2012 Pumpkin Ale

[dale cannon]

Tomorrow I'm brewing this year's pumpkin ale. Base is essentially an american dark wheat ale.

6 gallons - OG 1.060 - IBU 32 - SRM 10

5 1/2 lbs. 2-Row
5 1/2 lbs. Wheat malt
1 lb. Crystal 55L
8 oz. Biscuit
4 oz. Honey malt
4 oz. Acid malt (mash pH adjust)
2 lbs. canned Pumpkin (in the mash)

Mash @ 153°F

Boil 60 min

1 oz. Magnum pellets (10.0% AA) @ 60 min.

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon @ 1 min.
1/4 tsp. ground ginger @ 1 min.
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg @ 1 min.
1/8 tsp. ground allspice @ 1 min.

Pitch Danstar Munich yeast @ 62°F, allow to free rise to 65°F and hold until fermentation complete. Aim is to produce minimal phenolic/estery flavours, which I gather should not be difficult to manage with this strain.

Anyone else brewing a pumpkin this year?

[atomeyes]

to be honest, i've yet to have a pumkin beer (any style) that ends up tasting good.
If I'd brew one, it would be a la pumpkin pie.
your recipe looks pretty tasty, but I'd intruiged by the light-ish style you're going for.

i'd probably want to do a tamer stout, use your spice profile and then possibly bottle with lactose.

in theory, you can probably hit yours with lactose as well to get it to taste sweet. again, its if you wanted that.

[Peter Collins]

I did one last year and will likely do one again this year. Last year I was a bit late off the blocks and ended up with a Christmas pumpkin spiced beer.

Mine was basically a strong pale ale with the can of pumpkin added in the mash and pumpkin pie spice and fresh ginger added to the last 10 minutes of the boil. It turned out just fine so time to do it again so that it's ready for turkey day!

[KwaiLo]

I think I'll brew one, possibly with Peter.

I bought some canned 'pumpkin' last year, may do a mini batch myself as well.

[dale cannon]

your recipe looks pretty tasty, but I'd intruiged by the light-ish style you're going for.

I'm intrigued too, to be honest. It will need to strike just the right balance between light to medium body, spice and sweetness.

[dale cannon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbZ1AGDX68o

[RayOhm]

Anyone else brewing a pumpkin this year?

I did my first Pumpkin ale last week:

2.5 Gallon

4.5 lbs two row
1 lb munich
0.5lb Crystal (60L or 80L, not to sure)

OG = 1.064 (hit dead on)
FG = 1.016 (i think the actual will be lower by a bit based on last night's gravity reading)

90 minute boil
at 90 - a little over 2lbs of pumpkin puree
60 min - 0.5oz northern brewer 9 AA
30 min - 0.5 oz northernbrewer 9 AA
10 min - 1.75 Tsp cinnamon and 0.75 Tsp nutmeg

used Safale S-04 (for the first time)

I didnt realize till after the boil that the hops where much higher AA% than originally thought (I thought Northerr Brewer was closer to 7 AA) so I was worried about the bitterness. Took a sample out of the fermenter last night, tastes great!

this is my first time trying a "non-standard" beer so i'd appreciate any thoughts.