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Author Topic: Spicing for a pumpkin ale  (Read 1171 times)

Offline lazydog79

  • Assistant Brewer
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  • Posts: 150
Spicing for a pumpkin ale
« on: August 09, 2015, 10:36:29 am »
Greetings all.  I brewed a pumpkin ale up a week and a half ago.  I'm aiming to make something in the vicinity of ST Pumking.  Here is what I brewed:

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Bottling Volume: 3.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.088 SG
Estimated FG: 1.019
Estimated ABV: 9.2%
Estimated Color: 11.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 29.4 IBUs
Ingredients:
------------
Amt                     Name                                             
10.1 oz                Rice Hulls (0.0 SRM)                             
6 lbs 12.6 oz         Pale Malt (2-Row), US - Rahr (2.0 SRM)         
3 lbs 12.0 oz         Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM)
6.6 oz                  Light Dry Extract (8.0 SRM)               
11.0 oz                Caramel Malt - 40L (Briess) (40.0 SRM)           
8.8 oz                  Victory Malt (25.0 SRM)                         
4.0 oz                  Pale Ale Malt 2-Row (Briess) (3.5 SRM)           
2.25 lb                 Pumpkin (Mash 60.0 mins)                           
0.40 oz                Magnum [12.30 %] - Boil 60.0 min             
0.50 tsp               Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 mins)                         
0.50 lb                 Pumpkin (Boil 15.0 mins)                           
0.60 oz                Sterling [7.20 %] - Boil 15.0 min             
1.0 pkg                SafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04)                       
9.2 oz                  Brown Sugar, Light (8.0 SRM)

I am racking it to secondary onto two vanilla beans for a few days.  I plan to add my spices to my priming solution at bottling.  Where I am a bit stuck is the spices and the quantity.  I'm kind of flying blind and don't want to screw it up.  So, I would appreciate any insights from the experts.  What I originally had in the recipe was:
1/8 tsp   Ground Ginger       
1/4 tsp   Ground Cinnamon
1/8 tsp   Nutmeg
1/8 tsp   Clove

How does this look?  As I said, I am going with the "spice tea" method, so I think more flavor will carry over. Plus, it will be only 3 gallons in the secondary.  Alternatively, I could just use "pumpkin pie spice" but have no idea as to the amount.  Thanks!
         



Offline chezteth

  • Brewmaster
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  • Posts: 608
Re: Spicing for a pumpkin ale
« Reply #1 on: August 11, 2015, 05:32:10 pm »
I think the amount of spices you have listed sounds fine. I would definitely recommend adding a small amount and tasting to get the flavor where you want it. The one spice that comes through very easily is clove so keep that in the lower side of qty.