Pumpkin Cinnamon Spice Brown Ale

Okay ladies and gents it's been a while since I have posted because I am back to brewing! It being fall I decided that I needed a beer that represented everything I love about this season. So I took cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice in order to replicate the smell and taste of pumpkin pie. Then I thought, "well if I am going to replicate the taste of pumpkin pie then I need a freak-in pumpkin"! So I added two pounds of pumpkin right into the mash, I know what your thinking "What crazy Jack o'lantern brewer would put two pounds of a gourd into a beer"? I will tell you which one this guy!  Then at the boil when it came down to putting in the spices I thought "why add only one cinnamon stick when I could add TWO WHOLE STICKS!  The end result was a complex autumn beer with a slight pumpkin profile, a strong cinnamon bite, settling out with a hint of nutmeg and a dry hop finish. The is honestly the most complex tasting beer I have ever brewed and couldn't be happier with it. You can't have a sip of it with out thinking of the changing colors in the trees or the crisp autumn air. Here is the recipe below brew and enjoy:
10lbs 2 row brewers malt
.5 lbs malted barley
.5 lbs American Vienna
.2 lbs candi sugar dark
2 lbs pumpkin
2 oz pumpkin spice mix
1 oz East Kent Goldings (.5 oz 60min, .5 oz 30 min)
1 oz Fuggle
Original Gravity 1.052
Final Gravity 1.010

Next week I will be brewing an Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout, this beer will be my winter beer and getting the peanut butter in there will be a challenge for sure!

Happy Brewing

The search for good beer in Indiana Part 1

 Upon arrival here in Indiana my first thought was "God I hope they have some decent beers here". So I began my search and found Bloomington's largest brewpub Upland Brewery. Outside, Upland seemed very plain; the bricked walls reminded me of an office building the only distinguishing factor was the large fermenters that sat behind it. I Walk through the doors and inside is just your basic brewpub set up beginning with a viewing window and down to the chalkboard with all the pubs beers on tap. I had maintained hope that the beer would outshine the architectural dullness however, I am again disappointed. I tried the IPA, in its description it told me that it had a bold hoppy flavor...they do know you need to add hops to get that flavor right? The beer was so malty I would barely call it a pale ale.  So I tried the Dragonfly Double IPA which was suppose to be absolutely intense and not for the faint of heart. Again this beer hardly qualifies as a regular IPA which is concerning me because the locals swear by this brewpub! This beer has won awards! Who was their competition? Budweiser?