Pumpkin Cream Ale Recipe

Pumpkin Cream Ale 

This is a flavorful beer to brew this time of year.  This is mostly an extract-based recipe, though there is a short soak/rest with the pumpkin.  This is a conglomeration of different recipes I've found & made up my own.  

Yield: 5 gallons of beer with an (approximate) alcohol by volume of 6 to 8% (depending on use of brown sugar, corn sugar, amount of pumpkin, etc.)

  Ingredients

• 3.3 lbs Extra Light LME (liquid malt extract)
• 2.0 lbs Pilsen Briess DME (dried malt extract)
• 1.0 lb Corn Sugar
• 1.25 oz Willamette Hops (Bittering)
• 1.0 oz Willamette Hops (Aroma)
• 8 to 10 lbs pumpkin (smaller pie pumpkins)
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 Sachet Yeast
• 1 tsp Irish Moss (optional)

  Directions 

- First, cut the pumpkins in half to clean them out.  Then cut into manageable pieces, place in a shallow baking pan with a bit of water to the pan.  Roast in oven at 325° for about an hour, or until soft.  This will soften & break it down.  Then scoop the pumpkin meat off the skin.

- Pour 2.5 gallons of clean water into your brew pot.  Put the pumpkin meat in a grain steeping bag & add to water and begin to heat. 
-  When it starts to boil, remove pumpkin steeping bag (do not squeeze).  Bring water to a gentle, rolling boil.  Add only the Liquid Malt Extract and the brown sugar.  Continuously stir the extract into the water as it returns to a gentle, rolling boil.  Your water is now wort.
- Slowly sprinkle 1.25 oz bittering hops into the boiling wort.  Careful not to let wort boil over pot.  Continue gentle boil for 45 minutes.
- After 45 min, add Dried Malt Extract and corn sugar.
- Boil for 5 more minutes.
- Add 1 oz Aroma hops, spices & vanilla extract.  (Add Irish Moss at this time -optional)
- Boil final 10 minutes.




- Cool wort to 70°F.
- Pour or siphon wort into a sanitized fermenter.  Avoid transferring the heavy sediment (trub) to the fermenter.
- Add enough clean water (approx 64°-72°) to the fermenter to bring your wort to approx 5 gallons. (Thoroughly stir the water in)
- Pitch yeast.  (Follow yeast packet instructions if directed to rehydrate before use)
- Ferment for 1 week, or until primary fermentation settles down, and rack to a secondary fermenter for 2 more weeks. The secondary fermentation is not required, but I like it for clarification and for letting the flavors mellow. You might also check taste at this stage & add more spices for a more pronounced presence.

ENJOY !