Pumpkin Spiced Ale Recipe

Brewed/Started On: 9/27/09
Transferred On: 10/7/09

Yield: 5 gal
OG: 1.054
FG: 1.01

Crush:
10 lbs. American 6 Row Pale Lager Malt
1 lb. Honey Malt
12 oz. Crystal Malt (40L)
10 oz. Crystal Malt (60L)
6.5 oz. Munich Malt
16 oz. Amber Dried Malt Extract

Spice Mix:
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground dried ginger

Cut one vanilla bean down the middle and into quarters. Put in jar filled with 4 oz of vodka, seal, and set aside to soak for at least two weeks.
Preheat oven to 350F
Wash one 7 to 10 lb pumpkin, thoroughly scoop out pulp and seeds, and cut in half vertically.
Cook pumpkin for 1 hr. or until soft.
Let pumpkin cool. Once it's cooled enough to work with, smash thoroughly in a large bowl and set aside
Pour 2 gal boiling water into plastic cooler mash tun (if applicable). Set aside to preheat.
Heat 13 qts bottled spring water (or dechlorinated tap water) to 150 F.
Empty preheat water from mash tun.
Pour about .5 gal (2 qts) of 150 F water into mash tun (or enough to bring water level above false bottom).
Gradually add crushed grains only (no DME), mix thoroughly, add more water, more grains, and repeat until all grains and 13 qts water are in mash tun.
Stir until mixture is uniform and no clumps exist. Do so quickly enough to keep from losing too much heat, but avoid agitating/aerating the mixture.
Seal-off cooler and let grains steep at 132 F for 30 min.
Boil 6 qts. bottled water.
Thoroughly mix smashed pumpkin and 6 qts boiling water into mash, seal off cooler, and let steep at 155 F for 30 min.
After second 30 min. period, open mash tun valve slightly to release a small amount of sweet wort. Use iodine test to check starch conversion.
After starch conversion is complete, open valve to release ~1 quart of wort. Close valve, and pour the wort back slowly down the inside wall of the mash/lauter tun. Repeat ~3x until liquid runs clean with few grain husks.
Add .5 oz whole cone Hallertau hops (5% Alpha) to large brew kettle (capable of holding 5.5 gal of wort without boiling over).
Open valve completely, and empty all wort from lauter tun into brew pot.
Close valve to begin sparge.
Sparge grains with 3.5 gal of 170 F water, emptying runoff into brewpot.
At this point, it's helpful to have markings on the inside of the brewpot showing gallon increments. Boil enough water to be added to the brewpot so there's 5.5 gal total.
Place brewpot on burner, and turn gas on high.
Bring wort to boil.
Stir in both 16 oz. unhopped amber DME and the spice mix.
Add 1 oz. Hallertau hops for bittering.
When 10 min. remain in 60 min. boil, add 1/4 tsp powdered irish moss
With 3 min. remaining, add .5 oz Hallertau hops (aroma)
After 60 min. total, remove from heat.
Cool rapidly to 80 F using immersion chiller (or other method), and add cold bottled spring water until 5.25 gal total.
Transfer wort into fermentation vessel (pref. 6+ gallon glass carboy) and aerate thoroughly.
Add one packet of Wyeast American Ale Yeast #1056 liquid yeast. Stir yeast into wort to ensure it gets mixed uniformly.
Seal off carboy with airlock and let ferment in dark closet at approx ~70 F for 2 weeks.
Open jar with vanilla bean. Scrape soft insides of vanilla bean into vodka (throw away skins), stir well, and pour into secondary 5 gal glass carboy.
Transfer beer to secondary carboy, seal off with airlock, and let sit in same storage conditions for another 4 weeks.
Add 1 c pale DME to 1 c pure spring water and boil for 3 min.
Pour sugar/water mixture into 5 gal bucket, then transfer beer from secondary fermenter into bucket.
Bottle, and store in cool, dark closet for 2 weeks prior to drinking.

(The basis of this recipe comes from Charlie Papazian's Beer Examiner blog: http://www.examiner.com/x-241-Beer-Examiner~y2009m9d21-Cucurbito-Pepo-Its-the-season-for-pumpkin-ale)

Beer Review: Porters

I have to admit, I generally avoid porters. The heavy, roasted, even burnt, flavor is not my favorite, but I'm trying to acquire a taste for these beers. With that in mind, I wanted to taste examples of the three porter styles (brown, robust, & baltic) side-by-side so I could get a better handle on what sets them apart. Here goes...

Brand: Samuel Smith Taddy Porter
Style: Brown Porter
Aroma: (Score: 6/12) Roasted barley malt plus dark cocoa. Aroma was a bit faint.
Appearance: (2/3) 2 finger tan head dissipates quickly; beer is opaque black with tinges of brown along the sides of the glass.
Flavor: (17/20) Dry, roasted, grainy bitterness from malt; slight dark chocolate and toasted biscuit, dark molasses sweetness in the middle; pleasant bitterness attributable to malt and mineral content of water return; bitterness fades through the finish.
Mouthfeel: (3/5) Medium body; slightly, but noticeably, tannic and astringent; light carbonation.
Overall: (8/10) Generally fits the bill for an English-style brown porter-- roastiness from malt is under control; hop aroma/flavor is not noticeable, but mineral character is.
Total: 36 (Very Good)

Brand: Boulevard Bully! Porter
Style: Robust Porter
Aroma: (10/12) Prominent roasted aroma ranging from dark cocoa to molasses, black raspberry, very slight vinous cabernet, floral hop note.
Appearance: (2/3) 1 finger tan head falls quickly; Opaque black body with very faint brown hue around the edge.
Flavor: (15/20) Dark cocoa on front, very minimal sweetness; black, roasted patent malt bitterness accentuated by hop twang; mineral, almost metallic note toward end; prominent bitterness lingers through a long finish.
Mouthfeel: (3/5) Light-to-moderate carbonation; medium body; creaminess gives way to astringent dryness.
Overall: (7/10) While I don't prefer this style, Boulevard does a decent job giving an American slant to this one-- weaving in more prominent hoppy bitterness than one might expect.
Total: 37 (Very Good)

Brand: Okocim Porter
Style: Baltic Porter
Aroma: (10/12) Sun-dried prunes; (strangely enough), red beefy tomato... followed by powdered hot chocolate, very slight mineral character.
Appearance: (2/3) 1 finger tan head quickly dissipates; opaque black color with mahogany tones at edges.
Flavor: (17/20) Sweet, rich, chocolate; carmelized sugar; warming from sherry-like alcohol character; bitterness never quite takes hold; almost-cloying sweetness remains throughout into a smooth finish.
Mouthfeel: (4/5) Low-to-medium carbonation; creamy body, no astringency as observed in other porter styles; noticeable warmth from alcohol.
Overall: (8/10) A complex, highly-drinkable, porter to sip and enjoy after dinner.
Total: 41 (Excellent)

Next up: porters vs. stouts. It might be a couple of weeks, though, before I feel like jumping into this heavyweight match...

Beer Review: Duchesse de Bourgogne

Bought an 11.2 oz bottle from Luka's Liquors on 8/29. This was my first time to try a Flanders Red Ale-- I've heard they can be fairly sour, due to brettanomyces and lactobacillus used in fermentation, but very good. Was definitely looking forward to trying this one.

Style: Flanders Red Ale
Aroma: (10/12) Sour red cherry, apple cider vinegar, and phenol with hints of vanilla.
Appearance: (3/3) Poured 2-finger off-whitehead, which dissipated slowly. Rich mahogany with good clarity
Flavor: (18/20) Cherry vanilla sweetness balanced by apple cider vinegar and cranberry juice cocktail tartness. Phenolic character presents itself before fading to a slightly bitter, but pleasant, aftertaste. Very slight copper coin flavor is noticeable before soft, dry finish.
Mouthfeel: (5/5) Tart bite supports light carbonation. On scale of 1-10, body thickness is about 4, which I believe to be appropriate for the style.
Overall: (9/10) VERY well-balanced. Both tart and sweet components are enjoyable. Like a fine wine, not something that I would drink all night, but a fantastic ale that I'd like to drink one of whenever I get the chance.
Total Score: 45 (Excellent)