Join BYO for a New England Beer & Baseball Adventure, Aug. 2-7, 2026 Click here for details.

recipe

Pumpkin Beer

Pumpkin Beer

(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.048  FG = 1.012 IBU = 19  SRM = 6  ABV = 4.6%

Ingredients

1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) extra ight dried malt extract
3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg) golden liquid malt extract
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) 2-row pale malt
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) CaraPils malt
5–6 lbs. (2.3–2.7 kg) pumpkin (cubed)
5 AAU Cascade hops (60 mins) (1.0 oz./28 g of 5% alpha acids)
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg Dried ale yeast
0.75 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Boil pumpkin cubes in water for 15 minutes. Heat 0.75 gallons (2.8 L) of water to 163 °F (73 °C). Place crushed grains in steeping bag and steep grains at 152 °F (67 °C) for 45 minutes. When pumpkin is ready, add chunks to grain bag and add cool water (to maintain 152 °F (67 °C) temperature). Combine grain and pumpkin “tea,” dried malt extract and water to make 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of wort. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at the start of the boil. Add liquid malt extract and spices with 15 minutes left in the boil. Cool wort and transfer to fermenter. Top up to 5 gallons (19 L) with water. Aerate and pitch yeast. Ferment at 69 °F (21 °C).

All-grain option Replace malt extract and 1 lb. (0.45 kg) 2-row malt with 8.0 lbs. (3.6 kg) 2-row pale malt. Boil pumpkin cubes in water for 15 minutes. Mah grains and pumpkin chunks at 153 °F (67 °C) for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Boil for 90 minutes, adding hops with 60 minutes left. Add spices with 15 minutes left in boil. Ferment at 69 °F (21 °C). (Adapted from “In Search of the Great Pumpkin” by John Naleszkiewicz, November 1995, p. 32.)

You might also like…

recipe

Devil’s Tongue Imperial Stout (Habanero)

An exclusive byo.com web bonus recipe John Rathmell took first place in the Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer category with Devil’s Tongue

recipe

Sweetgrass Ale

En lieu of dry hops, try adding sweetgrass to make a unique beer with a vanilla-like essence.

recipe

Erie Brewing Co.’s Drake’s Crude clone

Erie Brewing Co. no longer brews Drake’s Crude, but that doesn’t mean you can’t. Find the recipe to re-create this beer here.

recipe

Nøgne Ø – Det Kompromissløse Bryggeri A/S: Imperial Brown Ale clone

“A dark brown English ale in which classic English malts meet the spicy hoppiness of the New World.”