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Author Topic: How to brew an excellent pumpkin ale - tried and true tips  (Read 4271 times)

Offline chumley

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Re: How to brew an excellent pumpkin ale - tried and true tips
« Reply #30 on: September 11, 2015, 05:53:40 pm »
For the last 10 years, I have brewed beer for the office Christmas open house.  The company pays for my ingredients, as well as some brewing gear on occasionally, so it has worked out well for all parties.

A couple of years ago one of the VPs told me he had a bumper crop of pumpkins this year, including pie pumpkins.  Great! I replied, I will brew a pumpkin beer this year.

I cut them up, seeded them, and put them in the oven to roast.  What I did not factor in, is that freshly harvested pumpkins have A LOT OF LIQUID in them.

So, while I was merrily getting the brew started up down in the basement, my wife comes home to find the oven smoking like a chimney from all the liquid oozing out of the cut up pumpkin roasting.\

I continued anyway.

At the Christmas party, 2 months later, I received a few compliments on the pumpkin ale.  But personally, I could taste kitchen smoke in every sip.

I will never brew another pumpkin ale again.  (And to start with, I am with Denny.  I have always hated them. Biggest. Beer. Gimmick. Ever.  [Okay, session IPA has surpassed that]).  :)

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: How to brew an excellent pumpkin ale - tried and true tips
« Reply #31 on: September 11, 2015, 07:11:27 pm »
For the last 10 years, I have brewed beer for the office Christmas open house.  The company pays for my ingredients, as well as some brewing gear on occasionally, so it has worked out well for all parties.

A couple of years ago one of the VPs told me he had a bumper crop of pumpkins this year, including pie pumpkins.  Great! I replied, I will brew a pumpkin beer this year.

I cut them up, seeded them, and put them in the oven to roast.  What I did not factor in, is that freshly harvested pumpkins have A LOT OF LIQUID in them.

So, while I was merrily getting the brew started up down in the basement, my wife comes home to find the oven smoking like a chimney from all the liquid oozing out of the cut up pumpkin roasting.\

I continued anyway.

At the Christmas party, 2 months later, I received a few compliments on the pumpkin ale.  But personally, I could taste kitchen smoke in every sip.

I will never brew another pumpkin ale again.  (And to start with, I am with Denny.  I have always hated them. Biggest. Beer. Gimmick. Ever.  [Okay, session IPA has surpassed that]).  :)
Session Belgian DIPA served from a Pumpkin Randall

Offline pete b

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Re: How to brew an excellent pumpkin ale - tried and true tips
« Reply #32 on: September 12, 2015, 06:06:50 am »
For the last 10 years, I have brewed beer for the office Christmas open house.  The company pays for my ingredients, as well as some brewing gear on occasionally, so it has worked out well for all parties.

A couple of years ago one of the VPs told me he had a bumper crop of pumpkins this year, including pie pumpkins.  Great! I replied, I will brew a pumpkin beer this year.

I cut them up, seeded them, and put them in the oven to roast.  What I did not factor in, is that freshly harvested pumpkins have A LOT OF LIQUID in them.

So, while I was merrily getting the brew started up down in the basement, my wife comes home to find the oven smoking like a chimney from all the liquid oozing out of the cut up pumpkin roasting.\

I continued anyway.

At the Christmas party, 2 months later, I received a few compliments on the pumpkin ale.  But personally, I could taste kitchen smoke in every sip.

I will never brew another pumpkin ale again.  (And to start with, I am with Denny.  I have always hated them. Biggest. Beer. Gimmick. Ever.  [Okay, session IPA has surpassed that]).  :)
Session Belgian DIPA served from a Pumpkin Randall
Ironically I find DIPAs more session able than Sassoon ipas.
Don't let the bastards cheer you up.

Offline denny

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Re: How to brew an excellent pumpkin ale - tried and true tips
« Reply #33 on: September 12, 2015, 10:37:44 am »
So, have you done a triangle tasting with the beer brewed with and without pumpkin?

I have.

Okay...I'll bite.  What were your findings?

Pumpkin doesn't matter.  Only a single data point, though.
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Offline klickitat jim

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Re: How to brew an excellent pumpkin ale - tried and true tips
« Reply #34 on: September 12, 2015, 11:12:24 am »
So, have you done a triangle tasting with the beer brewed with and without pumpkin?

I have.

Okay...I'll bite.  What were your findings?

Pumpkin doesn't matter.  Only a single data point, though.
I've never brewed one, but if I did it would have no pumpkin in it. Just a touch of pumpkin pie spice in the tail end of the boil and a neutral bittering hop. That would be my plan. Maybe to enhance the spicey pie aspect I'd use a belgian yeast. Or, brew a dark belgian strong and tell people its a harvest beer, leave it at that.

Offline EnkAMania

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Re: How to brew an excellent pumpkin ale - tried and true tips
« Reply #35 on: September 13, 2015, 10:08:13 am »
Okay, Denny - I address that in the intro.  :P

It's all about personal tastes, huh?  Just because I've never found one I like dosen't mean that other people shouldn't like them.

Have you tried Elysian Night Owl?  Mine is pretty similar to this, pumpkin pie in a glass
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Offline Stevie

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Re: How to brew an excellent pumpkin ale - tried and true tips
« Reply #36 on: September 13, 2015, 11:47:21 am »
Night owl is one of the only pumpkin beers I like.

Offline denny

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Re: How to brew an excellent pumpkin ale - tried and true tips
« Reply #37 on: September 13, 2015, 01:20:41 pm »
Night owl is one of the only pumpkin beers I like.

Actually, on htinking about it, I kinda like Oakshire's Big Black Jack, a spiced pumpkin beer with chocolate.  Not the kind of beer I'd suck down pint after pint, but I wouldn't pour it out, either@
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

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Offline snowtiger87

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Re: How to brew an excellent pumpkin ale - tried and true tips
« Reply #38 on: September 15, 2015, 05:25:13 pm »
In my experience using pumpkin in the mash gives some color and mouthfeel, and makes for a bright orange mash  :o
« Last Edit: September 16, 2015, 04:34:58 pm by snowtiger87 »
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