Finally the In House Brew Pumpkin Beer is being drank! Looking back through the notes of Part One (Research), Part Two (Designing a Recipe) and Part Three (Brewing) this journey started on August 21st and is now finally being consumed on November 29th but better late than never right? The end goal of this project was a drinkable Pumpkin Beer; something that wasn't going to slap you in the face with spices or sweetness the way several examples of the style do. An idea that originated over the quandary of what to do with garden pumpkins evolved into learning something new about autumn brewing.
So what does it taste like you ask? Is it too overbearing? Too subdued to notice? Nicely balanced? Or maybe just muddled and confused?
Well, the smell comes in right off the bat as a mixture of a biscuity goodness with a hint of cinnamon. There’s very poor head retention and the color is a bit darker than anticipated but over all a decent enough looking brown ale. There’s a hint of caramel sweetness and a bit of bready flavor mixed with a tad of roastiness and followed by a lingering pumpkin spice flavor that remains after going down. Normally when the term “lingering” is used in the description of a beer it is a bad thing but there is just enough there to remind you it is a pumpkin beer without blowing you out of your mind. Overall: success!
If it needed to be done again, which I sure it will next fall, it may be aided from some body and head enhances. The initial thoughts were for flaked wheat or maybe even flaked oats but they were nixed for the sake of simplicity. Perhaps either of those would be good additions. With the spices it almost tastes a little too bitter so using slightly less spice, lowering the IBUs or perhaps mashing higher to achieve a little more sweetness to round that out would work. Overall though; not bad at all for a first run through.
Type: All Grain
Batch Size (fermenter): 2.50 gal
Boil Size: 3.88 gal
End of Boil Volume 3.13 gal
Brewhouse Efficiency: 60.00 %
Ingredients Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 76.9 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 2 15.4 %
4.0 oz Amber Malt (22.0 SRM) Grain 3 3.8 %
4.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 4 3.8 %
0.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 16.5 IBUs
0.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 6.0 IBUs
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon Ginger, 1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon Clove.
1.0 pkg British Ale Yeast (Wyeast Labs #1098)
Est Original Gravity: 1.057 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.055 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.015 SG
Bitterness: 22.5 IBUs
Est Color: 25.4 SRM
Mash Name: BIAB, Medium Body 152*
So what does it taste like you ask? Is it too overbearing? Too subdued to notice? Nicely balanced? Or maybe just muddled and confused?
Well, the smell comes in right off the bat as a mixture of a biscuity goodness with a hint of cinnamon. There’s very poor head retention and the color is a bit darker than anticipated but over all a decent enough looking brown ale. There’s a hint of caramel sweetness and a bit of bready flavor mixed with a tad of roastiness and followed by a lingering pumpkin spice flavor that remains after going down. Normally when the term “lingering” is used in the description of a beer it is a bad thing but there is just enough there to remind you it is a pumpkin beer without blowing you out of your mind. Overall: success!
If it needed to be done again, which I sure it will next fall, it may be aided from some body and head enhances. The initial thoughts were for flaked wheat or maybe even flaked oats but they were nixed for the sake of simplicity. Perhaps either of those would be good additions. With the spices it almost tastes a little too bitter so using slightly less spice, lowering the IBUs or perhaps mashing higher to achieve a little more sweetness to round that out would work. Overall though; not bad at all for a first run through.
Type: All Grain
Batch Size (fermenter): 2.50 gal
Boil Size: 3.88 gal
End of Boil Volume 3.13 gal
Brewhouse Efficiency: 60.00 %
Ingredients Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 76.9 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 2 15.4 %
4.0 oz Amber Malt (22.0 SRM) Grain 3 3.8 %
4.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 4 3.8 %
0.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 16.5 IBUs
0.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 6.0 IBUs
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon Ginger, 1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon Clove.
1.0 pkg British Ale Yeast (Wyeast Labs #1098)
Est Original Gravity: 1.057 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.055 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.015 SG
Bitterness: 22.5 IBUs
Est Color: 25.4 SRM
Mash Name: BIAB, Medium Body 152*
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