All Aboard for Gourds
Pumpkin beers get a bad rap nowadays. I think it’s a natural backlash to over-exposure, since they went from a highly-anticipated fall seasonal beer to a faddish trend about ten years ago. Many breweries jumped on the bandwagon looking to cash in on the latest craze, and a lot of commercial products were ill-conceived and poorly executed. I think the “jump the shark” moment came when Budweiser mocked craft beer in a 2015 Super Bowl ad showing hipsters fussing over their tasting glasses of pumpkin peach ale. Never mind that Anheuser-Busch had recently bought Elysian Brewing, who actually made a Georgia-inspired pecan peach pumpkin amber ale. Oops.
I was a judge at the Great American Beer Festival later that year, and was amused to see so many pumpkin peach beers on the festival floor. But that was a one-time display of irony, not to be repeated in subsequent years. It was kind of like brewers got a pass that year to try something really experimental. I remember asking several brewers whether they were being serious or if it was just a joke. Most were jokes.
Now that the trend-chasers have moved on to seltzier things, pumpkin beers have evolved a bit from their roots as standard-strength malty amber beers to bigger, darker, stronger, and more assertive creations. The original pumpkin beers remain, but the concept has broadened to encompass more base styles and variations. In a way, this is showing that pumpkin can be a mainstream ingredient, although it does retain its autumn seasonal association.
What are Gourds?
When brewing, we talk about pumpkin primarily, but all the guidance applies to other field vegetables related to gourds. Gourds can be ornamental or decorative, or can be edible in thin-skinned summer or hard-skinned winter versions. While they are botanically fruits of flowering plants, they are culinary vegetables of the family Cucurbitaceae, which also includes things like cucumbers and melons. The genus cucurbita (Latin for gourd) includes many of the common squashes originating in Central and South America.
The terms gourd, squash, and pumpkin are often used interchangeably, but gourds are the broadest concept, and also include non-edible varieties. Squash is basically another name for gourd, but in common usage often implies edible varieties. Pumpkins are a type of squash, and there are many varieties of each. From a brewing standpoint, they can be used in the same ways so we won’t really carry on this distinction without a difference.
Recipe Strategies
When brewing with gourds, there are several recipe choices to make that influence the finished beer. Will you use pumpkin or some other gourd? Will it be spiced or not? What is the base style, if any? Is there any other special ingredient or process involved? These choices inform the form of ingredient used and the process choices. As with most brewing decisions, there is no one right way to use gourds and opinions from experts differ. However, that doesn’t mean anything goes — poor decisions will still lead to dubious results. Forming a mental image of the end result is often my first step in conceptualizing the recipe.
Squashes can often lack significant flavor of their own. Much of what people think of pumpkin pie flavor is carried by the spice and sugar combination. Some heirloom gourd varieties may have greater flavor (just like tomatoes and other vegetables do). The flavors can be enhanced with additional processing, such as roasting, which can add caramelization. Gourds to me seem to add a mouthfeel effect, a fuller and slicker taste, and can often add color; I like the orange-ish tint from pumpkin.
For a broader perspective, I spoke with Will Meyers of Cambridge Brewing Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts about his experiences. I’ve long been a fan of his work, and have fond memories of the wide range of gourd-based beers at his fall festival. I had also previously spoken with Dick Cantwell, formerly of Elysian Brewing Company in Seattle, Washington about his use of pumpkin. These two professional brewers were among the pioneers and biggest promoters of pumpkin beers on the East Coast and West Coast, respectively.
Will Meyers loves using heirloom variety pumpkins and squashes, locally sourced from farms in eastern Massachusetts. He likes Blue Hubbard squash, Grey Ghost pumpkins, Honeynuts, Long Island Cheese pumpkins, and Red Kuri. Butternut squash, Kabocha squash, and sugar (pie) pumpkins are more available choices when heirloom varieties are unavailable. He recommends scouring local farmer’s markets in season, talking to the growers, and perusing seed catalogs for ideas and descriptions. Generally, pumpkins that are deeply-colored, densely-fleshed, and have a reputation for creaminess, sweetness, and depth of flavor produce better results. It’s good to have these factors in mind when seeing what is available in your area.
I’ve used butternut squash, acorn squash, calabaza from Latin markets, and pie pumpkins. I treat them all the same — split in half, scoop out the seeds, and roast in a 350 °F (177 °C) oven until soft (about an hour, typically). Then I scoop out the flesh and use it in my recipe. If I can’t get fresh pumpkins, I use canned pumpkin puree, but be sure it is unspiced and 100% pumpkin. Dick Cantwell uses pumpkin puree often, but Will Meyers prefers to shred uncooked (raw) pumpkin and use that only in the mash. Just don’t use field pumpkins; you know, the kind that are carved as jack-o-lanterns for Halloween.
When I use commercial canned pumpkin puree I like to caramelize it in the oven, which deepens the color and flavor as well as removing some of the water content. I roast it in a 400 °F (204 °C) oven for 60 to 90 minutes, turning it every 15 minutes, and watching it to prevent burning. Browning in general develops flavors in food but blackening creates unwanted burnt, bitter, harsh flavors. Golden brown is almost always a desirable stage of color development.
Many brewers use commercial pumpkin pie spice in their beer successfully, but I prefer to create my own spice blends from fresh whole spices. I often mail-order spices from Spice House or Penzeys, or buy at a local Indian market. Many pumpkin pie spice blends contain cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg, and some also include allspice, cloves, or mace. Warm and sweet spices seem to be the basis, and cinnamon is typically the most prominent in the mixture. Sometimes I add other spices like cardamom, star anise, candied ginger, or vanilla for complexity. Will Meyers likes to keep spices simple, preferring cinnamon and allspice in his flagship pumpkin beer. Dick Cantwell is not afraid to use herbs, fruits, nuts, or other ingredients in the mix, thinking of flavor combinations like a chef.
Many base beer styles work well with pumpkin ales. Malty amber ales are the traditional base, but over time the base beers used in commercial beers seem to be growing in alcohol strength. Maybe stronger beers are used so people can make a “great pumpkin” joke, but I find booziness doesn’t really help the pumpkin. Imperial stouts and barleywines are increasingly common, but I think amber-to-brown malty styles are the natural choice. I would consider English brown ale and porter, Scotch ale, Baltic porter, dunkel, doppelbock, bière de garde, Belgian dubbel, or altbier to be decent choices as a base style, or any amber lager. If going with a lighter-colored beer, I think saison, witbier, or Belgian blonde would be a fun experiment.
Some believe that hoppier IPAs and roastier stouts tend to cover up the pumpkin character, but these examples are common today. I also see many people making pumpkin beers with coffee, chocolate, something sour, smoked, Bourbon barrel, kveik yeast, and other strongly-flavored additives or enhancements. I’m always open to trying new flavor combinations, but for me, I like to let the pumpkin take center stage. It’s a difficult ingredient to work with, so when I use it I like it to be the feature component.
Yeast selection is another recipe decision. I prefer malty or fruity strains, and avoid phenolic strains. Will Meyers agreed, saying that one notable failure was due to using a very phenolic Belgian yeast where a sweeter, fruitier abbey-type strain would have been a better choice. Will recommends English strains for general use, but also likes Bavarian weizen and the W34/70 lager strain for specialty use in specific styles.
Brewing Decisions and Implications
There is no consensus of thought on using pumpkin when brewing. It can be used at various points in the brewing process, in several forms, and in varying quantities. I think many of the decisions are controlled by the availability of ingredients, the specific setup of your brewing equipment, and your personal preference for pumpkin flavor.
Pumpkin can be used in the mash, in the boil, and in the fermenter. Will uses shredded raw pumpkin only in the mash at a rate between a half pound and a pound per gallon of beer (60–120 g/L) depending on the intensity of the base beer style, and tends to mash at about 154 °F (68 °C). Dick Cantwell in his book Eclectic IPA uses about a half pound (0.23 kg) of pumpkin puree in each of the mash, kettle, and fermenter for a 5-gallon (19-L) batch. I tend to use pumpkin puree only in the boil, and I use a lot — about nine pounds for a 5-gallon batch (4 kg/19 L).
Using shredded raw pumpkin in the mash has the advantage of simplicity during brewing, albeit at the cost of extra prep work before brewing even starts. This approach probably gets the purest pumpkin flavor. Don’t worry about the rawness of the vegetable since mashing and lautering does cook it. Just don’t expect fermentables from the process. I usually don’t include pumpkin in any gravity calculations. When using raw pumpkin, I was concerned about it getting misinterpreted as acetaldehyde, which sometimes has a fresh-cut pumpkin flavor. However, since the pumpkin gets heat, this character is not noted in the finished beer.
Will cautions about the flavor of cooked pureed squash getting lost in the mash, which is a problem I noted. That’s why I moved the pumpkin to the boil. But it gets messy that way, both in the kettle and subsequently in the fermenter. I tend to put the puree in a mesh bag during the boil, but that only partially removes it. Filtering through hops helps, but not entirely. The fermenter will still look like it’s full of cold break. Orange cold break. I mitigate this problem by using a fermenter where I can drain from the bottom, slowly and through a coarse filter, but you should expect some volume loss when using pumpkin. I account for this by brewing a larger recipe so I can have more finished beer.
While I’m OK with the flavor of raw squash, I’m not a fan of raw spices. I think spices should see some heat to cook out the rawness, like in cooking. So I don’t like to use spices like dry hops, unless I’ve prepared them in a tea first. I normally add spices like late hops, with a minute or two left in the boil or during the whirlpool. I put them in a fine mesh bag and remove them after five or ten minutes; I don’t want to pull drying astringency from them. I typically use spices late in the boil, and make a final adjustment post-fermentation based on tasting. Pick out any spices that need a little enhancement and then make a small tea by steeping the desired spices in boiling water for 5–10 minutes, then blend the cooled tea into the
finished beer.
I often avoid the use of clove in spice blends if the beer will be entered into competition because judges may misinterpret this as a brewing fault, even if you declare clove as an ingredient. Allspice is a better alternative.
The use of sugars can add flavor complexity. I prefer caramel flavors from sugars, and use natural brown sugars, golden syrup, molasses, real maple syrup, and similar products. I’m not a fan of overly sweet pies, so I don’t tend to load up on the unfermentable sugars. However, I think a little lactose is probably the best way to adjust sweetness without worrying about it fermenting out. But I tend to prefer increasing maltiness and reducing bitterness to this approach, but that’s a personal preference.
Entering Pumpkin Beers in Competition
You’ve created a great beer, but now you are confused about how to enter it in a Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) competition. Where you enter the beer is a function of those recipe decisions you made early on. Pumpkins and gourds are specialty ingredients, so you should look at styles in the Specialty-Type Beer section of the guidelines.
Traditional pumpkin ales should be entered as Style 30B Autumn Seasonal Beer. This beer style was created for these types of beers, and allows for spicing, the use of pumpkins or other squashes, and the use of sweeteners and other adjuncts. While in the Spiced Beer category, it does allow for the distinctive ingredients common in these types of beers. Just be sure to describe your beer and the special ingredients you used.
Those creating unspiced pumpkin beers based on a classic style should enter the beer as Style 30A Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer. Yes, this style allows for spiced versions, but is also the place where those beers with only a vegetable addition would be entered. Be sure to mention if you used a distinctive heirloom gourd variety, as well as the base style of beer.
If you are producing a beer using gourds based on a specialty-type base style, enter it as Style 34B Mixed-Style Beer. As always, a good description is a must. State the base style, special ingredients or processes, and type of gourds used. Those producing smoked or barrel-aged beers with pumpkin may find this style gives better results.
One final recommendation: If you can’t taste or otherwise perceive a special ingredient, don’t mention it. If that special ingredient is the basis for entering a specific style category, you probably won’t score well. If you mention an ingredient, judges will expect to perceive it somehow. It doesn’t have to dominate your beer, but it should be noticeable. The combination of your beer and the special ingredient should be well-balanced, and pleasantly drinkable. It’s often a challenge to use a special ingredient without making it seem artificially prominent.
Squash Tripel
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.072 FG = 1.005
IBU = 23 SRM = 4 ABV = 8.8%
An unspiced squash tripel recipe courtesy of Will Meyers, Brewmaster at Cambridge Brewing Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Ingredients
12 lbs. (5.4 kg) Pilsner malt
4 oz. (113 g) Vienna malt
4 oz. (113 g) aromatic malt
3.75 lbs. (1.7 kg) heirloom squash (butternut or kabocha, preferred)
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) clear candi sugar (15 min.)
8 AAU Saaz hops (60 min.) (2 oz./57 g at 4% alpha acids)
Wyeast 3787 (Trappist High Gravity), White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale), Imperial Yeast B48 (Triple Double), or Mangrove Jack’s M41 (Belgian Ale) yeast
1 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Prepare the squash by washing and splitting them, removing the seeds
and other guts, and cutting into chunks. Shred into a fine julienne with a food processor shredding plate, but go slowly.
This recipe uses reverse osmosis (RO) water. Adjust all brewing water to a pH of 5.5 using phosphoric acid. Add 0.5 tsp of calcium chloride and 0.5 tsp of calcium sulfate to the mash.
Mash in the malts and shredded squash at 147 °F (64 °C) for 60 minutes. Raise the temperature to 168 °F (76 °C) to mashout. Recirculate for
15 minutes. Sparge slowly and collect 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of wort.
Boil the wort for 90 minutes, adding hops at the times indicated in the recipe. The sugar is added with 15 minutes left in the boil.
Chill the wort to 62 °F (17 °C), pitch the yeast, and ferment until complete. Keep the temperature cool (64 °F/18 °C) for the first two or three days, then allow it to warm to no more than 72 °F (22 °C). Give it at least 10 days in primary, then at least three weeks in secondary. If you want to try something different, soak an ounce (~30 g) of medium-toast French oak chips in a dry, aromatic white wine like Sauvignon Blanc for a day, then put the chips in the secondary.
Rack, prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 4 volumes.
Squash Tripel
(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.072 FG = 1.005
IBU = 23 SRM = 4 ABV = 8.8%
Ingredients
8.9 lbs. (4 kg) extra light or Pilsner liquid malt extract
3.75 lbs. (1.7 kg) heirloom squash (butternut or kabocha, preferred)
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) clear candi sugar (15 min.)
8 AAU Saaz hops (60 min.) (2 oz./57 g at 4% alpha acids)
Wyeast 3787 (Trappist High Gravity), White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale), Imperial Yeast B48 (Triple Double), or Mangrove Jack’s M41 (Belgian Ale) yeast
1 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Prepare the squash by washing and splitting them, removing the seeds and other guts, and cutting into chunks. Shred into a fine julienne with a food processor shredding plate, but go slowly.
Use 6 gallons (23 L) of water in the brew kettle; heat to 158 °F (70 °C).
Place the shredded squash in a mesh bag and steep in the hot water for 3 hours. Remove the mesh bag, then turn the heat off.
Add the liquid malt extract and stir thoroughly to dissolve the extract completely. You do not want to feel liquid extract at the bottom of the kettle when stirring with your spoon. Turn the heat back on and bring to a boil. Boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding the hops at the times indicated in the recipe. Add the sugar with 15 minutes left in the boil.
Chill the wort to 62 °F (17 °C), pitch the yeast, and ferment until complete. Keep the temperature cool (64 °F/18 °C) for the first two or three days, then allow it to warm to no more than 72 °F (22 °C). Give it at least 10 days in primary, then at least three weeks in secondary.
Rack, prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 4 volumes.
Traditional Pumpkin Ale
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.054 FG = 1.014
IBU = 15 SRM = 14 ABV = 5.4%
This is my traditional amber spiced pumpkin ale recipe, a classic example of what would come to mind if you ordered a pumpkin beer a decade ago.
Ingredients
4 lbs. (1.8 kg) pale ale malt
2 lbs. (0.9 kg) Vienna malt
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) dark Munich malt
12 oz. (340 g) flaked oats
12 oz. (340 g) flaked wheat
12 oz. (340 g) caramel malt (20 °L)
6 oz. (170 g) brown malt
2 oz. (57 g) chocolate malt
8 oz. (227 g) brown sugar
3 oz. (85 g) light molasses
9 lbs. (4.1 kg) canned pumpkin puree (plain, unspiced)
6 cinnamon sticks, broken up
1.5 Tbsp. crystalized ginger, chopped
1 whole nutmeg, chopped
10 dried allspice berries, crushed
0.25 tsp. ground mace
4.1 AAU UK Goldings hops (60 min.) (0.7 oz./20 g at 5.9% alpha acids)
Wyeast 1272 (American Ale II), White Labs WLP051 (California Ale V), or Mangrove Jack’s M36 (Liberty Bell Ale) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Prepare the pumpkin (can be done the night before brewing) by removing from cans and putting into a large baking dish. Roast in a 400 °F (204 °C) oven for about one hour, stirring every 15 minutes, until fairly dry and caramelized but not burned. Put in a fine mesh bag. If prepared the night before, allow to cool, cover, and refrigerate until brew day. Remove from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before using.
Prepare spices (can be done during the mash or boil). Place spices in a fine mesh bag (a hop bag works nicely).
This recipe uses reverse osmosis (RO) water. Adjust all brewing water to a pH of 5.5 using phosphoric acid. Add 1 tsp. of calcium chloride to the mash.
Step mash: Mash in first five grains at 131 °F (55 °C) using a 1.5 qts./lb. water-to-grist ratio (3.1 L/kg). Hold for 15 minutes. Raise to 149 °F (65 °C) and rest for 30 minutes. Raise to 158 °F (70 °C) and rest for 30 minutes. Finally, raise to 168 °F (76 °C) to mashout. Add the pumpkin in the mesh bag, and the caramel, brown, and chocolate malts, and recirculate for 15 minutes, recirculating over the top and through the mesh bag.
Sparge slowly and collect 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of wort. If lautering is difficult, adding a pound (0.45 kg) of rice hulls can help.
After the wort has been collected, add the mesh bag of pumpkin to the kettle. Leave it in the kettle as it comes to a boil. Remove the bag when the wort has come to a boil, allowing liquid to drip back into the kettle.
Boil the wort for 90 minutes, adding hops at the time indicated in the recipe. The sugar and molasses are added with 15 minutes left in the boil. Put the spices in a tight mesh bag and add when boil is complete, stirring; remove after 10 minutes. Run off from the kettle slowly, preferably filtering through the spent hops.
Chill the wort to 66 °F (19 °C), pitch the yeast, and ferment until complete.
Rack the beer, allowing the beer to drop bright, using crash cooling or fining if necessary. Adjust spices to taste, if desired. Prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate.
Traditional Pumpkin Ale
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.054 FG = 1.014
IBU = 15 SRM = 14 ABV = 5.4%
Ingredients
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) amber liquid malt extract
12 oz. (340 g) caramel malt (20 °L)
6 oz. (170 g) brown malt
2 oz. (57 g) chocolate malt
8 oz. (227 g) brown sugar
3 oz. (85 g) light molasses
9 lbs. (4.1 kg) canned pumpkin puree (plain, unspiced)
6 cinnamon sticks, broken up
1.5 Tbsp. crystalized ginger, chopped
1 whole nutmeg, chopped
10 dried allspice berries, crushed
0.25 tsp. ground mace
4.1 AAU UK Goldings hops (60 min.) (0.7 oz./20 g at 5.9% alpha acids)
Wyeast 1272 (American Ale II), White Labs WLP051 (California Ale V), or Mangrove Jack’s M36 (Liberty Bell Ale) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Prepare the pumpkin (can be done the night before brewing) by removing from cans and putting into a large baking dish. Roast in a 400 °F (204 °C) oven for about one hour, stirring every 15 minutes, until fairly dry and caramelized but not burned. Put in a fine mesh bag. If prepared the night before, allow to cool, cover, and refrigerate until brew day. Remove from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before using.
Prepare spices and place them in a fine mesh bag.
Use 6 gallons (23 L) of water in the brew kettle; heat to 158 °F (70 °C). Place the pumpkin (still in the mesh bag), and the caramel, brown, and chocolate malts in another mesh bag, and steep in the hot water for 30 minutes. Remove the mesh bags, then turn the heat off.
Add the liquid malt extract and stir thoroughly to dissolve the extract completely. You do not want to feel liquid extract at the bottom of the kettle when stirring with your spoon. Put the pumpkin mesh bag back in, turn the heat back on and bring to a boil. Once a boil is reached, remove the pumpkin, allowing liquid to drip back into the kettle. Boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding the hops at the time indicated in the recipe. Add the sugar and molasses with 15 minutes left in the boil.
Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe.
