Pumpkin Pie Spice Porter Recipe - Any thoughts

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by orghitman, Aug 10, 2013.

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  1. orghitman

    orghitman Initiate (0) Aug 10, 2013 New Zealand (Aotearoa)

    I am planning to brew a Porter with some pumpkin pie spice and want to use as much of the grains/hops I have around the house. Never brewed with any spices before so I would appreciate your thoughts on the grain bill, hop mix, spice addition or anything else. Here is the recipe.

    5.00 gal Deer Park (R), Bottled Water
    1.0 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate)

    6 lbs 9.6 oz Amber Dry Extract (12.5 SRM)
    1 lbs Dark Liquid Extract (17.5 SRM)
    12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM)
    8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)
    4.0 oz Pale Chocolate (Thomas Fawcett) (197.0 SRM)
    4.0 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM)
    2.0 oz Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM)

    1.0 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] - Boil 45.0 min
    1.00 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min
    0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins)
    1.0 tbsp Frontier Pumpkin Pie Spice (Boil 2.0 mins)
    Starter/Stir Plate American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) [124.21 ml]
    3 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Primary 0.0 days)

    60 min boil
    2 Stage Fermentation
    Est Original Gravity: 1.058
    Est Final Gravity: 1.014
    Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.8 %
    Bitterness: 29.7 IBUs
    Est Color: 23.7 SRM
     
    #1 orghitman, Aug 10, 2013
  2. JohnSnowNW

    JohnSnowNW Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2013 Minnesota

    Hard to say on the spice without having used it first.

    I wouldn't bother with Irish Moss in a porter, simply because you won't see the benefits.

    I also wouldn't recommend a secondary, it isn't necessary with your recipe.

    What over-all flavor characteristics are you looking for?
     
    #2 JohnSnowNW, Aug 10, 2013
  3. orghitman

    orghitman Initiate (0) Aug 10, 2013 New Zealand (Aotearoa)

    starr hill pumpkin porter would be the closest commercial brew to what im looking from. something malty with decent viscosity and a solid but too overpowering pumpkin flavor. I have no interest in messing with canned pumpkin. no secondary? i do that as a standard but you're right if its not needed why bother with it.
     
    #3 orghitman, Aug 10, 2013
  4. JohnSnowNW

    JohnSnowNW Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2013 Minnesota

    Why not add a little maltodextrine then? That would probably give you the mouthfeel/body you're looking for, if you're not going to be adding any pumpkin.
     
    #4 JohnSnowNW, Aug 10, 2013
  5. orghitman

    orghitman Initiate (0) Aug 10, 2013 New Zealand (Aotearoa)

    i've never used maltodextrine before...is it superior to Cara-Pils/Dextrine in terms of mouthfeel? I used carapils for mouthfeel with minor success in the past but i do think it could be improved upon.
     
    #5 orghitman, Aug 10, 2013
  6. JohnSnowNW

    JohnSnowNW Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2013 Minnesota


    Yes, it does work better...I use carapils in the majority of my brews as well. Just don't use more than 8 oz of the malto.
     
    #6 JohnSnowNW, Aug 10, 2013
  7. orghitman

    orghitman Initiate (0) Aug 10, 2013 New Zealand (Aotearoa)

    so would you recommend keeping the carapils in as well? thanks for the advice.
     
    #7 orghitman, Aug 10, 2013
  8. JohnSnowNW

    JohnSnowNW Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2013 Minnesota

    I would only use the maltodextrine.
     
    #8 JohnSnowNW, Aug 10, 2013
  9. Travisurfin247

    Travisurfin247 Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2010 South Carolina

    I make a pumpkin porter every fall...great choice! Regarding your spice addition, 1T might result in overpowering spice flavor. I would cut that at least in half for your kettle spice addition. Taste your gravity sample after fermentation, and if you want more spice flavor, you can always add more to the fermenter while the beer is conditioning.
    In the end, you might find you like the flavor of the full tablespoon (or even more) spice, but you can't remove it once it's all in your beer. Experimentation...great excuse to brew more batches!

    Cheers
     
    #9 Travisurfin247, Aug 11, 2013
  10. sbeaton

    sbeaton Initiate (0) Apr 4, 2011 New Jersey

    I would drop the roasted barley as I feel it adds too much "stout" character. I would also take out the hop flavor addition and adjust the bittering as needed or just dial it back. If you need more color I would add a carafra malt to add color without much acrid/roast character to it. My pumpkin porter recipe last year used a Black Butte clone as a starting point. I also use 1.5 heaping tbs of McCormicks pumpkin pie spice in all of my pumpkin beers. I will throw out one more suggestion for you, use Wyeast 1450 instead of 1056. The reason I say this being that I feel using actual pumpkin adds a bit of mouthfeel to it and since you will not be using pumpkin 1450 may help with the mouthfeel. Its a great yeast anyway but its known for contributing a nice mouth feel and accenting spice/malt. I hope this helps.
     
    #10 sbeaton, Aug 12, 2013
  11. orghitman

    orghitman Initiate (0) Aug 10, 2013 New Zealand (Aotearoa)

    1450 sounds interesting. I have never used that strain before but i love a full mouthful in a brew. however i have changed a few things up and decided i need to add some real pumpkin as well so i'm planning a mini mash with 2lbs of 2-row and taking out the a lb of dme. You are correct that the main reason i am using the roasted barely is for color but i think i am going to keep it in as i am trying to use as much of the ingredients i have already. also I have never brewed a pumpkin beer before so i am really interested that you have used 1.5 tbs of pumpkin pie spice with good results. seems like some people think that would be way too much. thanks for your thoughts i really appreciate it. i think i will probably go with the 1450 and maybe knock the barely down to an ounce.
     
    #11 orghitman, Aug 14, 2013
  12. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    #12 pweis909, Aug 14, 2013
  13. clearbrew

    clearbrew Initiate (0) Nov 3, 2009 Louisiana

    I agree with sbeaton on dropping the roasted barley. I think you are going to end up with something that tastes more like burnt pumpkin ale.
     
    #13 clearbrew, Aug 14, 2013
  14. LostTraveler

    LostTraveler Initiate (0) Oct 28, 2011 Maine

    Looks good, better to go on the light side and add more from a spice "tea" at bottling.
     
    #14 LostTraveler, Aug 14, 2013
  15. LostTraveler

    LostTraveler Initiate (0) Oct 28, 2011 Maine

    “Tea”- Make Tea while brewing. Let sit in jar until moved into secondary. Add at secondary.
    6 oz –Spiced Rum (Sailor Jerrys)
    2 Tbls- Pumpkin Pie Spce
     
    #15 LostTraveler, Aug 15, 2013
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