1979 - Third All-Grain, First Pumpkin Ale

Getting this one ready just in time for the fall season. I've wanted to make a pumpkin ale ever since I started brewing and I've finally gotten it to fit into my brew schedule. This beer style tends to either be loved or hated. I happen to truly love pumpkin ales. As for the name, it's my favorite Smashing Pumpkins song.

This one is going to have a slightly longer fermentation schedule to help round out the typical booziness pumpkin ales like to finish with. I am aiming for a 2 week primary into a 3 week secondary and 2 weeks in keg to carbonate. I should be drinking it around 10/06/17.

Here is my recipe:
7 lbs Maris Otter
3 lbs Munich I
2 lbs Aromatic
12 oz Caramunich II
8 oz Melanoidin

1 oz Southern Dawn hops - 60 mins
60 oz (2 cans) Pumpkin pie filling - 15 mins
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice - 5 mins

WLP002 English Ale - 1.5L starter

1.5 tbsp Vanilla Extract - last 5 days of secondary

Mash at ~151-152℉ for 90 mins. Batch sparge to 168℉ for 10 mins.

I am aiming for an OG of 1.065 and FG of 1.018 for an ABV of 6.2%

There are two things in my recipe that I feel that I should address. My use of the pumpkin and vanilla. There is an endless debate on how to correctly handle the pumpkin during the brewing process. Some believe that you should mash it, others that you should boil it, most think that you should do both and there's also a minority that think it should be introduced during the fermentation process. I personally am only trying to get the beautiful orange color out of the pumpkin, so I am just going to boil it for now. In the future, I may try and add it to my mash tun.

As for the vanilla, I am hoping to add a bit of a smoothness to the back of the tongue with it. I don't want it to be an in your face sort of thing, I just want it to create a pleasant complexity. I am also introducing it 5 days to the end of secondary as to not kill the aroma with CO2 production while still giving it time to circulate throughout the beer.

Now, I have had issues with my efficiency on my last two brews. So when I went into my LHBS, I picked up some Iodophor Iodine to check my conversion during mash. I personally feel that my poor efficiency is stemming from an issue with my vorlauf or batch sparging technique. Still working on it.

I got the starter ready last night and will be brewing this tomorrow (08/18/17). Updates to come.