Ok gang, I've been holding off on posting this until I transferred into secondary to see how it tasted. Thursday night, I put a sample of Pumking side by side with my beer for a taste test. My three taste testers couldn't tell the difference.
OG: 1.080
FG (when added to secondary): 1.018
Approx: 8.3 % abv
I have to credit "Cannondale" for the original recipe that I copied. Here are the ingredients:
Fermentables:
14 lbs 2-Row American Pale Malt
1 lb Victory
12 oz Crystal 80L
2 lbs pumpkin (small Cinderella pumpkin, skinned, cubed and baked for 45 minutes at 350 degrees, mashed (little water added) and coated with honey, then cooked another 45 minutes at 350 - then cooled to 154 degrees to be added to mash)
3/4 lb Demerara Sugar (added to boil after hot break)
1/4 lb Light Brown Sugar (added to boil after hot break)
Hops:
3/4 oz Magnum Hops @ 60 min
1/4 oz Sterling @ 15 min
Additives:
8 oz Lactose @ 15 min
1/2 tsp Yeast Nutrient @ 10 min
1 Whirlfloc Tab @ 10 min
2 tbsp fine chopped candied ginger @ 5 min
3 Ceylon cinnamon sticks (real cinnamon sticks ordered online)
1/2 tsp whole cloves @ 5 min
1/2 tsp nutmeg @ 5 min
1/2 tsp Allspice @ 5 min
Added to Secondary:
2 Madagascar Vanilla Beans (2 fresh beans split down middle, scraped and soaked in 4 oz vodka for 2 weeks - Vodka added to secondary)
1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tsp. Capella water soluble Graham Cracker Extract (purchased online and added to secondary)
Yeast:
2 packs Safeale US-05
Mashed at 154 degrees for 90 minutes (no sparge using 10 gallon Home Depot water cooler)
Boiled for 60 minutes.
Fermented at 66 degrees for 2 weeks in primary and 3 weeks in secondary.
Granted, the beer is still in secondary, and may taste a little different when it comes out, is conditioned and bottled, but if everything stays remotely the same . . . I'd call it an exact clone.
I've read the posts about replicating the "graham cracker" taste of Pumking. In my opinion, the secret is the Capella Graham Cracker Extract. Before it was added, the beer was very good, but missing something. After the addition, it was SPOT ON!!!
In fact, to make sure I have an adequate supply, I am planning on brewing a second batch to last through the holidays.
Thanks to Cannondale and all the other members of Homebrewtalk.com. This was my first attempt at home brewing and it turned out exceptional!! Couldn’t have done it without the advice of everyone on this forum.
Cheers!!!!!!