Weyerbacher Brewing Company: Imperial Pumpkin Ale clone

Weyerbacher Brewing Company: Imperial Pumpkin Ale clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.080 FG = 1.019
IBU = 21 SRM = 13 ABV = 8%

This hearty, full-bodied, spicy pumpkin ale is rich with cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and clove.

Ingredients
7.6 lbs. (3.5 kg) Muntons pale ale malt (2.5 °L)
5.25 lbs. (2.4 kg) Weyermann Vienna malt (3.5 °L)
1.8 lbs. (0.8 kg) Weyermann Munich I malt (6 °L)
1.8 lbs. (0.8 kg) Weyermann CaraMunich® II (45 °L)
0.9 lbs. (0.4 kg) Weyermann CaraFoam® (2 °L)
6.3 AAU Apollo hop pellets (60 min.) (0.35 oz./10 g at 18% alpha acids)
1.6 lbs. (0.7 kg) pumpkin puree (10 min.)
0.38 oz. (10.6 g) Vietnamese ground cinnamon (2 min.)
0.2 oz. (5.7 g) ground nutmeg (2 min.)
1 pinch ground cardamom (2 min.)
1 pinch ground clove (2 min.)
Wyeast 1272 (American Ale II) or White Labs WLP051 (California Ale V) or Lallemand Nottingham ale yeast
¾ cup (150 g) dextrose (if priming)

Step by Step
Heat 5.5 gallons (20.5 L) of strike water to achieve a stable mash temperature of 144 °F (62 °C). Hold at this temperature until starch conversion is complete, which is at least 60 minutes. Check for complete conversion using an iodine test before beginning the sparge phase. Collect 6 gallons (23 L) of wort in the kettle and boil for 60 minutes adding hops at the beginning of the boil. Add the spices with 2 minutes left in the boil. The pumpkin puree is added directly into the kettle to avoid the stuck mash issue. This means that the yield will be affected downstream as more beer will be lost at each transfer point. Weyerbacher reports that they lose a significant amount of wort in the fermenter. Be careful not to add too much of either the cardamom or the clove as they can easily overwhelm the beer. After the boil, give the wort a stir for at least a minute and let the hot wort settle for 15 minutes total. Chill to 68 °F (20 °C) and maintain this temperature during active fermentation. If you can, ramp the temperature up to 72 °F (22 °C) at the end of active fermentation to assure completion. Bottle or keg as usual.

Extract with grains option:
Substitute the pale, Vienna, and Munich I malts in the all-grain recipe with 9.5 lbs. (4.3 kg) Munich liquid malt extract. Heat 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water to 170 °F (77 °C) and place the crushed grains in a brewing bag. Soak the grains for 20 minutes at 160 °F (71 °C), then rinse the grains with 1 gallon (3.8 L) of hot water. Do not squeeze the bag — let it drip into the kettle. Add water to make 6 gallons (23 L) of wort in the kettle and add the liquid malt extract off the heat. Stir until all the extract has dissolved. Bring the wort to a boil for 60 minutes. Follow the remaining portion of the all-grain recipe.