pumpkin pie

If there is any starch in your beer then any bacteria that is in your beer will view that starch as food and ‘eat’ it. The result of this bacterial ‘fermentation’ will be off flavors. How long will this take? That will be highly dependent on how much starch is in the beer and how many bacteria is present; there really is no way of knowing.

The best ‘policy’ is to not have any starch in your beer.

Cheers!

 

I have brewed using this technique many times, and I have never had those off flavors. Don't worry and keep us posted when it is ready to drink.

 

I think that you boiled those ingredients so that bacterial introduction from them is highly unlikely. If your sanitation procedures of your equipment are good then you stand a chance of this becoming a beer. I'd stick with it to the end since you've come this far.

 

I think you are conflating two issues. We all boil the contents of the ingredients in the kettle. Once you cool down the wort you pour it into a fermenter (bucket/carboy) which has been sanitized. I want to stress that word one more time: sanitized. Since as homebrewer we sanitize vs. sterilize there are always some bacteria in every beer we make. If there is starch in the wort, then we are providing 'food' to the bacteria that is present in every beer we make. The bacteria will 'eat' the starch during the fermentation and post fermentation. The result of the bacteria eating the starch is off flavors.

The 'best' way to avoid this is to have zero starch in out beers.

Cheers!

 

Every beer you brew has unfermented starches and/or sugars in it. Any reading with a hydrometer will tell you that there is residual sugars and starches in the beer. That's why if you let ANY beer sit long enough it will go sour with enough oxygen.

Also, the beer will only be sitting on the pumpkin for a week maybe two than bottled leaving the pumpkin behind while extracting the flavors. I have brewed every fall for the past five years using this method and I have never had a beer go sour. You have nothing to worry about.

 

I am glad to hear that the beers you made using canned pumpkin in the kettle turned out well. Having stated that, it is not good homebrewing practice to intentionally add starches to beer. Intentionally providing food for bacteria is not a good thing.

Cheers!

 

“i bleached the hell out of the ferment bucket. next time i'm gonna get the 1-rinse cleaner. which is best?”

I think you meant to say no rinse cleaner. Lots of folks prefer the no rinse sanitizers (e.g., Star San) since the no rinse feature makes it easier to use (it eliminates a step).

Sanitizing with bleach and rinsing with hot water (e.g., 140°F) will sanitize just fine.

What you want to use is your choice.

Cheers!

P.S. You don’t need a lot of bleach to effectively sanitize. With the new ‘concentrated’ bleaches (8.25% Sodium Hypochlorite) you only need a little over 1 fluid ounce per 5 gallons of water to sanitize.

 

OP, though Jack speaks the truth, just roll with it, drink it fresh, and it'll be fine. Lots of people are pro pumpkin in the boil.

 

I suppose now would it would be appropriate to post a saying that I have posted previously: brew the beers you like and brew them the way you like.

I have not brewed a pumpkin ale yet but if I were to brew with pumpkin I would add it to the mash to ensure that starches are converted to sugars (I would use 6-row malt in the mash). I personally refuse to add starches to my beers but it seems that lots of folks do this and they are happy with their beers.

The beauty of homebrewing: we all get to choose how we want to brew.

Cheers to homebrewing!

 

Are you brewing using a bucket? Maybe the lid is not sealed properly on the bucket? I would suggest that you lift the lid and peak inside: you should have a layer of foam (krausen) on top of the wort/beer. If so, then your wort is fermenting. If not, then you need to re-pitch some yeast.

Please report back your findings.

Cheers!

 

“ ..the foam was barely on the pumpkin, and no visible bubbling...” It would appear that the pumpkin ale is winding down its fermentation. It seems that your lid did not make a tight seal on the bucket for your pumpkin ale.

I am glad that everything is OK though with the batch.

Cheers!

 

“I pitched another pack of yeast for the pumpkin and threw it in. I took a little sample taste, good, but at only 3.5 abv...” Your pumpkin ale seemed to be fermenting just fine (it is only 3 days into the fermentation). Why did you pitch another pack of yeast? You simple needed to permit the fermentation to complete.

“Also, the belgian is kinda boozy, how do yiu cut that down for future refernce?” Your Belgian beer has not completed fermentation; it is also only 3 days into the ferment.

I do not know how to say this gently, but you need to learn how to exercise patience. It takes some time (a week and more) for your wort to ‘turn’ into beer. Once your beers have fully completed fermentation and completed bottle conditioning then you will know how it has turned out.

Cheers!