Pumpkin Ale Recipe (All-Grain): 5 to 30 Gallons
An all-grain Pumpkin Ale recipe you can brew at 5 to 30 gallons: 5.3% ABV and 20 IBU, with the grain bill, hop schedule, yeast and step-by-step process.
In this post
Pumpkin Ale at a glance: 5.3% ABV, 20 IBU, OG 1.054. An autumn ale with real pumpkin in the mash and a gentle hand with the pie spice: a malty amber base with caramel and biscuit notes, and just enough cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to smell like fall.
Bräu Supply recipe · All-grain
Pumpkin Ale
Grain · for 5 gal into the fermenter
| 9 lb (4.08 kg) | Pale 2-row malt | 80% |
| 1 lb (0.45 kg) | Munich malt | 9% |
| 0.75 lb (0.34 kg) | Crystal 60 | 7% |
| 0.5 lb (0.23 kg) | Biscuit malt | 4% |
| 0.5 lb (0.23 kg) | Rice hulls |
Hops
| 0.5 oz (14 g) | Magnum · 13% AA | 60 min |
Pumpkin and spice
| 3.75 lb (1.7 kg) | Canned pumpkin purée (two 30 oz cans per 5 gal), roasted at 350°F (177°C) for 45 minutes | In the mash |
| 1.5 tsp | Pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp each nutmeg and ginger, ¼ tsp allspice) | Last 5 min of the boil |
Yeast and water
| 1 pkg | English ale yeast (S-04) or American ale yeast (US-05) | |
| Water | Balanced water. | |
Process
- Mash: 154°F (68°C) for 60 minutes
- Boil: 60 minutes
- Ferment: 66°F (19°C) for 10 to 14 days
- Condition: Package when the gravity is stable; ready in 2 to 3 weeks
- Carbonate: 2.4 volumes of CO₂
Brew it on
Based on 72% brewhouse efficiency and about 5.5 gal after the boil for a 5 gal batch. Adjust the base malt if your system runs higher or lower. Hops scale in a straight line; larger kettles extract a little more bitterness.
How to brew it
- Spread the canned pumpkin on a baking sheet and roast at 350°F (177°C) for about 45 minutes, until the edges caramelize.
- Mash the grain, pumpkin and rice hulls at 154°F (68°C) for 60 minutes. The rice hulls keep the sticky mash flowing.
- Boil 60 minutes with the bittering hops, and add the pie spice for the last 5 minutes.
- Chill to 64°F (18°C), oxygenate and pitch. Ferment at 66°F (19°C) until the gravity is stable.
- Taste before packaging. For more spice, add a little spice steeped in vodka to the keg. Package at about 2.4 volumes of CO₂.
Tips
- Pumpkin adds more colour and body than flavour. The “pumpkin pie” character comes from the spice and the malt.
- Go easy on the spice. You can add more at packaging, but you can’t take it out.
- Use plain canned pumpkin, not pie filling, which already contains sugar and spice.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use fresh pumpkin?
Yes. Roast about 3 to 4 lb of peeled, cubed sugar pumpkin until soft and caramelized, then add it to the mash.
When should I brew a pumpkin ale?
In late summer or early fall, so it’s ready for October. It takes about 4 weeks from grain to glass.
Related guides
how much spice to use, avoiding a stuck sparge, amber ale recipe.