Pumpkin Ale yeast?

[brewhaha_rva]

Just putting it out there: What are your opinions on yeast for pumpkin ales? It's almost fall and just about time to get started on that bad boy! I was thinking London Ale Yeast (WLP013) or -- for something completely different -- go real clean with the California ale yeast, let the spice do the talking. Don't usually spice beers but fun for the fall and winter.

Anyhoo, really just wondering what the Greek Chorus uses its own pumpkin ales. Now GO!

 

[two_one_seven]

I like the 001 clean strong yeast it will serve as a nice neutral component in a pumpkin ale. Heck try both if you can it would cool to see the effects, or at least hear about them.

 

[sptaylor70]

Seems like a pumpkin ale might like something fruity, like the WLP013. I've seen recipes that employ London ale, as well as the Chico family of yeasts, Munton's cheap dry yeast, Wyeast 1450 Denny's Favorite Fifty, Wyeast 3711 French Saison, WLP002 Fuller's ESB, WLP 830 Weihenstephan 34/70, and Fermentis S-04. You have a wide palette available to you.

 

[brewhaha_rva]

Thanks for the input, ya'll. I may do 10 gallons and split them into two batches. I'll let you know in a couple of months what the result is!

 

[stbnj]

I did my first round with s05 and it turned out great. This next batch I am doing tomorrow will use a split of BRY97 and Mangrove Jacks West Coast Ale yeast. The first batch of pumpkin I ever brewed a few years ago I used Dennys and that was really good as well. I did batches last year using wlp005 and s04 and they weren't awful but I felt like the ester competed with the spices too much.

 

[bnmir]

I prefer the less attenuative English strains and a high mash temp to leavesome perceived sweetness

 

[two_one_seven]

I did my first round with s05 and it turned out great. This next batch I am doing tomorrow will use a split of BRY97 and Mangrove Jacks West Coast Ale yeast. The first batch of pumpkin I ever brewed a few years ago I used Dennys and that was really good as well. I did batches last year using wlp005 and s04 and they weren't awful but I felt like the ester competed with the spices too much.

This. If you want to showcase ingerdients then use a neurtal yeast.

 

[brewhaha_rva]

I'm starting to wonder what a spicy yeast such as Belle Saison might do for a pumpkin ale. What if you backed off the spice a bit and let the peppery qualities of the Saison yeast give it a kick? Maybe that would mesh with the pumpkin pie spices well, maybe it would just make a crappy beer. I'm not sure. I do think a neutral yeast would be good though. I've never made a pumpkin ale before so I think I'll try that first. I'll let you all know what I come up with.

This is my process for beer. I think about the recipe for at least a week before I commit to a run to The Weekend Brewer.

 

[shoreman]

I use s04 works great every year

 

[TopFlatBrwr]

I'm a fan of the wyeast 3711 French Saison for pumpkin ales as it adds lots of spice to the beer. I think splitting up a 10 gallon batch and using a couple different yeasts would be a great experiment for a pumpkin ale.

 

[Babbage78]

Okay upon second thought and a little more research I'm going to switch the yeast to either california or thames valley yeast. I was thinking about the french saison strain because it is supposed to synergize with spices well but I wasn't aware of just how attenuative that strain really is and I'd like to have a fuller body with some residual sugars to balance out the spices.

So what do you think between California or thames valley?

 

[sptaylor70]

I think that both would work fine, and you should try a batch with each. And if you are really motivated you could try yeast(s) with a fruitiness between the two, such as Wyeast 1272 Anchor, 1332 NW ale, or 1450 Denny's.

 

[causeimthesquid]

I plan to do my Pumpkin brew with California Lager yeast. The temps have dropped enough in my basement that I can maintain 58-60F pretty easily. I have a yeast cake leftover from an Oktoberfest and it should ferment pretty quick.

The lager yeast should be even cleaner than 1056/001.

 

[brewhaha_rva]

The attenuation is a good point. And I'm embarrassed that I didn't think about it. A heavier beer might make a better pumpkin ale. The time is now, unfortunately. I must decide! Headed to the brew shop.

 

[brewhaha_rva]

Here is what I came up with:

23 ibu
8.0% ABV (Adjusted for efficiency)

OG: 1.079
FG: 1.015

10 lbs Belgian 2-Row
1.5 lbs White Wheat
1 lb Rye
1 lb Special B
4 oz Chocolate malt
1 lb brown sugar (lite)


1 oz Hallertau (60 mins)
1 oz East Kent Golding (30 mins)

Safale us-05 yeast (starter, fed twice)
-- Basically a California Ale yeast

4 lbs pumpkin (canned, in the mash)
Mash 152 degrees F

Batch sparge (Denny Conn has converted me)

Pumpkin Pie Spice 0.2 oz 30.0 min
Allspice 0.2 oz 30.0 min
Cinnamon Sticks 2 15.0 min

I like the idea of a Belgian-style grain bill although I am open to killing the chocolate. The rye I like because I'm trying to get some spicy notes from the malts. The spices and the pumpkin and when the pumpkin goes in and all that, I'm not so sure on. That all worries me a bit. Plus I was shooting for higher gravity. Any ideas ya'll?

 

[ronjonacron]

I think that both would work fine, and you should try a batch with each. And if you are really motivated you could try yeast(s) with a fruitiness between the two, such as Wyeast 1272 Anchor, 1332 NW ale, or 1450 Denny's.

Im also a big fan of dennys fav, it may not have the spiciness youre lookin for from the yeast, but it definitely has a strong malt flavor.

 

[mpjay2000]

I had good results using WLP028, Edinburgh Ale yeast last year. I'm using it again this year.

Mpjay

 

[brewhaha_rva]

I used safale US-O5. OG was about 1.075 and it chewed down to 1.010 with no difficulty. Its in bottles now. Basically, it was 2-row, rye, dash of wheat for head retention, special b and some chocolate malt as specialty for dark fruit notes go with the pumpkin. Let you know how she turns out!

 

[brewhaha_rva]

FYI, a year later, this beer was phenomenal. It haunts me because every time I give somebody a beer I brewed, its always "Man this a good, but you gotta make that pumpkin ale again. Come on! I', thinking of ways to tackle this beast again, maybe tinker around the edges, but it's definitely a staple now.