Pumpkin Ales that don't taste like DFH Punkin' Ale

[Brewskier]

Bought a 4 pack of DFH last night and I didn't really care for it. Too malty and boozy for my liking. I would want a lighter gravity, sweeter flavor to my pumpkin ales. Anyone have any good recommendations? I think a little vanilla in there would be good too. Not sure bean vs extract.

Thanks

 

[Double_D]

If you want it sweet but not malty you could add lactose to a recipe and then just keep it in the 4% I guess. You could use either beans or extract. But from what I've read the extract goes in later. Oak would give you some vanilla flavor as well.

I guess you could use some crystal malt. It would contribute some unfermentable sugar and with a lower gravity beer the malt character of what ever you use as a base would be less noticeable.

 

[bobbrews]

Elysian Night Owl (6%) is my favorite this year of the readily available pumpkin ales. It's smooth as ever and in sixers.

Schlafly Pumpkin (8%) was my favorite last year. It's a little too full and sweet in 2012, but still pretty good.

 

[Double_D]

Oh man. I read that wrong.:cross: I thought he was trying to produce one. Not find one on the market.

 

[Brewskier]

Oh man. I read that wrong.:cross: I thought he was trying to produce one. Not find one on the market.

No you were actually right. I put this in the recipe section of the site, but I definitely could have been clearer. I can see why there is confusion.

Either is fine, though. Suggest a good pumpkin ale and I can probably find a clone recipe for it.

 

[Double_D]

I just did this one: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f76/punkin-ale-145060/
I figured 86 pages or so of posts saying it was the best pumpkin ale they'd ever had was enough for me to try it.

 

[Brewskier]

I just did this one: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f76/punkin-ale-145060/
I figured 86 pages or so of posts saying it was the best pumpkin ale they'd ever had was enough for me to try it.

I saw that one, but stopped where it said "tastes like DFH". I'm looking for one in the 1.050 range. Anything north of 1.060 is probably going to be a little too malty and boozy for my liking.

 

[Double_D]

I'd just scale the recipe down to where you would like it. I tasted a sample of it and wouldn't call it overly malty. But we'll have to see how it finished I guess. As for the DFH pumpkin, I haven't tried it.