Pumpkin Beer - 10kg??

[AnimatedGIF]

I am planning to brew Gregg Hughes' Pumpkin Ale, using a prize-winning pumpkin that a friend grew.
It requires 10kg of pumpkin, roasted for 1 hour. This then goes in the mash.

• Presumably the 10kg reduces when roasted due to evaporation of water? Still seem like a lot, and hoping it will fit my 35L brewzilla with the 3+kg of grain.
• I plan to physically mash(as in, use a potato masher) the pumpkin before adding it to the mash - does that sound right?
• Does anyone have any idea how much fermentable sugras I may get? I wanted to put the recipe in to Brewfather, but there is only Pumpkin Puree available on there as an ingredient.

 

[Agentgonzo]

Presumably the 10kg reduces when roasted due to evaporation of water?

Yes. Think of how much lighter a baked potato is than a raw potato.

Rest of the post:

 

[pilgrimhudd]

I did a pumpkin beer (well actually butternut squash as I couldn't find pumpkin), I roasted it with brown sugar and put in the mash. I'd have to dig out my recipe from somewhere.

 

[MashBag]

I am with you on this. 10kg sounds like a lot. I think the real loss wil come with the trim (waste). I bet by the time you have took the top and tail out. Then the seeds, you may half that weight before you start.

I don't think roasting will lose a significant amount to steam. We are roasting not oven dying

I would not bother with the tater masher.

For completeness...

 

[samale]

 

[jof]

Snap!

 

[Cwrw666]

Don't mash the pumpkin - it'll clog everything up. It's the flavour of the caramelised bits you want anyway and yes it'll lose a lot of water especially if you chip the lumps smallish.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Another late finish another overnight mash. This time a 10l brew, pumpkin ale! Well, butternut squash anyway.

1.75kg otter
800g munich
400 biscuit
200 caramunich

I'm not sure about the last 2 because beersmith didnt save my recipe but it was roughly as so.

Mashed overnight at 68c

This morning I quartered a butternut squash and covered it liberally with brown sugar, roast at 180c for 90mins.

Brought the wort to the boil, added 110g brown sugar, the squash in a bag and 8g northdown hops. Protofloc at 45mins, at 5 mins 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.

Og of 1064, wort tasted very sweet, a different taste which I presume to be squash and of cinnamon. Brought down to 22c and pitched Windsor.


This was my recipe, I can't say it was my best beer though......

 

[YeastFace]

I use canned pumpkin, baked in the oven with brown sugar. Less faff and mess.

Last time I used one can in each mash, end of boil, and fermentation. Pumpkin isn't particularly noticeable flavour in beer, but it does improve mouthfeel imo.

I'm going to brew another this year, will probably skip the fermenter addition.

 

[AnimatedGIF]

Thanks for the replies!
Now I read the recipe again (thanks for posting), yes, a 10kg pumpkin will be much less when peeled, de-seeded etc.
Good advice not to physically mash!

 

[YeastFace]

You've prompted me to order stuff for another one. Last two were a milk stout and a porter, this year I'm going for a strong brown ale.

Fancy a bottle swap when they're ready?

 

[AnimatedGIF]

You've prompted me to order stuff for another one. Last two were a milk stout and a porter, this year I'm going for a strong brown ale.

Fancy a bottle swap when they're ready?

Absolutely!

 

[AnimatedGIF]

Incidentally I got a very negative reaction when messaging some other brewers that I planned to use pumpkin, despite it being from a recipe in a highly-regarded book
I don't see how it is different to using rice in a rice lager for example, in so much that they are both alternatives to using grain

 

[Clint]

I did one years ago but used a Coopers ale to make up the wort. From memory I cut the pumpkin into wedges and roasted it with brown sugar and some spices...cinnamon,mixed spice probably. The pulp was scraped from the skins and the lot dumped into the fv with the kit and topped up. It was kegged in a pb when done. It turned out OK,nothing fabulous,although my mate really liked it! Plenty of spice coming through.