using fresh pumpkin, use /not use the skin? brewing classic styles doesnt specify

[jturkish]

Ended up with 3.5 lbs of meat, book says to use 5 lbs.

Book says to just mash everything together, does that mean the skin too?

 

[motorneuron]

In general, I wouldn't brew with something that I would throw out if cooking. So I'd say no, don't use the skin. This is without personal experience, though.

 

[Reckoning]

I just did a pumpkin ale and I used 3 pie pumpkins. The total weight before I cooked them was 11 pounds. I sliced them in half, scooped out the seeds and roasted them for an hour cut side down. Then I scooped the pumpkin out of the shells and put it directly in the mash without the skin. This was for a 5 gallon batch. The pumpkin flavor was noticeable in the wort. By the time it fermented, though, the flavor had decreased quite a bit. The pumpkin pie spice I added to the end of the boil also dropped out a lot. I ended up adding more spice to the keg. I wasn't really enamored with the beer but ended up serving it at a party yesterday. Everyone really liked it, which surprised me a little.

I'd say don't add the skins but maybe add another pumpkin. Also, if I do this one again I'm going to run the pumpkin through a food processor with some hot water before adding it to the mash. Breaking up the pumpkin with a spoon or paddle in the mash is not as easy as you'd think.