# Coopers Cerveza - Whats It Missing?



## new2brew (30/8/07)

Just opened a bottle of the coopers cerveza that has been in the cellar for about 2 months. it tastes great, but seems to be missing something.......anyone got any thoughts for hop additions next time I brew one?


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## Deja_vu (30/8/07)

probably can't answer that but i just bought a can of it. What was the recipe you used? Perhaps thats the best place to start?


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## mika (30/8/07)

Big thread, should be something in there


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## new2brew (30/8/07)

Just followed the instructions. Fermented for 6 days at 20c and bottled using carb drops. Doesnt quite have the distinct taste of a carona though


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## new2brew (30/8/07)

thanks mika, will check it out


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## Yeasty (30/8/07)

new2brew said:


> Just followed the instructions. Fermented for *6 days at 20c* and bottled using carb drops. Doesnt quite have the distinct taste of a carona though



Theres your problem. Its a lager and needs proper lager yeast and to be fermented at around 12 deg.


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## new2brew (30/8/07)

Had a look through the posts and couldnt find anything. So, does anyone have any hop suggestions for a coopers cerveza?


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## mika (30/8/07)

Ideally it should be brewed with a lager yeast, but I'm pretty sure it's an ale yeast that comes with it. Either way, it'll come up as a decent beer if your temps are decent and 20degs for an ale is good (18degs nice, but....)
A friend did a version with lemon juice or rind or something added to secondary, he was a big corona fan and thought it was a good thing. There is a hop that gives a lemony taste, can't remember it though (not helpful I know).
Try not to compare it too close to the real thing, clones pretty much never make the exact thing, appreciate the brew for it's own uniqueness. Sure if it's not quite to your taste experiment, but even using an all grain bill you might never quite get it.


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## MHB (30/8/07)

In the warmer months I sell a hell of a lot of the "Dry" style beers, among them a couple of Corona clones.

We have had good feedback on brews with 1/2 a plug of Pearl dry hoped.
Just toss it (in a hop bag) into the rack, or if your not racking, into the primary ferment.
Goes pretty well with the style

The "lemony tang" is often attributed to Glacier hop if I recall correctly.

MHB


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## Boozy the clown (31/8/07)

As a quick and unhelpful answer to your question...

TASTE!

"Worst Coopers kit ever"


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## Adamt (31/8/07)

Corona is about as bare as a beer comes. Minimal bitterness, minimal body and minimal flavour. This is why when you put lemon/lime in it, that's pretty much all you taste.

Anyway, because it's so bare, it actually makes it very hard to brew. Especially from kits where you can't be sure of the freshness, ingredients, etc. and with a kit yeast which is not usually in the best condition.

Ideally to make it (from extract) you would need the freshest malt extract, a small amount of clean bittering hops, and a proper lager yeast at proper lager temperatures and conditioning.


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## Kai (31/8/07)

Adamt said:


> Corona is about as bare as a beer comes. Minimal bitterness, minimal body and minimal flavour. This is why when you put lemon/lime in it, that's pretty much all you taste.



Also good for covering the taste of stale beer.

I brewed a Corona clone at big brew day last year, all Glacier. I think it was a good beer, but I honestly don't remember drinking it.


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## Inge (31/8/07)

I know for certain that the Cervesa kit is missing hops.


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## 0M39A (31/8/07)

new2brew said:


> Just followed the instructions. Fermented for 6 days at 20c and bottled using carb drops. Doesnt quite have the distinct taste of a carona though



what, of arse and skunked hops?

corona... its mexican for dirty mexican arse water.


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## Thunderlips (31/8/07)

Boozy the clown said:


> "Worst Coopers kit ever"


Tried it once with some glacier hops and came to the same conclusion as you.
I think I may have even committed the cardinal sin and emptied the keg on the lawn.
Apparently some of the other brands do a better job of it but it's unlikely I'll try another Mexican style kit as I'm not a real lover anyway.
Was more curious about the new Coopers kit than anything else.


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## AlwayzLoozeCount (31/8/07)

Closest thing i ever made to corona was

1.7kg tin morgans canadian blonde
1kg dry body blend (600g dextrose 400g maltodextrin)
another 400g dextrose
12g teabag of supa alpha hops

i got this from a morgans booklet


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## brettprevans (31/8/07)

new2brew said:


> Had a look through the posts and couldnt find anything. So, does anyone have any hop suggestions for a coopers cerveza?


new2brew

I would have thought that the mexican cerveza link that mika posted would have helped heaps. Theres tonnes of suggestions in there (including a few of mine).

As far as hops goes try glacier hops. They will give a lemony taste to it. 

As already said, the problem you face is that cooopers cerveza kit is an avg kit to begin with so your already behind the 8 ball. Secondly corona is an avg beer. Im sorry but its cheaper than coke in mexico and locals think its cats piss. in saying that I will drink it if its free and put in front of me, but theres no way im paying for it. 

If you like corona, good for you. we all have our own tastes. However I beg you not to follow the coopers instructions and read the threads on AHB to get some better brewing info. 

Summary of tips:
1. Cerveza is basicly a light thin lager. look up lager on AHB. best used lager yeat (such as Saflager s-23 or another lager yeast fro one of the online sponsors). 
2. Lager temp is best between 10-14C (using lager yeast). you are also best to "lager" your beer, which is essentially leaving it at a very cold temp once fermentation has finished. colder the better.
3. use more than just the coopers kit. theres plenty of cerzesa recipes on AHB. If you cant find any, PM me, I have several. 
4. in all honesty your better off not trying to clone some of the more commercial beers cause you can make better beer. Some of the receipes you might find on AHB use a cerveza kit but wont taste like corona. its not a bad thing cause they will taste better.

Hope this helps


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## barry2 (31/8/07)

I brewed a can of Coopers Mexican Cerveza in April 2006 with a kg of Coopers Brew Enhancer 2 and the kit hops and fermented at around 23C.I tasted it after two weeks in the bottle and my notes were "Poor head and lace,thin,lacks flavour and bitterness".One thing about the brew was that it remained consistent over the next 7 1/2 months (27 bottles) as did my notes.My final note reads "don't brew again".After reading the posts on this thread and the earlier one perhaps I will try again with the Glacier hops and another yeast.However I am also thinking why bother trying to make a "silk purse out of a sow's ear "and brew other kits where I have had good results such as Coopers Bavarian Lager and Coopers Brewmaster Pilsener.


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## petesbrew (31/8/07)

I brewed this one early last year, as per the directions on the can. 
It turned out nice, but I must admit it tasted better with lime, thanks to a good crop from my tree that autumn. 
No rush, but I'll probably do it again sometime.


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## discoloop (31/8/07)

What a timely thread. I needed to put down a quick "supermarket brew" so thought I'd give this a go. (No idea why, I don't really like Corona!)

Anyway, I made the kit as per instructions plus 20g Tettnanger @ 5mins. Hopefully it'll come out as a reasonably tasty, light largerish-ale.


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## brettprevans (31/8/07)

these are posted elsewhere on AHB but I figure since its in the recently modified posts new brewers will be most likely to look at this thread, so here are some variations on cerveza. Hopefully better than corona

*corona* 
Cervesa can contents 
750g dextrose 
250 LME 
15g Saaz boiled for 30 minutes
10g Saaz boiled for 5 minutes 
SafLager 34/70 
fermented at 12C (took about two weeks in primary
Lagered at 4C for 3 weeks
22L, 4.9%

*cerveza toucan* 
cervesa can x2 
250g dex 
10g Glacier hops @15
10g Glacier @10
20g Glacier @ flameout
26L, 6.3%
larger yeast. ferment 2 weeks at 12C 
crash chill or 1 week at 3C 


*lawnmower brew* (wont taste anything like corona, but damn nice)
1 can Coopers Mexican Cerveza 
200g Dextrose 
500g Candy Sugar
250g Maltodextrin
250g Light Dried Malt Extract
100g Carapils
10g Cascade Hops (15mins)
10g Cascade Hops (Flameout)
Kit yeast at 13*C
22L, 4.9%

*modified cerveza* 
1 Cerveza can
250g Dex
250g LDME
100g Carapils or wheat extract
10g Glacier hops @15
10g Glacier @10
20g Glacier @ flameout 
2 x saflager @ 12C for 3 weeks, then chill as cold as I can for another 2.
22L, 4.2%


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## Uncle Fester (31/8/07)

citymorgue2 said:


> these are posted elsewhere on AHB but I figure since its in the recently modified posts new brewers will be most likely to look at this thread, so here are some variations on cerveza. Hopefully better than corona
> 
> *corona*
> Cervesa can contents
> ...



Either of those recipes with the Glacier look the goods. Have done this kit a few times and as far as the kit beers go, it was one of the nicer ones I did.

Fester.


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## jkeysers (31/8/07)

I usually brew a toucan with Coopers Corona and Farmland Lager. Boil some Glacier for 15 minutes or so, add the cans at flameout. Put it in the fermenter with some Saflager topped up to 24 litres, it's the only kit beer I even bother with anymore.


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## wildschwein (1/9/07)

Yes this kit contains no bittering hops at all. So it's rather bland. Doing a boil of Saaz for about 20 minutes will give you some flavour. A 40 minute boil will give you some bitterness. The yeast in the kit is not a straight ale - it's a mix of ale and lager and it's the only Coopers kit with this. So if you ferment at low temps (below 12C) it will taste like lager as the ale part won't be very active.


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## Thunderlips (1/9/07)

wildschwein said:


> it's a mix of ale and lager and it's the only Coopers kit with this.


You sure?
I thought the Bavarian kit also used an ale/lager mix yeast.


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## wildschwein (1/9/07)

Thunderlips said:


> You sure?
> I thought the Bavarian kit also used an ale/lager mix yeast.


 No Bavarian has a true lager strain. See this:
Coopers Yeasts


When I made it I looked at the and yeast there is two distinct shapes in the pack unlike other Coopers kits. I fermented my cerveza at 10C for 2 weeks and the taste is certainly lager; it's about the only taste there is.


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## discoloop (1/9/07)

I'm fermenting one now. It's bubbling away at 16 and there's a distinct rotten egg smell - the kind only a lager yeast could produce. There's definitely some lager in there!


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## tangent (1/9/07)

i can't believe no-one's mentioned corn!
throw a can of cooked corn in (i'm kidding newbies), then it'll taste like a Corona (FN awful!)


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## wildschwein (1/9/07)

Yeah Corona is actually made with malt and rice I believe. When I did my Coopers Cerveza I added 500g of liquid rice malt as well as 500g dex and the consistency came out about right: though it was cidery tasting for a few weeks. That has all but gone now though.


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## tangent (1/9/07)

tastes like old corn to me
maybe they keep the rice with the corn


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