First Time Pumpkin

It depends on your tastebuds. I've seen recipes with as little as 1tsp and as much as 3tsp.

 

It's easier to add more pumpkin spice than to take it out! I did 2 tea spoons at flame-out on an imperial I made and had to add 2 more at bottling time to give it the taste I wanted. Keep in mind, the flavor will fade over time.

 

Nix the canned pumpkin because it won't add much flavor. Most pumpkin ales do not use any pumpkin at all (who knows why they even call it pumpkin ale?), and I think the ones that do use any will roast raw pumpkin flesh to caramelize the flavor before using it.

I agree on adding spices to taste at the time of packaging. You can always add more, but you can't take any excess spices out if you overdo it. More than likely the amount of spices that came with your kit were included because the recipe's developer knows this is close to a correct amount, but there's no strong rule that you have to follow recipe steps exactly.

 

I couldn't agree more that you should use about half as much as you think you'll need and add more into your fermenter or bottling bucket. You can even add this stuff to the bottom of a pint glass if you want.

 

I got my measurements screwed up last year and added a whopping 3 tablespoons of spices to 5.5 gal of beer, instead of the recommended 3 teaspoons... I thought my batch would be undrinkable, but it turned out really good. The spices weren't overwhelming IMO, but to each their own. Tasted like liquid pumpkin pie to me.

 

@Lukass

Wow, table spoons and tea spoons are totally different!! I'd still drink it though. Lol