Once again, it’s time for our annual rash of “too soons.” Summer ends too soon, vacations are over too soon, and fall seasonals hit the shelves too soon. This should serve as the perfect reminder that when it’s still too soon to drink a pumpkin beer, it’s just the right time to brew one. My recipe is a fairly classic take on an American seasonal tradition: a solid amber-brown ale that includes both the real (pumpkin) and the evocative (pie spice).
Style: There are darker and paler pumpkin beers out there, but the usual coppery amber-brown hue is just so darned seasonally appropriate. So are the kinds of spices we associate with pumpkin pie and the fall holidays—cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger, and vanilla are among the usual suspects. You can brew a pumpkin beer without such spices, but it won’t evoke the season or the flavors that most drinkers expect. In terms of flavor profile, we want a balance between the base beer and those special ingredients. The beer should have at least medium body and possibly some light alcohol warmth. Hops and yeast generally take a back seat.
Ingredients: My base here is an English-style brown ale, with options to beef up the gravity. From a robust base of Maris Otter, I add a layer of medium crystal and more color and flavor via some British pale chocolate. To that I add a bit of flaked barley to fill out the body and mouthfeel. If you want to go bigger than this, one option is to increase the base malt—or add a pound or two of Munich for a toastier flavor. Another option—and this is what I do for competition—is to add a pound of robust molasses, which adds a light sulfur flavor and unmistakable notes of burnt sugar. For hops, I go with East Kent Goldings to get about 22–25 IBUs and about the same amount of Fuggles at flameout for some earthy-floral flavor that represents the base style while pairing nicely with the spices to come.
My go-to British yeast is London Ale III. It leaves behind some sweetness, but that’s no detriment here. Finally, I add about three pounds (1.4 kg) of crooked-neck pumpkin and just a few spices—cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. You can add a touch of vanilla, but I prefer the less-sweet approach. I’m making a spiced beer, not a dessert beer.
Process: Cut your pumpkin or squash into roughly three-inch pieces and sprinkle them with some brown sugar. Then, roast them on a baking sheet at about 400°F (204°C) 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.
Beyond that, there’s not much to it. If you’re using molasses, stir it into the wort while lautering and sparging until dissolved. Soon after brewing, make a vodka tincture with ground cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg at a 2:1:1 ratio; after fermentation, add that tincture to the beer to taste. Optionally, adjust the final beer’s sweetness with a high-quality vanilla extract. Carbonate to about two volumes, and you’re good to go.