Pumpkin Porter Recipe

Ahh… the season of making everything taste like pumpkin and allspice.

Pumpkin Preparation (Same for Ale and Porter):

• Cut up a pumpkin (about 10 lbs) or use two cans of pumpkin puree
• Sprinkle with spice mixture:
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp allspice
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
• Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees
• Use the same spice mixture for the last 5 minutes of the boil as well

Grains:

• 10 lbs of spiced and roasted pumpkin
• 1 lb of crystal 100
• 1 lb of chocolate 250
• ½ lb of carapils

Extract/Sugar:

• 6.5 lbs Amber DME
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup molasses

Additions:

• 1 oz Northern Brewer (full 60 min boil)
• 1 oz Saaz (15 min remaining)
• 1 tsp Irish Moss (10 min remaining)
• Spice Mixture listed above (5 min remaining)

Yeast:

• WYEAST 1272 (American Ale II)

Prepare pumpkin as listed above. Steep pumpkin and grains at 150 degrees for 30 minutes in 4 gallons of water. Remove pumpkin and grains, and increase heat. Add extract, brown sugar and molasses. Bring to a boil. Make additions as listed above (60 minute total boil time). Cool to 85 degrees, and funnel into carboy. Add water to total 5.5 gal, and pitch yeast. Ferment for 7-9 days and bottle. Age for 3-4 weeks before drinking.

Results: This beer was not an immediate hit. We tried it after a week, and it had an overwhelming spice that did not go well with the dark maltyness of the porter base. It was as if all of the flavor integration that we got with the ale – for some reason – did not work with the porter. After letting it sit for 3 weeks, the spices mellowed, and the flavors melded a little better. My advice – cut the spices back for this one, let it sit for a month before cracking one open.