Pumpkin Ale

The wind was blowing, the football game was on... and then, the power went out right at kickoff. Argggg! It must be fall. The plus side is that it's time for fall and winter brewing. I like to do a Pumpkin Ale this time of year so it's ready for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

I didn't follow Jamils' Recipe for this one.
I have been using my own for a couple of years and I like to tweak it year after year just for fun. The basic premise is still there though. It's a Vegetable Spice beer where I use a whole roasted pumpkin in the mash. Here's my recipe.

8 lbs 9.3 oz Pale Malt    
2 lbs 14.7 oz Munich Malt - 20L
1 lbs 2.7 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L
4.7 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L
1.50 oz Cluster Hops [7.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min
1.5 tsp Pumpkin Spice at knock out
American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) Or WLP 001

 Cut and peel an 8 - 10 pound pumpkin and roast in the oven at 350 degrees until the pumpkin is soft, juicy and a bit caramelized.

Mash in at 152 for 60 min with the roasted pumpkin.









Just for fun I added some first wort fresh Cascade Hops. They were just hanging on the vine begging to be used. They were asking for it. I'm not sure if they will make a whole

 The Pumpkin gives the wort a rich flavor and the spice addition at the end rounds it out to a yummy Pumpkin Pie taste and aroma.

The chickens really liked the spent grain too. Especially when there is buried cooked pumpkin at the bottom.


The beer is in the fermenter right now and should be ready in a couple of weeks. Next up will be a Winter Spiced Ale!

Cheers