Hi all. I want to brew a pumpkin ale but I’m looking for a way to get the most out of the process. I’ve read that just boiling the pumpkin can introduce unconverted starches into the beer which isn’t good. I got an idea from Sam Calagione’s extreme book where he steeps the pumpkin with some spec grains and 6 row. My idea is to steep or pre-boil just the pumpkin then use the boil water as my strike water for the mash and add the pumpkin to the mash as well. I’m also considering oven roasting the pumpkin a bit before boiling. Anyone have any ideas or tips?
I would roast the pumkin, you’ll get some browning, some caramelization and intensify any flavour that is there. you will also gelatenize some or all of the starch which will help with conversion in the mash. I wouldn’t bother with boiling or steeping in the strike water as I don’t see that it would really get you anything just putting the pumpkin in the mash wouldn’t.
Gonna have to agree with the above posts. I usually roast 1 lb of pumpkin per gallon at 350 for 60 minutes until it softens and starts to darken a bit and that directly to the mash. Personally, I would go with an amber base or possibly lighter if you want the pumpkin flavor to be more apparent. The darker you go the more pumpkin flavor will be masked.
Yeah, that seems to be the consensus of opinion. I wonder if the roasting process may impart a unique melanoidin flavor from the pumpkin. Probably not enough to discern a distinct flavor. I am going to try acorn squash instead of pumpkin though. They reportedly have twice the sugar content. I think using pumpkin may be more of a symbolic notion as opposed to an actual flavor benefit.
who’s to say. As you have learned in your research for the book with Drew, we will ‘notice’ flavours and aromas based on a number of non-flavor or aroma related queues. however knowing it was there, I did notice a distinct flavour that was not merely the spice. I eat a lot of butternut and know the flavour quite well.
I feel that I can taste the pumpkin/squash in my yearly batch. Maybe I wouldn’t notice it if I didn’t know it was in there. Last batch I used a combination of pumpkin, butternut, and acorn squash. I had others tell me they could taste it but again they knew it was in there…there aren’t many pumpkin/squash beers that aren’t advertised as such. I try to minimize the spice addition and do a lighter base in attempt to emphasize the pumpkin but maybe I don’t know what I am tasting…
[quote]Roast them and put in for the mash. Use a dump truck load of rice hulls.
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I’ve never used rice hulls. After searching several opinions it seems amounts of usage vary depending on recipe. The consensus seems to be between a 1/2 and 1 pound for a 5 gallon batch but that isn’t for a pumpkin ale. I’m doing a 2.5 gallon batch. Half pound about right? Also, some are pre-soaking the hulls, any added benefit to this other than reducing absorption?
I’ve never used rice hulls. After searching several opinions it seems amounts of usage vary depending on recipe. The consensus seems to be between a 1/2 and 1 pound for a 5 gallon batch but that isn’t for a pumpkin ale. I’m doing a 2.5 gallon batch. Half pound about right? Also, some are pre-soaking the hulls, any added benefit to this other than reducing absorption?
Thanks
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Rice hulls aide in sparging and do not contribute to the beer as far as flavor and fermentables go. I do recommend pre-soaking for two reasons. 1 - Most importantly, rice hulls are dirty, real dirty. 2 - They will absorb a small amount of water, though a very small amount.
I’ve never used rice hulls. After searching several opinions it seems amounts of usage vary depending on recipe. The consensus seems to be between a 1/2 and 1 pound for a 5 gallon batch but that isn’t for a pumpkin ale. I’m doing a 2.5 gallon batch. Half pound about right? Also, some are pre-soaking the hulls, any added benefit to this other than reducing absorption?
Thanks
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I’d go at least that. I might go a pound. Pumpkin can really gum up the mash. There’s not much more frustrating on brew day than a stuck mash.
I boil pumpkin all the time. The beer is crystal clear. Combined with my spicing regime, I’ve yet to find anything even close to the quality. There is a catch. Don’t use jack o’ lantern pumpkins. I use neck pumpkins. Slice them into manageable pieces, top with brown sugar, and roast for about two hours (until soft) at 350F. Be sure to remove the skin and slice the pumpkin into cubes. To eliminate the mess, put the pumpkin into a fine mesh bag, as you would with fruit, and boil. You won’t regret it.
I think mashing is the most common way it’s done. I can only think of three beers where I really ever felt like I tasted pumpkin and not just spices. Two were saisons (Trinity Brewing and Freetail Brewing) and one imperial stout (St. Arnold’s Pumpkinator). I am not sure about the saisons but I am almost positive St. Arnold’s adds pumpkin in the mash rather than the kettle. The last info I saw said they use Libby’s canned pumpkin just like you would in a pie. It’s a big beer but they use about twelve ounces of pumpkin per gallon.
I read thinking about this last night as I made butternut squash gnocchi. I’m gong to make a pumpkin beer this summer with american farmhouse blend and maybe some dregs and add pumpkin in secondary with dregs. Pumpkin sour
I’m not sure why conventional wisdom seems to be to add pumpkin to the mash? Sounds like a real mess to me but I’ve never tried it so what do I know. I have made a few good pumpkin beers by roasting the canned pumpkin stuff from the grocery store @350 for an hour then adding it to the last 15 minutes of the boil in a mesh bag. I get some nice color and flavor contribution this way. Classic pie spices are added to taste at packaging and a light touch is usually appreciated. I would recommend giving this approach a try.
I’d like to try that, if you’ll share your recipe. We grow a ton of squash too. One variety that is really nice (productive and much like butternut) is Jumbo Pink Banana. I originally ordered it as kind of a dirty joke on my wife. But they’ve been really great. The flavor intensifies as they age and lose some water. We usually eat the butternut first and age the JPBs. By the time the butternut are gone the JPBs are excellent. We’re just now cracking into the stash of JPBs. They’re pretty amazing - some are almost the size of my upper leg. Like a giant football.
But they’ve been really great. The flavor intensifies as they age and lose some water. We usually eat the butternut first and age the JPBs. By the time the butternut are gone the JPBs are excellent. We’re just now cracking into the stash of JPBs. They’re pretty amazing - some are almost the size of my upper leg. Like a giant football.