October 29, 2001 -- homebrew.com

Now that Fall is certainly upon us, it's time to fire up the kettle and get into that fall brewing cycle. This is the best time of year to brew up some of those ambers, porters, stouts, and barleywines. And if you haven't started your holiday beer yet, it's still not too late.

To get you into the fall brewing spirit, we've collected a few articles for you to reviewing, including an article on Pumpkin Ale and Spruce Beer... happy brewing!


Fall Brewing
Fall is also the time that I find myself wanting to experiment with more flavorful beers that take advantage of Fall harvests. It's also the perfect time to brew my winter warmers to cozy up with in the dead of a frosty winter. Traditionally, beer saved for drinking during the depths of winter had to be prepared during the fall months. A good fall harvest season would prompt a brewer to take advantage of a bountiful harvest by increasing the malt bill for his beer. The results: a much higher alcohol level in the finished product, surely to keep you warmer.


Jack-O-Lantern Ale
Most of us, when we see a Pumpkin, think of Halloween or Thanksgiving... Usually not Pumpkin beer! But ale made from Pumpkins was a tradition started quite a long time ago by early American settlers such as the Pilgrims.

Beer and the Pilgrims
It is at this time of year Americans follow the lead of the Pilgrims and devote one day solely to giving thanks. And right about now, brewers think back, and focus in on a handful of words excerpted from the Mayflower’s log, the part about putting ashore at Plymouth Rock instead of the intended Virginia, due to a lack of beer. It’s an appealing story that justifies our sub-culture, our beer renaissance. It’s good publicity. We brewers are a patriotic crowd, aren’t we?