Pumpkin Ale

[Rumplemintz]

I would like to try my hand at a pumpkin ale, has anyone had any luck with an AG batch?
Im thinking around a 6.5-7.0%
I have heard to use fresh pumpkin and bake it then scrape it out and add to mash?

[corkybstewart]

My momma always told me if I didn't have anything nice to say don't say anything. But did I listen?
I love pumpkin, it makes a great side dish baked with olive oil, basil, thyme and oregano. But I have tried several commercial pumpkin beers and they are just nasty, with one exception.
My friend Diane was the brewer at a brewpub near here. She made a pumpkin ale that somehow turned sour so the owner wouldn't let her sell it. She gave it to me and we all loved her sour pumpkin ale, even my non beer drinking son and his BMC drinking friends.
Sorry about the rant, I'm just trying to save you money and time for something that everyone will enjoy. I guess if you could brew a 12 pack for yourself it would be worth the trouble.

[Tronathon]

I think you really have two approaches to Pumpkin beers. You can go with a pumpkin pie spice type thing (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, brown sugar etc) or you can do a ton of pumpkin fruit (use Hubbard squash). Hubbards are interesting because they actually taste more like pumpkin after being cooked, much in the same way apricots tastes like peaches after being cooked. But...you're gunna need like 10 lbs of parboiled and mashed squash....

I am going to try to make a Squash stout for halloween using hubbards, cinnamon and clove.

[Rumplemintz]

Most Pumpkin beers I have tried are on the dark side and have that spice your talking about. I have found them quite enjoyable.
I got this recipe from a friend:

8 lbs 2-Row Brewers Malt; Briess
.75 lbs 2-Row Caramel Malt 40L; Briess
.75 lbs 2-Row Caramel Malt 10L; Briess
1 lbs Oats Flaked
.25 lbs Dark Brown Sugar
.5 oz Northern Brewer (Pellets, 8.00 %AA) boiled 60 min.
.5 oz Goldings (Pellets, 5.00 %AA) boiled 20 min.
.5 oz Goldings (Pellets, 5.00 %AA) boiled 5 min.
8 lb. Pumpkin (fresh) (not included in calculations)
Yeast : WYeast 1318 London Ale III

[deafcone]

i've made pumpkin ales often and people loved them. I quarter the pumpkin, sprinkle a little brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice on it, then bake for 30 to 45 minutes at 350, till soft. scoop out the meat and add. to grains in mash. i add about 1/2 to a full TBLSP of pumpkin pie spice with 5 minutes in boil. then taste before adding priming sugar, if you want more spice, add some pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon to priming sugar, boil it, then bottle. I will post my recipe later today. have to go to work.

DC

[Mill Rat]

Just made a pumpkin spice brew a couple of weeks ago for our annual halloween party. This time I used 7 lbs of M. W. Bohemian Pils, 1 lb of Fawcett brown malt, 20 IBU of Millenium hops, US-05 yeast, and 1/2 cup of pumpkin pie spice in 2ndary. Some beers I brew to exercise my creativity, others are brewed to meet expectations. This is one of the latter.

[Rumplemintz]

Me and the wife just sampled a few bottles of the Squash Ale. Not bad I liked it better than the one they are serving at the local pub, but I need to go lighter on the Butternut squash next time, it really comes through.

[deafcone]

Just made a pumpkin spice brew a couple of weeks ago for our annual halloween party. This time I used 7 lbs of M. W. Bohemian Pils, 1 lb of Fawcett brown malt, 20 IBU of Millenium hops, US-05 yeast, and 1/2 cup of pumpkin pie spice in 2ndary. Some beers I brew to exercise my creativity, others are brewed to meet expectations. This is one of the latter.


1/2 cup PPSpice in secondary? is that a misprint?

DC

[DerrickDude]

I am going to brew a pumpkin stout this week-end. I have done ales in the past with much success. The trick is to do a partial mash with fresh pumpkin (never use canned). Roast 6-10lbs of quartered pumpkin in the oven at 350 for about an hour (you can coat the fruit with brown sugar for more flavor) Remove the pumpkin from the skins and remove all strings, cut into 2 inch squares and add to 150-160 degree water for an hour. Sparge the pumpkin mash and add to the brew kettle with your steeping grains.

If you are using spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc.), add them to the secondary fermentor. It is okay to boil some cinnamon , but spices tend to lose flavor if boiled or left to sit too long in my experience. Be careful..a little spice goes along way. I use about a 1/2 teaspoon of each in secondary for 5 gallons. Oh..and be very careful if you use ginger...it can be overpowering.

BTW..I am an extract brewer because of time limitations mostly. But this partial pumpkin mash has never failed me....

[Rumplemintz]

All my spices went into the end of the boil, and I have plenty of subtle spicy aroma even 2 months after brew day. We just sampled a few more and the flavor is coming together quite nice. I would not recommend spice in the secondary unless you dont mind the spice dominating the beer.

[DerrickDude]

Rumple.....I have never been able to keep spice flavor or aroma long enough. When I spice in secondary..I reduce the amounts so it isn't overpowering...

[Rumplemintz]

I see, and I would imagine a pumpkin stout would require more to even notice the spice.

[DerrickDude]

Brewed up the pumpkin stout yesterday......it is perking today.....and it smells soooooooo GOOOOOOOODDDDD!