Pumpkin Ale

Strong Scotch Ale by scott

Type All Grain
Batch size 5.5 gal
Boil time 60 min
Efficiency 75.0%

Fermentables

Name Amount Use PPG
Finest Maris Otter Ale Malt Crisp 11.0 lb – 38
Munich Malt 20L Briess 5.0 lb – 34
2-Row Caramel Malt 40L Briess 2.0 lb – 34
Brown Sugar, Dark 0.5 lb – 46

Hops

Name Amount Time Use Form AA
Chinook United States 1.0 oz 60 min Boil Pellet 13.0%
Chinook United States 0.5 oz 15 min Boil Pellet 13.0%
Cascade United States 0.5 oz 5 min Boil Pellet 5.8%

Yeasts

Name Lab Attenuation Temp
Safale S-04 S-04 Fermentis 75.0% 60°F – 60°F

Extras

Name Amount Time Use
Irish Moss 1.0 tsp 15.0 min Boil

Notes

I use about 4 pounds of small pie pumpkins, cut into wedges (about 8 wedges per pumpkin), with the stems and seeds removed. Place these in a roasting pan with about a cup of water; this will keep the pumpkin from burning while roasting.

Roast pumpkin at 450F for 15 minutes, then lower oven temp to 350F and roast until tender. Deglaze roasting pan w/2 cups water and reserve. Add warm pumpkin to mash, along with 1-2 pounds of rice hulls to avoid stuck sparge.

In the boil, I actually used 12.75 ounces of maple syrup, not brown sugar, but BrewToad doesn't have that ingredient yet.

Also, I used Calypso hops (12.8% AA) and not Chinook, but BrewToad doesn't have Calypso yet.

Add the reserved pumpkin-flavored jus immediately after flameout.

Cool, pitch, and ferment at 68F.

After primary fermentation, rack to secondary and add the following spices:

  • half an ounce of cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
  • 2 vanilla beans, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger

"Dry spice" for at least a week. Carbonate to 2.2 volumes CO2, and condition for at least 2 weeks prior to drinking. This is a big beer that will improve with age.