Zymurgy Pocahontas Pumpkin Ale (2013)

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The batch turned out well. I did the saison variant. I did end up adding spices along with some vanilla extract, when I bottled. I should have used a tincture, but I needed to bottle that day. Consequently, the beer was cloudy and ugly when poured--little rafts of spice on top of the head.

I liked the recipe enough that I brewed another variant of it this weekend. This time, I used WLP008 and a little lactose with the intent of putting it on nitro come November.
 
I prefer to use the Grade A Maple syrup, as it leaves a bit of a woody taste after fermenting. It recommends flower honey based on memory; however you do not get any flavors from it. I removed that and added 4 ounces of honey malt to the 6 gallon batch. I just tried it yesterday, and after a month old it is a bit muddled in flavor. Because it is 9% ABV it is needing to condition some more. I do get a balanced woody pumpkin honey biscuit with spices supported by a strong light bread back bone. It has some heat too, but that will be aged out shortly. For conversation sake I removed the melanoidan malt as I didn't like it in the recipe the first time. I may potentially bring it back, but we will see.
 
I just tapped this beer this week. It is a huge hit with my wife and her friends and I find it to be very drinkable for a pumpkin beer (not my favorite style), it isn't cloyingly sweet like most commercial pumpkin beers.

The one addition I made is adding 3 ounces of Korbel Brandy that had been soaking in oak chips. I wanted to see how close this beer would be to Lake Front Brewing Imperial Pumpkin Lager. I actually like this beer more than the Lake Front because I think the vanilla they use overwhelms the beer.

I will definitely make this one again next year.
 
This is a very solid recipe as originally written. (although I scaled down the abv a bit) I highly recommend it as an alternative to the many pumpkin beers that are just.... "too much". I am definitely gonna make it again, exactly as I made it last time!

Only big problem with this beer..... it is expensive to make!
 
Thinking about making it again as well - turned out really well last year, but needed a month+ of conditioning to mellow out a pretty sharp hot flavor in mine. Not sure what happened as it was carefully fermented in my chamber.

Considering putting the maple syrup and honey in right at the peak or right after the peak of fermentation to try and maintain some of the flavor of it, rather than put it in at the end of the boil. Thoughts?
 
Well going to try this recipe again this weekend with a few changes from last year.

Maple and honey will be going into primary at peak fermentation. Going to use east coast ale wlp008 instead of S05. Also considering hot steeping the pumpkin in the strike water instead of mash, and if mashing then maybe using a strainer bag. Just don't want to deal with a stuck sparge with my new recirc system vs last years cooler mash tun.
 
Fermenting away at 68*, put the 2lbs of honey and 2lbs of Grade B syrup in at day 2 right as peak fermentation slowed down. Hopefully will be kegging in a few weeks and then let it condition until late September.
 
Kegged this a week and a half ago. Ended right at 7.9% at FG 1.012. Color looked great and flavor was much better than I remember straight out of the fermentor last year. Adding the syrup and honey at peak fermenation definitely lended more of their flavor than adding at flameout as I did last year IMO. Added 1 tsp of spice per keg and am aging/carbing until late September.
 
Thanks for the feedback. Made this the last 2 years and considering a couple changes. Possibly cutting up and roasting a couple baking pumpkins instead of using puree.
 
I made a slight variation of this last year and enjoyed it a lot. I used baked yams instead of the pumpkin puree I also added rice hulls in the mash. This year I used Challenger hops FWH and did a 60 minute boil (I usually do a 90 minute). For a 5.5 gallon batch going into the fermenter I'll be adding 3/4 pounds of Maple syrup and 3/4 pounds of Pecan honey when things start to slow down a little. I did the Maple syrup and Pecan honey in at the end of the boil last year, so I wanted to try something a little different. I didn't have Victory Malt so I used Amber.

Last year I used WLP001 and this year I had a packet of Windsor so I used that.
 
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