Hey all, so I'm after something a little strange: we had a lot of great pumpkins and squash from the garden this year, and I'm trying to make an unspiced beer where that natural flavor of the cucurbits is observable. Frankly, so far, I've not had much luck. Okay, "no" luck.
I'm also seen several instances now of people brewing "pumpkin" beer that is spice only, and even a triangle test that concluded it's not commonly identifiable: http://brulosophy.com/2015/10/05/it...umpkin-make-a-difference-exbeeriment-results/
But I'm undeterred for now. I've also been reading more on malt and by extension the science of the mash. I'm wondering if mashing roasted pumpkin, a commonly advised step, is causing too much of the sugars to break down from enzymatic activity and ferment out. Adding straight to the boil would presumably leave more long-chain starches in tact, and adding post fermentation to a super dry beer could be more available, obviously.
...but this is just my non-STEP major theory, and hard scientists have thoughts on what's actually happening to a roasted pumpkin's sugars and starches in the mash? Variables I don't know:
-What kinds of sugars and starches are in a pumpkin, and what does roasting do to those sugars and starches?
-Do enzymes common in a barley mash have the ability to affect those post-roast starches?
-Does common ale yeast (I've used mostly american and english ale yeasts...) break down what's put into the wort from a roasted & mashed pumpkin?
-What is "real pumpkin flavor" anyway?
I'm also seen several instances now of people brewing "pumpkin" beer that is spice only, and even a triangle test that concluded it's not commonly identifiable: http://brulosophy.com/2015/10/05/it...umpkin-make-a-difference-exbeeriment-results/
But I'm undeterred for now. I've also been reading more on malt and by extension the science of the mash. I'm wondering if mashing roasted pumpkin, a commonly advised step, is causing too much of the sugars to break down from enzymatic activity and ferment out. Adding straight to the boil would presumably leave more long-chain starches in tact, and adding post fermentation to a super dry beer could be more available, obviously.
...but this is just my non-STEP major theory, and hard scientists have thoughts on what's actually happening to a roasted pumpkin's sugars and starches in the mash? Variables I don't know:
-What kinds of sugars and starches are in a pumpkin, and what does roasting do to those sugars and starches?
-Do enzymes common in a barley mash have the ability to affect those post-roast starches?
-Does common ale yeast (I've used mostly american and english ale yeasts...) break down what's put into the wort from a roasted & mashed pumpkin?
-What is "real pumpkin flavor" anyway?