If it’s late August, then it means we’re going through our annual “too soons.” Summer is ending – too soon. Vacations are over – too soon. Pumpkin beers hit the shelves – too soon. This last one, though, is a perfect reminder that while it may be too soon to honk down an autumn seasonal beer it is the right time to brew one!
The 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines even give us a proper home for our spice-and-gourd concoctions: category 30B, Autumn Seasonal Beer. While many variations exist (the guidelines are almost comically subjective and vague on the overall gist of them – “suggest cool weather” and “evocative of Thanksgiving”), the recipe that follows takes a solid amber-brown ale and adds in both the real (pumpkin) and “evocative” (pumpkin pie spice) ingredients necessary to call to mind falling leaves and football (European or American).
STYLE
The guidelines provide some broad strokes. The two most common features are found in the color and spices. These are overwhelmingly amber or brown in color, though darker and paler versions are possible – the coppery hues, though, are just so darned seasonally appropriate. Second, they usually feature the kinds of spices we associate with Fall holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving) – cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger, and vanilla usually make an appearance.
The beers must contain spice, and may contain sugars (molasses is popular) and/or vegetables (squashes are prominently cited). Let’s just call this what it is: we’re talking pumpkin beer, here, gang. In terms of flavor profile, we want a balance between the beer (if entering in competition, you must identify a base style) and the special ingredients, in a beer that has at least medium body and maybe some light alcohol warmth.
Hops almost always take a back seat, but it’s not impossible to rig up a Brown IPA that’s heavy on something with caryophyllene (Northern Brewer, for example) and cinnamon. Yeast usually don’t add anything substantial in this category.
RECIPE
The base of this recipe (and the declared style, if you’re entering in competition) is English Brown Ale. That’s not as strong a beer in terms of ABV as many others, but I’ll give you some gravity-boosting options to bring it more into line with what the judges will be looking for. As a base recipe, though, we use eight pounds (3.6kg) of Maris Otter, then one pound (0.46kg) of British Medium Crystal (65L), and darken it up (in color and flavor) with 4 ounces (113g) of British Pale Chocolate malt (220L).
To this, I add a half pound (0.23kg) of flaked barley to give an impression of smooth, fuller body. You’ll notice that this beer clocks in at only about five percent. We have two solutions here. First, you can increase the weight of the base malt (or introduce a Munich malt addition) by 1-2 pounds if you want to preserve a more toast-forward, light-roast flavor (if I’m brewing for me, that’s what I do).
Second, you can add 12 fluid ounces (one pound by weight) of robust molasses in the boil (if I’m brewing for competition, that’s what I do). The molasses adds a light Sulphur flavor and unmistakable notes of burnt sugar. If you’re going the molasses route, you’ll probably need less spice overall. The choice is yours!
Hopping doesn’t change, in either case, even with higher ABV. One ounce (28g) of East Kent Goldings at 60 minutes will add about 25 IBUs, and the same amount of Fuggles at flame-out adds the same earthy-floral flavor and aroma that it does in the English Brown, which pairs nicely here with the spices to come.
And for yeast, I recommend my normal go-to British yeast (1318, London Ale III). It’ll leave behind a bit more sugar, which isn’t a detriment here, and complement the spices to come a bit better.
Last, you’ll need some spices and about three pounds of crooked-neck pumpkin. Which spices? Your call. But I prefer just a few to a shotgun blast of spice cabinet: cinnamon, clove, nutmeg. And if you’re hell-bent on it, a touch of vanilla to taste, though I prefer the less-sweet approach. I’m making a spice beer – not a dessert beer.
PROCESS
Start by cutting up your pumpkin or squash into roughly three-inch pieces and sprinkle with brown sugar. Then, roast them on a baking sheet at about 400F (204C) until soft and slightly browned. When the pumpkin cools, take it off the rind and cut into quarters. Half of my roasted pumpkin goes into the mash, half into the boil. After that, there’s not much to it! If you’ve increased your ABV by bumping up your Maris Otter addition (or adding some Munich malt, which works as well), just mash as usual. If you’re using molasses instead, stir it into the wort while lautering/sparging until dissolved. Boil, chill, and pitch your yeast.
Start fermenting at 65F (18C) for the first few days, then let the beer free rise to finish up fermentation (and don’t worry too much about diacetyl – it’s not a bad flavor to add here!). Post-fermentation, add your spices at a ratio of 2:1:1 for the ground cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Steep in muslin bags, to taste, and then adjust the sweetness (again, if you must) with a high-quality vanilla extract.
Carbonate to about two volumes, and you’re good to go!
IN CLOSING
Commercial brewers often go to town on these beers, making big-ABV monsters that are supposedly fortifying and warming. You can go that route, of course, but I prefer to brew something I can enjoy a large dimpled mug of while sitting on my deck watching the leaves fall. If you find this to be too tame, consider going this same route but changing out the base style to something stronger – Doppelbock or Tropical Stout, perhaps! A happy change-of-seasons to you all, in either case.