I just brewed NB’s Smashing Pumpkin AG kit and forgot to add the spice packet at flameout, though I didn’t realize it till after I chilled and racked to primary. I figure I’ll just mix the spice with some vodka to make a tincture, and toss it in when I keg. Any reason why I should expect less than typical results doing it this way? Not sure how much of a difference, if any, it would make to add the spices to the hot wort, though I would be interested in hearing your opinions… Cheers!
There are a couple Brewers here that do exactly that rather than adding their spices to the boil. This way you can dose several beers to dial in the exact spice level you want.
Josh nailed it.
Be careful of the vodka tincture though. If left too long, the cinnamon will turn it into a snot-like substance that just won’t break up. I used to just sprinkle the spice in when I transferred to secondary, but then I don’t do much with secondaries anymore.
Wow, I didn’t realize that was the cinnamon that did that.
Would the strategy be to make a tincture with the rest of the spices and use a cinnamon stick in the secondary?
Wow, I didn’t realize that was the cinnamon that did that.
Would the strategy be to make a tincture with the rest of the spices and use a cinnamon stick in the secondary?[/quote]It does that without a doubt but remember, you are only adding the vodka and not the cinnamon.
When I did this last year I just tossed some pumpkin pie spice in the secondary with the beer. No issues and tasted great.
I make a "Charlie Brown’s Great Pumpkin " ale every year and add Pie Spice in the boil with the yeast nutrient and Irish Moss. It kills anything bad and loss is not noticed. That’s some strong stuff.
Mash with a can of Libby’s all natural and some rice hulls to be called ‘authentic’. It really smooths out the final product.
Dang Good!
I did the same thing a month and a half ago when I brewed mine. Waited until secondary and added all the spices with some scrapped out vanilla beans in a vodka tincture that I boiled and it came out amazing. I will wait from now on to add the stuff to the secondary when I make this.
