Re: Updates re my "Pumpkin Ale" and also the new "Red" hops I tried

I soak the pumpkin spices in the vodka, then use the pumpkin-spice flavored

vodka to flavor my beer (usually 1-2 ounces per 5 gallons).  The main
reason 
I do this is to control the degree of spice flavor in the resulting
beer--I 
have had very variable results when adding spices to the boil or
secondary. 
I have felt that this was due to varying degrees of freshness in the
spices 
each year, or varying strengths of spice flavors, depending on the brand
of 
spice used that year.

The resulting beer always turned out great, and I never tasted the alcohol

from the vodka.

Kevin