[Steve L]

I'm planning a pumpkin ale soon and thought of an idea that I'm sure someone has probably tried before. I know a lot of brewers omit the pumpkin all together but I like it in there. My plan is to roast the pumpkin in the oven for a bit of caramelization, then steep it in my strike water. I will remove all of the pumpkin before I mash in. I'm wondering if this will this affect my enzymatic activity at all?

[Stevie]

Why not leave it in the entire mash?

[jtoots]

+1, I'm going to try it in the mash this year.

[Iliff Ave]

This year I am considering roasting it in the oven as usual but possibly freezing it then thawing and adding it to the fermenter when ready. I normally add it in the mash which gets me a couple of gravity points, very little flavor, and a smoother mouthfeel.

[Steve L]

I suppose I could bring it all the way through the mash and add rice hulls. Looking for ways to avoid the stuck mash headache.


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[jtoots]

yep, could do that, or go for your original plan!  couldn't hurt... let us know how it goes!

[a10t2]

My guess would be that you won't extract much with just water. If you try it, check the gravity afterward and report back.

My pumpkin ale is the only mash I protein rest, and while it runs off more slowly than others, I've never needed rice hulls. That is highly dependent on lauter design, though. I hear it's nigh impossible with a toilet braid.

[denny]

I'm planning a pumpkin ale soon and thought of an idea that I'm sure someone has probably tried before. I know a lot of brewers omit the pumpkin all together but I like it in there. My plan is to roast the pumpkin in the oven for a bit of caramelization, then steep it in my strike water. I will remove all of the pumpkin before I mash in. I'm wondering if this will this affect my enzymatic activity at all?

Not only will it have no effect on enzymes, it will have no effect on flavor.

[brewinhard]

I roast mine like you are going too, then mash it up and instead of putting it in the mash tun (after years of doing it this way with slow sparges), I put it in a large mesh bag and boil it with the wort.  No worries of chill haze and much easier than in the mash tun. 

[mabrungard]

Not only will it have no effect on enzymes, it will have no effect on flavor.

I agree. Why do brewers insist on putting pumpkin in their beer when all they really want is pumpkin pie spices? Pumpkin adds very little and the cost in terms of brewing effort are significant.

[denny]

Not only will it have no effect on enzymes, it will have no effect on flavor.

I agree. Why do brewers insist on putting pumpkin in their beer when all they really want is pumpkin pie spices? Pumpkin adds very little and the cost in terms of brewing effort are significant.

Yep.  No matter how you use the pumpkin, you will get little to no flavor from it.

[hobbitfu]

I think the pumpkin can have more of an effect on flavour than most give credit for. I added a large can of pureed pumpkin to mash and 1 to boil. And it definitely had a pumpkin (as opposed to spice)  flavour. I didn't have any issues with stuck mash either. I think it depends on style, competing flavours and process as to how much impact it will have.

[Iliff Ave]

Had one Saturday that was spiced low and had a lot of pumpkin flavor. Not sure of the brewery's process.

I have brewed one that had an amber base and had noticeable pumpkin flavor however most of mine which are usually darker have not had much detectable flavor.

[jeffy]

For me, most pumpkin ales without spices that I've had tasted a bit like squash.  The ones with more identified pumpkin flavor used pumpkins that were oven roasted.