Who's planning a pumpkin brew this fall?

[BudzAndSudz]

I brew a harvest ale every year that has hubbard squash, acorn squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and corn. Slightly spiced, but just slightly, and an addition of brown sugar. Easily the best beer I make (and I can say that honostly, because I've made some awful beers), but this one is always a HUGE hit with friends and family.

I really should post the recipe on hbt....

Oh, and with all those fresh veggies, I actually prefer canned pumpkin!

Yes please do that!

 

[RyeGuy]

I'm giving serious consideration to fermenting a mead in a pumpkin this fall.

I did this with my dfh punkin clone last year. It came out unique, a little sour. I have three bottles left that I'm going to crack on Halloween this year. Maybe the sourness has mellowed a little

 

[BudzAndSudz]

Probably intensified, in all fairness. I'm assuming the sour was from some sort of wild yeast or bacteria, which means it might be significantly stronger this year.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Sour pumpkin ale? Sounds delicious.

 

[msarro]

Fun fact that most people don't know - when you purchase canned pumpkin, it often is a mix of sweet pie pumpkins (usually very small ones) and other squash that also have good flavor (butternut, acorn). Pumpkin, on it's own, doesn't usually have a very pumpkin-y flavor.

If you don't believe me, try making it from scratch with pumpkin pie from pie pumpkins, and then another pie using both pie pumpkins and additional varieties of squash. The second will taste more "like pumpkin" every time. Sort of how apple sauce is usually made with a variety of apple cultivars instead of just 1.

Atm I am planning on a 5gal batch of pumpkin and sweet potato saison for next autumn.

 

[Hello]

I really want to and Pumking by Southern Tier is absolutely my favorite. Being new and a bit intimidated by anything but an extract kit, I'm going to find one that is supposed to be decent and hope for the best. Unless I get cocky by the time I brew it. It is slated as my third brew because I really want to make an amber ale.

 

[RyeGuy]

Probably intensified, in all fairness. I'm assuming the sour was from some sort of wild yeast or bacteria, which means it might be significantly stronger this year.

We'll see. Either way would be okay with me. I think it was more tart than like a sour. I sanitized the inside of the pumpkin with bleach. But who knows, I can't imagine fermenting in a pumpkin is an exact science

 

[reverendj1]

Probably intensified, in all fairness. I'm assuming the sour was from some sort of wild yeast or bacteria, which means it might be significantly stronger this year.

Sourness can go away to an extent at least. I had an amber that must have gotten infected and was really sour at bottling time. The sourness has faded over a few weeks so it's really just a touch sour now. I almost dumped it since everyone on here said sourness never goes away, but only gets worse. Now it's actually fairly good, just not at all what I was planning on. *disclaimer, I do like sours.

 

[wells11]

I just watched a video on youtube that southern tier posted titled Pumpking from start to finish. One of the captions was now off to the fermentor where our special blend of spices will be added. Do spices need to be soaked in alchohol or can they just be added straight in?

 

[Munchman]

Already have my pumpkin on tap! I don't like to be drinking it into winter...

This year I broke from usual envys Punkin clone on here (fantastic btw) and tried the one from Moshers book. While I enjoy the addition of coriander to the spice mix, I would cut the recipe by half next time. It uses a lot and overpowers the other spices. Very tasty though even so and a nice change of pace.

 

[tgmartin000]

how about a graham cracker porter with pumpkin pie spices?

 

[wells11]

I just read a blog that said he used popcorn extract in his pumpking clone I was like oh yah it does sort of have a hint of that