Pumpkin in the mash?!

[MightyParched]

So I was looking thru recipes the other day and I came across this one http://www.pangaeabeerandfood.com/2012/09/gentleman-jack-olantern-revisited.html?m=1. Basically a pumpkin ale with oak chips soaked in whiskey. As I am reading thru the details it has pumpkin added at mash. Having only done a few AG batches I thought it was strange to add it there and not during fermentation or the secondary. Could someone explain the benefits for this, or was it a typo?


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[NorthwestBrewman2013]

So I was looking thru recipes the other day and I came across this one http://www.pangaeabeerandfood.com/2012/09/gentleman-jack-olantern-revisited.html?m=1. Basically a pumpkin ale with oak chips soaked in whiskey. As I am reading thru the details it has pumpkin added at mash. Having only done a few AG batches I thought it was strange to add it there and not during fermentation or the secondary. Could someone explain the benefits for this, or was it a typo?


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Yeah, adding it during the mash will pull a ton of fermentable sugar out of the pumpkin (kinda like adding corn/brown sugar to the boil). By doing this you get the really intense pumpkin flavor without too much of the vegetable-ish taste. The best example would be Dog Fish Head Brewery Punkin Ale. You can look up the video of them brewing some of that. It gives a good understanding for sure.

 

[SpeedYellow]

Yeah, adding it during the mash will pull a ton of fermentable sugar out of the pumpkin ...

This could be true if there was a "ton" of sugar or starch in pumpkin. But there's not. Very little actually.

 

[tjcavitt]

I've made a few pumpkin ales and always added the pumpkin to the mash. There was no noticeable increase in OG so can't imagine that there is much in the way of fermentable sugars in the pumpkin. I used canned pumpkin for what it's worth ...be sure to use a bunch of rice hulls!!!

 

[TopherM]

There have been several comparison studies that show that adding actual pumpkin, mash/secondary or otherwise, does little to flavor the beer. It's the pumpkin spices that flavor a beer. MOST pro examples of pumpkin beer don't use any pumpkin at all, just the spices.

Also, raw pumpkin doesn't have many convertible sugars, but it certainly has sugars. The best way to actually make use of those sugars is to caramelize them prior to adding the pumpkin to the mash by baking the pumpkin meat for about 30-40 minutes prior to mashing. I personally don't do this, as I find it to be pretty negligible to the final product as well, i.e., a lot of effort for a subtle result.

What adding actual pumpkin does to a beer is adds an authentic color as well as a protein complexity and mouthfeel that you just don't get unless you mash it.

MOST pro and experienced pumpkin ale brewers that do use actual pumpkin add it to the mash, and you should too.

 

[MightyParched]

Awesome. I appreciate the responses. I'll bake the pumpkin and add it to the mash.


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[CTownBrewer]

You may want to try substituting some of the pumpkin out for yams...they add more flavor than pumpkin from my experience. Then, supplement with pumpkin spices...I like a blend cinnamon, nutmeg, all-spice, & mace. You'll get slightly different flavor from the spices depending on when you add them too. Cooked spices are a little different than spices added post-fermentation. I try to split my spice additions between then two to get added complexity.

FWIW, Elysian specializes in a variety of pumpkin beers. They add the pumpkin to the mash, boil, & fermenter...so you can try that if you're feeling adventurous.