Fri Nov 07, 2008 7:40 am
The problem with using pumpkin in an extract beer is the starch in the pumpkin. This will lead to a haze and a short shelf life. It would be best to do a partial mash with a couple pounds of crushed 6 row barley mixed with the pumpkin. This will convert the starches to sugar. You can then just add the wort from this to your boil kettle with the extract.
Before you start, however, give some thought as to what flavor you are looking for. Pumpkin itself lends a very subtle flavor to a beer and is easily covered up by other flavors. If you are looking for the "pumpkin pie" flavor, you can leave out the pumpkin altogether and concentrate of the pie spices. No one will notice the lack of pumpkin.
If you want the pumpkin flavor to come through, you would be best served to use fresh pie pumpkins (not canned and not those "Halloween" pumpkins). Cut the pumpkins into pieces and roast in the oven to gelatinize the starches and to slightly caramelize the naturally occurring sugars. Do a partial mash with this pumpkin and then be very subtle with the spices. The best way to do the spices would be to steep the spices in a little bourbon or light rum for the duration of fermentation and then add to the bottling bucket or keg to taste. This will help avoid overdoing the spices and covering up the pumpkin taste.
Wayne
