Re: Why bake a pumpkin?
John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
> I've always toyed with the idea of making a pumpkin ale. The microbreweries
> around that make the stuff add WAY too many spices. The aftertaste is
> horrible. If I was to make one I wouldn't use spices.
>
> Just wondering why you bake the pumpkin before adding it to the mash. Why
> not just shred it with a cheese grater, or cube it ,or thinly slice it ,
> etc, & add that to the mash? Would this prevent a sticky mash?
Just use canned pumpkin from the grocery store.
John.
Phil
>I've always toyed with the idea of making a pumpkin ale. The microbreweries
>around that make the stuff add WAY too many spices. The aftertaste is
>horrible. If I was to make one I wouldn't use spices.
>
>Just wondering why you bake the pumpkin before adding it to the mash. Why
>not just shred it with a cheese grater, or cube it ,or thinly slice it ,
>etc, & add that to the mash? Would this prevent a sticky mash?
Anyone wanna know why my wife won't let me use the microwave again?
IIRC, you want to caramelize the sugar in the pumpkin. If I have
time, I'll be making my first pumpkin ale in the next week or two.
Phil
=====
visit the New York City Homebrewers Guild website:
http://hbd.org/nychg/
Bill Velek
> I've always toyed with the idea of making a pumpkin ale. The microbreweries
> around that make the stuff add WAY too many spices. The aftertaste is
> horrible. If I was to make one I wouldn't use spices.
>
> Just wondering why you bake the pumpkin before adding it to the mash. Why
> not just shred it with a cheese grater, or cube it ,or thinly slice it ,
> etc, & add that to the mash? Would this prevent a sticky mash?
Maybe that is to gelatinize it, and it requires a higher temp than the
mashtun temps. No one ever answered my question about how pumpkins are
selected for beer, or how they are gelatinized, so I'm still wondering.
Cheers.
Bill Velek
Steve
>
> Anyone wanna know why my wife won't let me use the microwave again?
>
> IIRC, you want to caramelize the sugar in the pumpkin. If I have
> time, I'll be making my first pumpkin ale in the next week or two.
>
>
> Phil
> =====
> visit the New York City Homebrewers Guild website:
> http://hbd.org/nychg/
Unless I'm mistaken caramelizing results in longer chains of sugars that are
not converted into simple sugars during the mash. This is why we use
crystal malts. Is the object of caramelizing pumpkin to gain a stronger
pumpkin flavor?
Alan McKay
starches into smaller starches and possibly even sugars. It
would be interesting to do a starch test on it before and
after. For that matter, maybe I'll do that next time I
make my baked french fries ... erm, I mean freedom fries ;-)
John D. Misrahi
John 'Shaggy' Kolesar wrote in message ...
Sure, and just use canned extract from the homebrew store ;-p
It's just not the same :-(
John
Bill Velek
> I'm guessing - and it's only a guess - that baking breaks down
> starches into smaller starches ...
snip
I always assumed that that's what gelatinization is doing, so baking is
probably another way to gelatinize it. ... or maybe not.
Cheers.
Bill Velek
Randal Chapman
> I've always toyed with the idea of making a pumpkin ale. The microbreweries
> around that make the stuff add WAY too many spices. The aftertaste is
> horrible. If I was to make one I wouldn't use spices.
>
> Just wondering why you bake the pumpkin before adding it to the mash. Why
> not just shred it with a cheese grater, or cube it ,or thinly slice it ,
> etc, & add that to the mash? Would this prevent a sticky mash?
The method I use is to gelatinize the starches, and then do a cereal
mash ala Jeff Renner's cereal mash for a classic american pilsner.
instructions can be found here:
http://hbd.org/hbd/archive/3737.html#3737-4
Basically I modified his method and I use between 12 & 14 pounds of
(gelatinized) pumpkin and a couple pounds of 6 row malt mashed in the
oven for a long time, about 3 hours this past time I did it. You'll
want to clean and cube the pumpkin up into about 1 inch cubes and
place them on a cookie sheet or something. They won't stick if you
place them all skin side down.
After 3 hours I was left with a thin pumpkin gruel that was very
sweet. I added this to my main mash and had no runoff problems. The
resulting beer tastes extremely "pumpkiny". Also, I use only pie
pumpkins - not sure of the variety.
_Randal
Derric
> Maybe that is to gelatinize it, and it requires a higher temp than the
> mashtun temps. No one ever answered my question about how pumpkins are
> selected for beer, or how they are gelatinized, so I'm still wondering.
Hello Bill... I can't really answer your question, but from previous
posts there must be various varieties of pumpkins available in some
places. Around here all that is available are the standard
"Jack-O-Lantern" pumpkins. Since pumpkins are just squash, you can
probably use a lot of the different winter squash the same way!
The canned pumpkin should be the "eating" kind (vs. the Jack-o-lantern
kind)...
Derric
Steve
Randal Chapman <fran...@swbell.net> wrote in message
news:82f33a89.04101...@posting.google.com...
Denny Conn
>
> I always assumed that that's what gelatinization is doing, so baking is
> probably another way to gelatinize it. ... or maybe not.
I'm with you, Bill.
---------->Denny
--
Life begins at 60 - 1.060, that is.
Reply to denny_at_projectoneaudio_dot_com
Randal Chapman
> Do you add spices to your beer?
>
Yes I added a small amount. 2 tbs cinnamon, 2 tbs nutmeg, 1 tsp
ginger, 1 tsp allspice, .5 tsp clove.
_Randal
John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
I wouldn't call that a small amount.
IMO, if you're going to add spices then skip the pumpkin. I would do one
or the other, but not both.
John.
Jeridiah
> mash ala Jeff Renner's cereal mash for a classic american pilsner.
> instructions can be found here:
>
> http://hbd.org/hbd/archive/3737.html#3737-4
>
> Basically I modified his method and I use between 12 & 14 pounds of
> (gelatinized) pumpkin and a couple pounds of 6 row malt mashed in the
> oven for a long time, about 3 hours this past time I did it. You'll
> want to clean and cube the pumpkin up into about 1 inch cubes and
> place them on a cookie sheet or something. They won't stick if you
> place them all skin side down.
>
> After 3 hours I was left with a thin pumpkin gruel that was very
> sweet. I added this to my main mash and had no runoff problems. The
> resulting beer tastes extremely "pumpkiny". Also, I use only pie
> pumpkins - not sure of the variety.
>
> _Randal
Do you have a full recipe? I have been planning a pumpkin ale for the
upcoming weekend(22 or 23), but have still not finalized on a recipe.
Thanks
JW
Stephen Russell
> I've always toyed with the idea of making a pumpkin ale. The
microbreweries
> around that make the stuff add WAY too many spices. The aftertaste is
> horrible. If I was to make one I wouldn't use spices.
>
> Just wondering why you bake the pumpkin before adding it to the mash. Why
> not just shred it with a cheese grater, or cube it ,or thinly slice it ,
> etc, & add that to the mash? Would this prevent a sticky mash?
I opened up a can and added it to an APA. This was a holiday ale so I
followed the path you avoiding.
__Stephen
Randal Chapman
>
> I wouldn't call that a small amount.
>
> IMO, if you're going to add spices then skip the pumpkin. I would do one
> or the other, but not both.
>
I don't know why not. It tastes a lot like pumpkin, and has a very
light spice background flavor. Most pumpkin ale recipes I've seen use
considerably more than the less than 5 tbs total spice I use. I look
at it this way, I've got great pumpkin flavor from the long-ass mash
that I use and IMO it's kind of like ceasar salad dressing: if ain't
got anchovies it aint ceasar, if ain't got pumpkin it ain't pumpkin
ale.
_Randal
evilpaul13
IIRC, cellulose will make iodine turn black too. So you'll probably
get a false positive afterwards even if it did convert it...
John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
> John 'Shaggy' Kolesar <sp...@shagg.net> wrote in message news:<slrncn5hn...@weizen.shagg.net>...
>>
>> I wouldn't call that a small amount.
>>
>> IMO, if you're going to add spices then skip the pumpkin. I would do one
>> or the other, but not both.
>>
>
> I don't know why not. It tastes a lot like pumpkin, and has a very
> light spice background flavor. Most pumpkin ale recipes I've seen use
> considerably more than the less than 5 tbs total spice I use.
I'm sure you're right, I've never tasted your recipe. ;)
However, most of the time the people who are adding spices are going for the
"pumpkin pie" flavour. If this is the case, you can get all of the pie
flavour from the spices by themselves. It sounds like you are going for
something different, so my advice was probably not applicable.
John.
Randal Chapman
>
> Do you have a full recipe?
(With many apologies to John - I DID have my spice amounts incorrect
in my last post. It's 1 tbs each cinnamon & nutmeg, not 2)
Jack's Lantern Pumpkin Ale
7 pounds marris otter malt
1 pound ~30 lovibond crystal malt
2 pounds wheat malt
.25 pounds chocolate malt
2 oz Hallertauer hops (1.5 oz = 60 mins, .5 oz = 10 mins)
12-14 pounds fresh pie pumpkins
2 pounds 6 row malt for pumpkin mash
1 tbs cinnamon
1 tbs nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground ginger
.5 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
Pumpkin Cereal Mash
Quarter the pumpkins and clean out the seeds and other gunk. Cube up
the pumpkins into about 1 inch pieces leaving the rind on. Place
pumpkin on several cookie sheets and bake in a preheated 350 degree
oven for about 1.5 hours or until pumpkin is very soft all the way
through and slightly browned on top. Oh yes, if you place all the
pumpkin cubes on the cookie sheets rind-side down they won't stick,
otherwise it can be a bit of a pain.
Combine the cooked pumpkin with about a gallon of preheated water and
the 6 row malt to make a fairly thick mash for a target rest of 155
degrees. Add more water if needed: you don't want it too thin. I do
this in a large roasting pan and then place the pan in an oven set at
155 (I've got a fancy digital one that will let me do this) and let it
mash for at least 2 hours, longer if possible and stir often. What you
will end up with is a thin pumpkin malt gruel with practically no
solid traces of pumpkin left and it should be quite sweet.
Main Mash
Do a typical infusion mash for a rest at 155 degrees, once stabilized
add your pumpkin mash to the main mash and proceed as normal. The
runoff will be slightly slower but I've never had a stuck mash doing
it this way. In years past I've used Wyeast 1338 but this year I am
trying Northweast Ale (forgot the number).
It's good, but I never said it didn't take a long time. When I did
this last time I was cutting up pumpkins at 8:00am and didn't finish
my brewday until the evening, although there is a lot of down time
with this recipe.
_Randal