Hi. I'm very new to home brewing... First timer. I just moved my beer into the secondary carboy. After baking my pumpkin for 90 minutes with brown sugar (recommendation from an experienced home brewer) I plopped it into the carboy. Will the pumpkin eventually sink when it starts to ferment? I sampled the beer before moving it and there isn't a ton of flavor so I'm hoping the pumpkin, vanilla vodka and cinnamon stick will add a nice kick. Is the lack in flavor most likely the recipe or something else? It was an American amber.
real pumpkin question
- Thread starter corkyv
- Start date
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If you moved it to secondary then the fermentation should have already been completed.
How long did it ferment in primary?
If the pumpkin was raw fresh pumpkin was it soft and squishy after the 90 minute bake?
How much brown sugar did you bake with the pumpkin? Brown sugar may restart fermentation depending on how much yeast and its vitality was left in suspension.
Was this a kit?
How long did it ferment in primary?
If the pumpkin was raw fresh pumpkin was it soft and squishy after the 90 minute bake?
How much brown sugar did you bake with the pumpkin? Brown sugar may restart fermentation depending on how much yeast and its vitality was left in suspension.
Was this a kit?
It was in the primary for a week. Yes, the pumpkin was pretty soft after the bake. I didn't measure the brown sugar but I estimate I put 1/4 cup of brown sugar on the pumpkin. If fermentation is done then will these other flavors meld together with the beer on its own? I keep reading that lots of people put fruit and vegetables in the secondary. It was a kit but after discussing it with my friend, he convinced me to put the beer in a secondary. The kit only called for the primary and bottling time etc. Thanks for any explanation or help.
skagit991
Active Member
May want to find another friend.
Ok the best way to tell if fermentation is complete is via a SG reading. Basically take a sample (sanitize 1st) and recording the SG and then wait 48 hours and check and then 48 hours after that another test. If all three are the same then fermentation has completed. I normally wait 21 days before I take the 1st test. I only use secondary for lagers and simply add pumpkin directly to the primary. as in: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/how-much-pumpkin-needed-pumpkin-ale-435678/index2.html
1/2 cup brown sugar is not going to make it to sweet and it could restart fermentation. All table sugars (cane, white, brown) are basically sucrose the simplest sugars and yeast will eat them up fast since they can break then down easily. Brown sugar has molasses and will leave a flavor in the beer ( a good one in this case) ... I use fresh pumpkin in the mash and canned in the last part of fermentation.
what was the SG after you chilled it and pitched the yeast and did you take a SG when you put it in secondary.
The pumpkin may sink after soaking a while but if it doesn't that will not matter. You will still get some flavor from it. Need the SG readings to really know what to do next.
1/2 cup brown sugar is not going to make it to sweet and it could restart fermentation. All table sugars (cane, white, brown) are basically sucrose the simplest sugars and yeast will eat them up fast since they can break then down easily. Brown sugar has molasses and will leave a flavor in the beer ( a good one in this case) ... I use fresh pumpkin in the mash and canned in the last part of fermentation.
what was the SG after you chilled it and pitched the yeast and did you take a SG when you put it in secondary.
The pumpkin may sink after soaking a while but if it doesn't that will not matter. You will still get some flavor from it. Need the SG readings to really know what to do next.
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Thanks so much for all of your tips and taking the time to write. I didn't measure the sg because honestly I didn't know what to do. This is my first time. Since, I've watched a YouTube video and understand better. I will start with the sg readings tomorrow and report back once I'm done. Does it help that the co2 is bubbling again? I'll definitely check out the link too.
If it's bubbling wait on the SG readings; it's still fermenting. Have patience. Give it week past all visible signs of fermentation, the take a SG reading. Wait at least 3 more days and take another. If they are EXACTLY the same, you know fermentation is complete. This is the only way to be certain...
I agree in principle, but there CAN be some airlock activity once fermentation is complete, especially with fruit added. As for the times listed, should be about right.
