Comment from sarah
Time: October 23, 2007, 9:06 am

That’s really awesome.

Comment from barbecuesteve
Time: October 23, 2007, 9:12 am

I must admit I’m highly skeptical. How do you sanitize — slosh the boiling wort around?

Comment from sarah
Time: October 23, 2007, 1:18 pm

Question: if rotting apples are actually fermenting apples, is a rotting pumpkin a fermenting pumpkin?

Comment from barbecuesteve
Time: October 23, 2007, 1:51 pm

This may technically be true, but it might be being fermented by something you don’t want.

Comment from erik
Time: October 26, 2007, 9:00 am

I’d bet that the inside of a pumpkin is pretty damn sanitary when it’s freshly opened up.

Two things to consider here, though:

1) Pumpkins are high in starch, so when you’re mashing in that first one, you are actually mashing the sides of your mash tun at the same time. Crazy.

2) Pumpkins have sugar in them, so when you’re fermenting in the pumpkin, you are actually fermenting the inside of your fermenter at the same time.

I would be inclined to find a REALLY big pumpkin and REALLY try to avoid the trub that’s settled in on the inside of the pumpkin, because I bet that’s some nasty stuff down there.

If you were really inclined to sanitize the inside of the pumpkin, you could probably do it with steam - it’s probably not a really easy process.

I really want to try this.

Comment from barbecuesteve
Time: October 26, 2007, 9:02 am

I’ll be happy to help you taste-test. Save a bottle or two for April.

Comment from Erik
Time: October 26, 2007, 5:22 pm

Yeah, I’m not sure I’ll do this *now*.

Well… I might. I bet there are plenty of extra pumpkins left around. Big ones, though? I could make a pumpkin stout.

Comment from barbecuesteve
Time: October 26, 2007, 10:38 pm

An IPA - Imperial Pumpkin Ale.

Comment from Erik
Time: October 27, 2007, 11:28 am

Ha! That’s a good idea, actually.