[DW]

I brewed the Papazian pumpkin ale (curcurbito pepo) last weekend.  I roasted the pumpkin for an hour.  I wondered if the pumpkin was soft enough?  SHould it be soft like a microwaved sweet potato?  ALso, do you expect much gravity contribution from the pumpkin?  Much flavor?  Mouthfeel? 

[jmcamerlengo]

The pumpkin does contribute some gravity points. I cant remember the exact amount but a google search will get you what you need. As for flavor, I dont notice any flavor from the pumpkin or mouthfeel for that matter. Most of that flavor comes from the pumpkin spices in the boil or at kegging or both. I do use pumpkin in the mash, but mostly just to say I use real pumpkin, but it does contribute some gravity as well.

[a10t2]

Based on my notes from last year, it looks like 58 oz of canned pumpkin added 0.8°P to a 5.5 gal wort. So that's ~5 point-gal/lb.

One thing I definitely get from pumpkin is color. In that quantity, it will give a pale-to-amber (maybe 7-10 SRM) wort a distinct orange color.

[kylekohlmorgen]

I had the same questions, DW. I took a few pumpkin recipes and played with them in ProMash figuring out the pre-boil gravity with and without the pumpkin.

Another question: how do you know when pumpkins are ripe? Is it just color or do you need to knock on it like a watermelon? Are there any other markers?

The newest addition of BYO talks about playing with nuts/seeds in beer. I might just have to add the roasted pumpkin seeds as well!

[guido]

Here's what you need to do:  You need about 4 lbs of pumpkin for a five gallon batch.  Use the crookneck pumpkin, which looks like a huge cashew, not a jack o' lantern pumpkin.  Dice it into pieces, place it on some foil covered trays, and bake at 350F until soft, at least 1-1/2 hours.  I sprinkle the pieces with brown sugar at this stage.  You'll know when the roasted pumpkin is done when it gives gently when poked with a fork, same as boiling potatoes.  Allow to cool and scoop out the pumpkin flesh, not getting any skin.  Dice the pumpkin up and put it into a large fine mesh bag.  Now boil the pumpkin for the entire 60 or 90 minutes.  You'll have wonderful color and clarity, no haze trust me.  It will be stable for months.  Also use the White labs 002 English Ale yeast.  It will ferment slightly sweet (which is what you want) and the yeast will drop clear.

[eaholljr]

Question on pumpkin ale: what type of pumpkin is best to use in brewing?

Sugar pumpkin or
Regular pumpkin or
Canned pumpkin

And how much do you need for a 5 gal recipe.

Thx!

-Eldon

[thebigbaker]

I did my first pumpkin ale (3 gal batch) and used 40 oz of Libby's canned pumpkin.  First spread it on a pan and roasted in the oven @ 325 for an hour.  I put the pumpkin in the mash water to dissolve it first before adding the grains. Beer turned out great and already have batch #2 fermenting!  I may use a  pumpkin next month when we make some Jack-o-Lanterns, so interested in how everyone uses whole pumpkins.

[jmcamerlengo]

Question on pumpkin ale: what type of pumpkin is best to use in brewing?

Sugar pumpkin or
Regular pumpkin or
Canned pumpkin

And how much do you need for a 5 gal recipe.

Thx!

-Eldon

Sugar pumpkins are ideal. They have tons of flavor and sugars. I recommend cutting them into 1 inch cubes, placing on a sheet pan in 325 oven until they become soft and caramellized. I then like to mash that up and mix with boiling water to make a pumpkin "slurry" I then add this slurry slowly to mash. THis helps to reduce stuck mashes. I recommend using about 4 lbs.

Regular pumpkins have almost no flavor, as a general rule of thumb...the bigger the vegetable the less flavor it has. Dont recommend using these.

Canned pumpkin is consistent and convenient and is what I use in most cases since I can get it around July which is when I like to do my pumpkin beers so they are ready to drink come september/october. I follow the same regimen as I would sugar pumpkins. Just stir the pumpkin around on the sheet pan every 15 minutes or so to encourage even browning. I use 2 of the larger cans, I think they are 22 oz or something( not the bulk cans.)

[snowtiger87]

Agreed. Put in the mash, not the boil. I liked to use canned pumpkin for convenience. I tried doing a cereal mash with the pumpkin last time in hopes that it would eliminate the sticking issues but it did not help.

[brianbgarber]

Agreed. Put in the mash, not the boil. I liked to use canned pumpkin for convenience.

I'm going to brew the Holiday Pumpkin Ale recipe from the Nov/Dec 2008 Zymurgy article (pgs. 20-24). In the article the author mentions using neck pumpkins, but due to availability and laziness I'll probably opt for the canned version. He mentions that you can indeed use canned pumpkin however in my experience, canned pumpkin is pretty much a pureed blob without much firmness at all.

Now, the author recommends boiling and not mashing the pumpkin. Questions... during the boil, won't the canned pureed pumpkin pretty much dissolve in the wort? Does this cause any issues with flavor in the final beer?

I suppose I'll put the pumpkin blob into the oven just as you would with neck pumpkin flesh, but it seems like canned pumpkin is already somewhat prepped. Maybe not.

Thanks!
Brian

[jmcamerlengo]

I cant say anything good comes from boiling pumpkin. You get a haze that will never go away and a little astringency in the taste. I really dont recommend it. If you are an extract brewer, I would throw a couple pounds of 2 row in with you rpumpkin and do a mini mash. I boiled once before, and I did not like the results at all.  Definitely roast the pumpkin in the oven before, even if its canned, it adds a nice carmelized flavor.

[brianbgarber]

No, I'll be making an all grain batch. Sounds like a good plan, I'll modify the recipe to throw the pumpkin in with the mash.

Thank you for your reply!!!
Brian

[jmcamerlengo]

No, I'll be making an all grain batch. Sounds like a good plan, I'll modify the recipe to throw the pumpkin in with the mash.

Thank you for your reply!!!
Brian

Brian, a couple tips. 1 Add some strike water to the pumpkin and make a thin slurry. Mash in your grains normally first. Then slowly work the slurry into the mash. Also rice hulls are your friend, at least a half pound, I use a full 2 pounds in my 10 gallon batch of 1.075 SG pumpkin ale.

[davidgzach]

+1 on the rice hulls.  I use either a 10lb pumpkin diced and baked coated with molasses or honey or 5-22oz cans which is about 6-5/8lbs. 

Dave

[brewdude75]

All, I have an amber ale in the keg ready to carbonate.  I would like to make this into a "pumpkin ale" by adding spices, but I am not sure whether to use Pumpkin Pie spice, straight Nutmeg, or a combo of 1/2 nutmeg and 1/2 cinnamon. Any advice is appreciated.