Wicked Grin Pumpkin Ale

Beer number two in honor of Halloween.  It has a beautiful, clear amber color and a light, sparkling carbonation.  This time around I boiled the priming sugar with two cups of water before adding it to the bottling bucket.  Two weeks after bottling, it has carbonated right on schedule.  It has a flowery aroma and a spicy taste with a hint of vanilla.  It is a malty, mildly sweet beer that is very easy to drink (I've had two tonight already :).  The head dissappeared rather quickly, but it does leave a lacing pattern on the glass as I drink.  I have no idea how to get a good head to stay on my beers, but I suppose I will get this eventually.  

5 gallons, extract

4 pounds of pumpkin

1 pound of Vienna malt, 40L

½ pound crystal malt, 40L

½ pound malted wheat

6 pounds light or amber malt extract

½ cup brown suger

1 ounce Mt. Hood hops (boiling)

½ ounce Hallertauer hops (finishing)

½ teaspoon vanilla

3/4 teaspoon combined ground cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and ginger

1/2 teaspoon Irish Moss

Wyeast 1056, American Ale

Baked pumpkin at 350 degrees for an hour and then cut it into chunks.  I steeped the pumpkin and grains at 155 for half an hour in 2 gallons of water.  I removed both from the pot and added the liquid malt and Mt. Hood hops.  These were boiled for 45 minutes and then the Hallertauer hops were added.  These boiled for 5 minutes.  Spices were added and boiled for 5 minutes.  Irish moss was added and boiled for a final 5 minutes.  I took the pot off the heat and let it sit for a few minutes.  

Two gallons plus a pint of water and a 7lb bag of ice were added to the fermentation bucket.  The wort was strained through two colanders into the bucket.  The lid was placed on and the wort allowed to sit for a few hours.  

The yeast was pitched at 65 degrees.

Starting gravity: 1.050

Finishing gravity: 1.011

I got the idea to add ice to the bucket from an episode of Good Eats, where Alton Brown homebrews.  I am a huge fan of the man, and I will admittedly trace my desire to homebrew to him and my copy of Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz.  I have since read articles online where the authors poo-poo the idea of adding ice to the wort for fear of contamination.  I agree that this is a risk, but so far, things have been fine.  I think it's a easy and inexpensive way to cool down the wort to a temperature that the yeast can survive at.  Until something goes wrong (knock on wood) I will continue to use ice in my wort.