very bitter? Or does the bitterness subside after a few weeks of conditioning?

 

[GreatOak10]

I actually found that no matter how much REAL pumpkin I used for my beer I was never really getting the strong pumpkin flavor that I was desiring...for the pumpkin batch I did this year I used pumpkin pie spice bought at any food store and used it for the pumpkin flavor for the beer instead of real pumpkin. It turned out to be one of the best beers iv ever brewed, I just tapped it on my keg last night and me and my buddy's almost killed it already, oh well looks like I'll have to brew more I'll probably add a little more vanilla bean for it gave it awesome aromic character!
CHEERS!!

 

[bluestang50]

Craig,

How did adding the spices directly to the pumpkin when you baked instead of to the end of the boil turn out? I will be brewing this recipe tonight for the first time.

 

[collinsDPT]

Craig,

How did adding the spices directly to the pumpkin when you baked instead of to the end of the boil turn out? I will be brewing this recipe tonight for the first time.

bump

 

[Skipper74]

Definitely keep us posted on this one, how much/many/pounds of squash did you use? Did you change any other part of the recipe?

I used 10 lbs. of butternut squash and the version of the recipe posted by Craig on 8/25/11. The only other change I made was that I used 1 quart of S-05 yeast slurry instead of the liquid yeast.

I just tasted the hydro sample on this when I bottled and the squash flavor was perfect--hopefully it does not fade. I was a little surprised by the bitterness, though. I am hoping it subsides as the beer conditions, but if not, I am wondering if I should cut the Willamette bittering addition to 1 ounce if I brew this again.

 

[remman4]

Craig,

How did adding the spices directly to the pumpkin when you baked instead of to the end of the boil turn out? I will be brewing this recipe tonight for the first time.

I am not Craig, but I will give my $0.02

the spice flavors are usually volatile compounds and if you bake them you will lose some of the intensity, but you could get more roasted flavor which would be a good thing...

I will spice my roasted pumpkin and then add some "spice tea" at bottling and report back!

Hope to brew this weekend

 

[bluestang50]

I am not Craig, but I will give my $0.02

the spice flavors are usually volatile compounds and if you bake them you will lose some of the intensity, but you could get more roasted flavor which would be a good thing...

I will spice my roasted pumpkin and then add some "spice tea" at bottling and report back!

Hope to brew this weekend

I ended up adding the spices with about 10 minutes left in the boil. It smelled amazing! I will also probably a little more to taste at bottling/kegging time.

 

[mewithstewpid]

Ill just throw some of my experience in here too (which is not much)

i brewed a pumpkin last year, it was awful. No real pumpkin flavor or spice favor. I used 1 tsp of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger, but put it in early in the boil. bottled with 2oz vanilla, no vanilla pulled through.

this year, i used this recipe:

steep 20 min .5lb biscuit
6lb Amber LME
1o East Kent Goldings 60 min
.5oz east kent goldings 10 min
4lb pumpkin pie filling, non-spiced, baked 45-60 minutes prior. 60 min

1 tsp irish moss 15 min

2tsp cinnamon 5 min
1 tsp nutmeg 5 min
1 tsp ginger 5 min

placed the 4lb pumpkin used for the 60 min boil (which was in a muslin bag) in the primary fermentor

4oz vanilla extract bottling

US-05

I will let you know in a couple weeks how it turns out. The hydrometer samples were good, so i have high hopes.

 

[craig_reed]

Sorry! At a convention all week for work.

It worked perfectly. I still added a little at flameout and will taste again before bottling.

Amazing amazing beer for fall. Hope you love it!

 

[crisputer]

Wife is baking the pumpkin with spices now in preparation for our very first ever brew day tomorrow. We will be brewing 2 batches using the ingredients used by Craig. Thanks Craig!
I'm so excited!

 

[remman4]

brewing today! Decided to spice the fresh pumpkin prior to roasting (two cut up "pie" pumpkins) with a dash of dried chipotle powder, dried ginger, fresh grated nutmeg, and cinnamon This will go in a nylon bag for 40 minutes of boiling

specialty grains:
0.5 lb special B malt
0.5 lb carapils
0.5 lb 10L crystal

my spice tea which will go in at flameout consists of:
1 shot Sailor Jerry spiced rum
1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp dried ginger
fresh grated nutmeg
2 tsp vanilla extract

I will taste again before bottling and add spices if necessary, not sure it will be!

3 lb pilsen light DME 60 min boil
1.5 lb dark brown sugar at flameout
6 lbs pale LME at flameout

Safale US 05 yeast

1 oz fresh picked home grown wet magnum whole hops
3 oz 3.6% AA Mt Hood hops all for 60 mins
1 oz cascade 6.4% AA 10 mins

 

[FJRussonc]

Tomorrow I am brewing my second and hopefully more successful Pumpkin Ale. Decided to use canned pumpkin, whole is way too much work and I am not sure it is worth the effort unless you have your own home grown pumpkins. Paid attention to the comments made here and I plan to incorporate them. Let you know how it turns out. Oh yea I am not a fan of pumpkin ales, but when I find one I like and I have to say it is really good. I am doing this because my son ask me too.

Frank
Savannah Brewing League

 

[craig_reed]

Wife is baking the pumpkin with spices now in preparation for our very first ever brew day tomorrow. We will be brewing 2 batches using the ingredients used by Craig. Thanks Craig!
I'm so excited!

Awesome! So excited. I'm brewing up a apple cinnamon brown ale today. During the brew I will be drinking my pumpkin! I'll get a picture up then!

 

[crisputer]

Awesome! So excited. I'm brewing up a apple cinnamon brown ale today. During the brew I will be drinking my pumpkin! I'll get a picture up then!

Nice! Looking forward to seeing the pic of that brew. Brew day is complete here and is awaiting the yeasty boys tomorrow once cool enough (no chill method). One batch we crushed the crystal 20L grains and the other we didn't. Going to be interesting to see if there is a difference between the two. The plan is to keep them in the primary for four weeks before bottling with brown sugar.

 

[BarronVonCharron]

I put my pumpkin brew in the bottles today and man... it's gonna be a one and done beer. It came out STRONG. The pumpkin and spice are all there, and I bottled with brown sugar. I had about 1.5 or 2 gallons of trub. It came out with a dark brown color and should be awesome when cold and carbonated.

 

[mewithstewpid]

I also had a LOT of trub, over 1 gal. Unfotunatly it got mixed in at the end so i was only really able to bottle 4 gal. next time i dont think i will leave the pumpkin in my primary

 

[amaier48]

when you transfer your wort to the primary, are ya all straining it? or just putting everything in the primary pumpkin puree and all?

thanks!

 

[BarronVonCharron]

when you transfer your wort to the primary, are ya all straining it? or just putting everything in the primary pumpkin puree and all?

thanks!

I used pumpkin pie filling and I put it all in the primary.

 

[amaier48]

I used pumpkin pie filling and I put it all in the primary.

you boilded it as well correct? i am getting ready to do this as soon as i get off work and want to make sure i have my ducks in a row.

at what point in the boil did you add your pie filling?

 

[BarronVonCharron]

you boilded it as well correct? i am getting ready to do this as soon as i get off work and want to make sure i have my ducks in a row.

at what point in the boil did you add your pie filling?

I put the pumpkin in right after I put the extract in then kept adding it for 10 minutes after I got back up to a boil, it took a while cause I had to put it in can by can.