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  • Pumpkin Ale Spice Question

    It's that time of year to start thinking about pumpkin ales... I've never actually done one before and I was hoping I could get some guidance on amounts of spices to use.

    Here's what I've come up with in my research: Pumpkin pie recipes (and pumpkin ale recipes) commonly include cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove (and maybe allspice). The amount of these spices in a 15bbl recipe should be somewhere in the neighborhood of 2.5-5 ounces on the cinnamon, nutmeg and clove and maybe 8-16 ounces on the ginger? And these can be added in the last 15 minutes of the boil, or maybe downstream by making a "spice tea."

    Would some of you mind sharing the quantities of spices that you add to your pumpkin beers and when you add them?

    Thanks,

    Corey

  • #2
    Timing

    I'd have to look at prior brew logs for specific quantities, but timing wise we've added spices with 5 minutes left in boil in a spice bag, removing as flavor and aroma intensity increases during whirlpool. It can be tricky because flavor and aroma will decrease drastically post fermentation. Therefore, it is important to have almost overwhelming intensity before pulling spice bag. We've found in the vicinity of 10-15 minutes into whirlpool. Hope this helps!

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    • #3
      Those quantities seem quite low to me… I use 60 g dried grated ginger, 60 g whole cloves, 30 g stick cinnamon, and 30 g coarsely crushed nutmeg per barrel. Add in a hop bag at flameout and leave in for the 30 min whirlpool, then remove after starting knockout.
      Sent from my Microsoft Bob

      Beer is like porn. You can buy it, but it's more fun to make your own.
      seanterrill.com/category/brewing | twomilebrewing.com

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      • #4
        Are you folks that responded also using pumpkin in the beer? canned or fresh? I am contemplating a proper pumpkin beer that will be released when the raw material is actually available, which will not allow for production until later August in the northeast. Curious what others may be doing?

        Let's use real materials people… spiced beer is fine, but can we call in pumpkin beer if it contains no real pumpkin?
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        • #5
          I can't remember off-hand what the total volume was, but after years of dutifully blending my own spice mix, last year I got lazy and used the Tones pumpkin pie spice mix. It was just as good as the previous years. All that was lacking was a bit of orangy citrus kick I got from a fair dose of coriander.

          I use canned pumpkin with no issues. I like to split pumpkin 50/50 with butternut squash which, in the beer, tastes more like pumpkin than the pumpkin alone did.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by MatthewS View Post
            which will not allow for production until later August in the northeast.
            I love how early pumpkin beers come out in the Northeast. I think ours came out the 1st week of October last year...

            We use a Proprietarily Perfect spice blend and amount and timing, but we do use about 6lbs of pumpkins/bbl that we roast down at a local restaurant, skin, chunk in a big sack and put in the last 15 minutes of the boil.
            Russell Everett
            Co-Founder / Head Brewer
            Bainbridge Island Brewing
            Bainbridge Island, WA

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            • #7
              Search engine?

              Isn't there about a half dozen threads on this topic already? Lots of useful information in the archive.....
              Phillip Kelm--Palau Brewing Company Manager--

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              • #8
                Originally posted by gitchegumee View Post
                Isn't there about a half dozen threads on this topic already? Lots of useful information in the archive.....
                Don't worry Phil, I searched, but found very little info regarding actual quantities of spices used. The numbers in that original post were about the only quantities I could find through the search. Hence why I posed the question...

                Corey

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                • #9
                  What, me worry?

                  Not worried. Just saying that every year there are more threads added to old ones regarding pumpkin ale. I found no fewer than 20 threads searching on "pumpkin ale". Lots of good stuff out there. I made one a few years back based on spices I found on these threads. I think your approach is right on the money. I'd include the allspice too. And real pumpkins!
                  Phillip Kelm--Palau Brewing Company Manager--

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                  • #10
                    Pumpkin Ale Spice Question

                    Good morning, Corey,

                    It seems as though you are dealing with two variables here: quantity (amount of spices) and proportion (ratio of spices to one another). As for quantity, I would say that this is incredibly subjective and that you can compare and cross reference all the recipes that you can get your hands on but ultimately you'll have to make a decision as those recipes will invariably be different from one another. Are spices used in 1:1 ratio with wort? One approach that I used recently with my Imperial Pumpkin Amber is that I added what I believed to be conservative amounts of spices at the end of the boil knowing that if I wanted more of a spice profile, I could steep spices in my secondary (I suppose time in boil and secondary could be a third variable).

                    As for ratios, this one is simple, I would mix 3-5 samples of the spices that you intend to use in your beer and make pumpkin cupcakes/muffins with no flavoring additives in the mix besides your blend. Many people reference pie, and although that might be your target taste, I believe that a cupcake/muffin resembles the profile, in general, of a beer rather that a beer, mainly because of the filling and crust. Have a little cupcake/muffin tasting competition with your buddies/family/co-workers to pick the best tasting ratio (don't offer full cupcakes but small samples as one's taste buds may not be able to discern the difference of so many similar choices).

                    Take lots of notes, and brew it again and again. I hope that some of my suggestions will be of use to you and our community at large. Please let us know how your beer turned out. Be well, Corey.

                    Ben Cantu

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