Winter Squash Beer (Sweet Mama)

[jmo88]

Last fall, I stumbled upon a variety of winter squash that really blew me away with its flavor. I bought a Sweet Mama squash, split it in half and baked it. When I pulled it out of the oven, the pan had filled with a thick, buttery/maple-like syrup that came out of the squash during the baking process. It was REALLY sweet and it had the best flavor of any winter squash I've ever had.

I am planning a pumpkin beer this fall and would like to use this squash in my beer with a light spicing typically used in pumpkin ales. I plan on baking it and tossing it in the mash. I have no idea how many gravity points I will get with this; it's obviously much sweeter than the typical pie pumpkins or butternut squash. I also don't know how much flavor will be left over after the fermentation, but that's all a part of the experimentation with this.

The squash is a hybrid and is a kobacha variety of Japanese squashes.

I'd like to hear if any one else has experience with winter squashes aside from the traditional pumpkin and butternut.

 

[Oldsock]

Sounds like a tasty plan. I've gotten the most "squash" flavor from adding it near the end of the boil. Squashes really don't have too much starch to worry about (the main reason to add it to the mash), but adding it to the boil does make a bit of a mess. I've used pumpkin and butternut squash, but I'm hoping to try something more flavorful this fall.

 

[jmo88]

Good point about the mash. If it is already very sweet, I can't imagine getting much of a jump in gravity from the mash. This is really an awesome gourd. It's ugly as hell, but really flavorful.

How many pounds would you add to the end of the boil? I really don't mind the mess. I'll just pour it all in the fermenter and it'll drop out with the trub.

 

[Oldsock]

Good point about the mash. If it is already very sweet, I can't imagine getting much of a jump in gravity from the mash. This is really an awesome gourd. It's ugly as hell, but really flavorful.

How many pounds would you add to the end of the boil? I really don't mind the mess. I'll just pour it all in the fermenter and it'll drop out with the trub.

I haven't tried it, so it is hard to say. It takes a lot of pumpkin to get a noticeable flavor in beer, but that is because its pretty bland. Maybe 2.5-5 lbs (roasted). If you use a baking sheet and pour the liquid in, make sure it is a clean sheet (you don't want any oil or crud getting into you beer). Hope that helps.

 

[jmo88]

Well, it looks like a terrible season for winter squash. At least at this point. I couldn't find this squash or any Kobacha variety.

However, I did pick up one acorn squash, one butternut, and one very large garnet yam (7lbs in all). I'll be baking these at 375 then adding this to the mash. I plan on adding 1.5 tsp of Trader Joe's pumpkin pie spice at 5 min left to the boil.