Getting more pumpkin flavor

[guldalian]

Just brewed a pumpkin wheat ale for a buddy. As I am not really a fan of pumpkin beers, I couldn't really tell if it hit the mark or not. He claims it needs a bit more actual pumpkin flavor (not spice). I did 5 lbs of fresh oven roasted pumpkin in the mash. How do the rest of you get more pumpkin flavor? Do a secondary with pumpkin? Purée the pumpkin?


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[tmendick]

Use butternut squash or sweet potatoes. Using real pumpkin doesn't really add much if any flavor.

 

[guldalian]

I know pumpkin is something of a bland squash. That's why when my friend said it needed more pumpkin flavor, I said "you mean spice?" Since that is the flavor most associate with pumpkin.
Won't butternut squash or sweet potatoes make it taste like that, not pumpkin?


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[jekeane]

I am trying about 8oz of pumpkin puree mixed with 1/4 cup of brown sugar in the primary. This is what I was recommended by a brewer from Cigar City. I brewed yesterday I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[guldalian]

Really, only 1/2 a pound? Also, are you roasting/cooking the pumpkin in any way? And when you say primary, are you adding at pitching or after ferm. is complete?


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[jbb3]

I know pumpkin is something of a bland squash. That's why when my friend said it needed more pumpkin flavor, I said "you mean spice?" Since that is the flavor most associate with pumpkin.

Yeah. Just what IS pumpkin flavor .

Obviously, he has a particular taste in mind. Who knows what that might be...

 

[jekeane]

Really, only 1/2 a pound? Also, are you roasting/cooking the pumpkin in any way? And when you say primary, are you adding at pitching or after ferm. is complete?


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8oz by weight I roasted the puree with the sugar at 350 for 30-45 minutes. (till it browned) Pumpkin flavor really is found in the spices I was trying to get some of the roasty flavor in their. A recent issue of BYO magazine interviews a bunch of commercial breweries and they all agree the vast majority of "pumpkin" flavor is in the spices while the actual pumkin provides carotin (orange) and possibly roasty flavors.

 

[Abadeon]

Upping dead topics, I brew a pumpkin ale that have a really nice pumpkin taste and I got it with roasted sweet potato. I wrapped them in aluminum foil and baked till roasted, them mashed it. Sweet potato is better at all than pumpkin. It don't get stuck at sparge, have strong pumpkin profile and it's easier to find here at Brazil.

 

[Transamguy77]

The last pumpkin beer I made I used 3 large cans of Libby's pumpkin in 10 gallons in the boil and it had the perfect (at least to me) of pumpkin flavor.