Gordon Strong’s traditional amber spiced pumpkin ale
5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains
OG = 1.054 FG = 1.014
IBU = 15 SRM = 14 ABV = 5.4%
Ingredients
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) amber liquid malt extract
12 oz. (340 g) caramel malt (20 °L)
6 oz. (170 g) brown malt
2 oz. (57 g) chocolate malt
8 oz. (227 g) brown sugar
3 oz. (85 g) light molasses
9 lbs. (4.1 kg) canned pumpkin puree (plain, unspiced)
6 cinnamon sticks, broken up
1.5 Tbsp. crystalized ginger, chopped
1 whole nutmeg, chopped
10 dried allspice berries, crushed
0.25 tsp. ground mace
4.1 AAU UK Goldings hops (60 min.) (0.7 oz./20 g at 5.9% alpha acids)
Wyeast 1272 (American Ale II), White Labs WLP051 (California Ale V), or Mangrove Jack’s M36 (Liberty Bell Ale) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Prepare the pumpkin (can be done the night before brewing) by removing from cans and putting into a large baking dish. Roast in a 400 °F (204 °C) oven for about one hour, stirring every 15 minutes, until fairly dry and caramelized but not burned. Put in a fine mesh bag. If prepared the night before, allow to cool, cover, and refrigerate until brew day. Remove from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before using.
Prepare spices and place them in a fine mesh bag.
Use 6 gallons (23 L) of water in the brew kettle; heat to 158 °F (70 °C). Place the pumpkin (still in the mesh bag), and the caramel, brown, and chocolate malts in another mesh bag, and steep in the hot water for 30 minutes. Remove the mesh bags, then turn the heat off.
Add the liquid malt extract and stir thoroughly to dissolve the extract completely. You do not want to feel liquid extract at the bottom of the kettle when stirring with your spoon. Put the pumpkin mesh bag back in, turn the heat back on and bring to a boil. Once a boil is reached, remove the pumpkin, allowing liquid to drip back into the kettle. Boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding the hops at the time indicated in the recipe. Add the sugar and molasses with 15 minutes left in the boil.
Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe.
Written by Gordon Strong
Issue: October 2021