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Recipe: Annie’s Gourdgeous Pumpkin Ale

Be generous with the gourd and toast your own allpsice for this smashing pumpkin ale that’s easy as, well, pie.

Photo: Matt Graves/mgravesphoto.com
Photo: Matt Graves/mgravesphoto.com

All Access Subscribers can download the BeerSmith and BeerXML version of this recipe. Download the recipe.

For more on brewing a great pumpkin ale using extracts, see No Rests for the Wicked: Pumpkin Ale, Easy as Pie.

PARTIAL-MASH

Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.060
FG: 1.015
IBUs: 22
ABV: 6%

MALT/GRAIN BILL
9 lb (4.1 kg) Munich liquid malt extract (LME)
12 oz (340 g) caramel/crystal 120°L

HOPS & ADDITIONS SCHEDULE
6 lb (2.7 kg) pumpkin puree at 60 minutes
0.9 oz (26 g) Horizon at 45 minutes [22 IBUs]
1 Tbs (15 ml) allspice at 5 minutes
¼ vanilla bean at secondary

YEAST
Fermentis SafAle S-04

DIRECTIONS
Mill the specialty grains and steep in 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of 152°F (67°C) water for 30 minutes, then raise to 168°F (76°C). Rinse the steeping bag and remove, then add 5 gallons (19 liters) of additional water to your kettle. Add the pumpkin puree, stir to mix, and bring to a boil. Switch off the heat source and add the malt extract in batches, being careful not to scorch and stirring to dissolve. Boil for 60 minutes, adding the hops and allspice according to the schedule. (During the boil, toast the allspice in a dry pan, coarsely crack, and add to a hop sock or tea ball.) Chill the wort to 66°F (19°C) and pitch the yeast. Ferment for 10–14 days. When fermentation is complete and gravity has stabilized, taste the beer, then add the vanilla bean and, if desired, more toasted allspice. Continue to taste daily until the flavor is where you like it, then remove the spices, crash, package, and carbonate.

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