- Kettle soured pumpkin ale is on tap at Darbro Farms. It is definitely unique! I opted to skip the traditional pumpkin pie spices and just let the sour pumpkin twang shine through. This beer was brewed with fresh dried Darbro Farms Crystal hops.
This brew is a two step fermentation but well worth the extra effort if you enjoy sour beers. After the pictures I’ll post the recipe and brewing instructions. As always if you have any questions or comments, drop me a note.
Sour pumpkin ale: 5 gal
- 11 lbs Pale (2 row) malt
- 1 lb Special Roast malt
- 1 lb Caramel 60L malt
- rice hulls suitable for your mash tun
- 2 lb Organic pumpkin purée
- 1 lb Dark Brown Sugar
- 1.2 oz Magnum Hops 60 min
- 1.0 oz Crystal Hops 0 min
- 1 cup Organic Plain Greek Yogurt
- WLP 001 California Ale Yeast
- 1 whirfloc tablet 15 min
- yeast nutrient
- 1.066 O.G.
- 1.010 F.G.
- 36.5 IBUs
- 14.5 SRM
- 6.9% ABV
Mash the grains, pumpkin and rice hulls using your normal process. I shot for a 150deg 90 minute mash to leave a touch of residual sweetness. Collect 7 gallons of wort. Transfer to brew kettle and bring to a boil for 15 minutes to sterilize and create a blank slate for the kettle souring process. Chill wort to 80deg and transfer to fermenter. Pitch 1 cup of organic plain Greek yogurt and ferment in a warm location.
Mine started off slow, but in a day and a half I came back to find beer coming out the airlock. 
I was shooting for a subtle sour, not a full on sour beer, so the 3.9 ph was right on the mark.
When you hit your desired ph, Transfer back to the brew kettle and complete a normal 60 minute boil, adding hops, whirfloc tablet and yeast nutrients on schedule.
Make sure to carefully clean and sterilize your fermenter, or you’ll risk the yogurt cultures firing back up!
Ferment, keg or bottle as normal. I cold crashed mine when fermentation reached the predicted final gravity.
If anyone comes up with good variations, I’d love to hear them!
Cheers!