Homebrew Recipe: Pumpkin Belgian Strong Ale

If you are a pumpkin lover (the beer or the squash), this Belgian strong ale homebrew recipe is worth your precious brewing time!

Make sure you don’t just stop by the church pumpkin patch for this one, though! We suggest an heirloom variety like a Blue Jarrahdale, Blue or White Cinderella, or Long Island Cheese. Or just ask your local farmer for a “pie” pumpkin, and they should be able to hook you up with what you need for this seasonal brew. Just remember: the lumpier, the more colorful, and the weirder the name, the better!

While the pumpkin doesn’t offer too much in terms of fermentable sugars, the flavor comes out wonderfully in the finish. Tasters of this recipe say that there is an underlying pepper note, like a mild jalapeño, that complements the spicy flaked rye malt as well. This recipe came from an article called “Brewing with Food: Oddities in the Mashtun” by John Lieberman, featured in the November/December 2006 issue of Zymurgy.
Julie: A Pumpkin Belgian Strong Ale | Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer

INGREDIENTS

For 5 gallons (19 L)

• 7.75 lb (3.5 kg) American pale malt
• 2.25 lb (1.0 kg) Belgian Pilsner malt
• 1.8 lb (0.8 kg) German wheat malt
• 0.45 lb (0.2 kg) Belgian aromatic malt
• 0.45 lb (0.2 kg) American Vienna malt
• 0.45 lb (0.2 kg) flaked rye
• 0.33 lb (0.15 kg) American chocolate malt
• 11.33 lb (5.1 kg) heirloom pumpkin
• 0.9 oz (26 g) Nugget whole hops (mash hops)
• 0.5 oz (14 g) Liberty pellet hops (30 min.)
• 0.5 oz (14 g) Liberty pellet hops (15 min.)
• 0.5 oz (14 g) Liberty pellet hops (5 min.)
• 1.5 cinnamon sticks (10 min.)
• 1.5 fresh ground nutmeg seeds (10 min.)
• 1.33 oz juniper berries (7 days in secondary)
• Wyeast 1388 Belgian Strong Ale Yeast

SPECIFICATIONS

• Original Gravity: 1.089
• IBU: 41.2
• Boil Time: 90 minutes
• Efficiency: 75%

DIRECTIONS

Bake pumpkin at 325° F (163° C) for two hours. Peel skin from the meat of the pumpkin, cut up pumpkin, and add to mash along with Nugget mash hops. Mash at 150° F (65° C) for 60 minutes. Sparge with 170°F (76°C) water.

Partial Mash substitution:

Mash 1 pound (454 g) of baked pumpkin with 3 pounds (1.36 kg) of 6-row pale malt, flaked rye, and Nugget hops at 150° F (65° C) for 60 minutes. Sparge with 170° F (76° C) water. Stir 9 pounds (4.08 kg) of light liquid malt extract into the mini-mash run-off, then follow your normal boil procedure.

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/julie-pumpkin-belgian-strong-ale/