# Kit Recipe Guidance



## wolfeh_ (19/5/12)

Hey guys, how's it going?

I just wanted to get a bit of advice from you "seasoned" homebrewers  To cut a long story short, every batch of corona I've done has turned out really shit and "fruity" or like wine/weetbix.. Even one with a lager yeast in a temp controlled fridge. I'd given up on brewing, but have picked up an old fridge and hooked the fridgemate back up. I've also invested in some Starsan and PBW.

A few weeks ago I put down a Morgans Royal Oak Amber Ale with Safale US04 and 1.25kg LDME at around 18-19c. It's cold crashing right now, and I think it's going to turn out to be one of the better beers I've made for such an easy "recipe".

So, I thought I'd give a corona another crack (haha yea, I know what most of you think about coronas!) I headed down to the LHBS for a new fermentor and came back with a few goodies. Without really planning anything I picked up a Mangrove Jacks Mexican Cerveza kit. I needed dextrose anyway so I grabbed some and also premium yeast. So far I have the following (I need to go back to the LHBS anyway, so any other ingredients are welcomed)

MJ Mexican Cerveza (1.7kg) which I'm pretty sure is already hopped
1.25kg Dex
Safale US-05 Yeast (I'll keep the ferment temps at 18c?) 
1x Cube filtered, chilled water!

I don't want the beer to be too watery, and I want it around 5% alc. I'm aware that a corona should use a lager yeast, but I want to get "ales" down pat first. Would it be better to put in 1kg Dex, 0.25kg LDME? And what sort of hop addition would be nice? (Not too fruity) I was thinking 21Litres. I'll keg it and then bottle the rest and forget about it for a while 

I know this has been done to death, but who better to ask. Any advice is welcomed!
Cheers guys

Phil


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## DU99 (19/5/12)

read thru here
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...21894&st=20


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## wolfeh_ (19/5/12)

Thanks


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## wolfeh_ (19/5/12)

Well.. not many replies, but this is what I've come up with after a bit of reading 

Mangrove Jacks Mexican Cerveza (1.7kg)
800g Dextrose
200g Wheat Malt Extract
200g LDME
Safale US-05
12g Saaz Finishing Hops 
23L Filtered Water

Ferment Temp 18c

Wish me luck!


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## roverfj1200 (19/5/12)

to much dex

put in 1.5 morgans extra pale or 1kg of coopers dry malt.

Get the us-05 to ferment out out 16 deg for a fake lager

Stay away from dry hopping if you don't like fruity flavors
. 

cheers


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## yum beer (19/5/12)

150gm carapils, steeped in 3 litres of 65c water for 30min. Strained into mix,

1Kg LDM, 500gm dex...brew at 15-16c, yum.. :icon_cheers:


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## wolfeh_ (19/5/12)

Ok guys, thanks alot ! :beer: Damnit.. I have alot to learn


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## wolfeh_ (19/5/12)

Also, I don't mind SOME fruity flavours. I guess I've been put off though in the past because it was overpowering/all I could taste. I've only really played with hop teabags before.

Cheers


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## jyo (20/5/12)

yum beer said:


> 150gm carapils, steeped in 3 litres of 65c water for 30min. Strained into mix,



Just to clarify- make sure you boil the wort for 15 minutes or so after steeping any grains. You don't want any unwanted bugs going in your fermenter. If you have any hop additions (not including dry hopping) add them at this stage. 

Adding some fresh cracked grain and hops is going to improve your kits dramatically. The royal oak amber ale is a good kit. Add 250 cracked medium crystal and about 30 gms of EKG or Challenger and boil using the above method for 10 or 15 minutes for a really nice beer. 

Cheers.


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## wolfeh_ (20/5/12)

Off to the LHBS tomorrow 

I remember there being an article about steeping grain on here. I'm just about to head out though, so I'll have to read it later. In regards to 65deg steep for 30 mins, do I heat the water to 65, flame out, then just steep the grains in that water for 30 mins? or keep the water at 65 for 30 mins?

Cheers for the help. The addiction has started again hahaha


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## DU99 (20/5/12)

heat water to 65 then place cracked grain in water.leave them for 1/2 hr then strain.try and try maintain temp by either place pot in warmed oven or wrapping in towel
read thru this
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=23880
some people when doing dark grain's leave overnight in cold water


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## wolfeh_ (20/5/12)

excellent


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## time01 (18/7/12)

any word on how this turned out? looking at doing a corona for some mates also.


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## JakeSm (18/7/12)

i have always used saaz in my cervezas, just 12g steaped for about 20 mins or so...have never used grains in cerveza as it doesnt have a grainy flavour just really crisp, dry and with a slight hop aroma....i use the equivalant of be2 in it. always always always makes an awesome corona,,,all you need is the lime. haha


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## wolfeh_ (21/7/12)

sorry guys, haven't been on here for a while. the beer turned out "shit" apparantly.
it was VERY cloudy, and smelt/tasted like every single corona/mexican cerveza i've ever done (maybe normal by now i'm thinking?)
i took a sample into my lhbs and there was a guy who "knew all" (not a dig, just saying)
he sipped it and said it was cloudy and tasted like "bananas".. but to me it tasted like every other corona i've ever made.

my sanitisation was the same as every other brew i've put down, so i dunno.... i did end up tipping it all down the sink though 

maybe time to give up on coronas?


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## yum beer (21/7/12)

what did you finally put down,
how long in the fv, what temp, when did you bottle?

Ive never had a Cerveza come out bad or cloudy or bananaery.....


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## manticle (21/7/12)

It's possible you bottled too early and suspended yeast is giving you haze and some fruity flavours have not had time to be re-absorbed.

What was the FG and for how long did you leave it before bottling?

Try reaching gravity, leaving it a further 5 days, then turning the fridge right down to around 2-4 degrees and leaving it another week, then priming and bottling.

You could also try adding gelatine finings while the brew is in the cold to help drop out more yeast.


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## wolfeh_ (21/7/12)

I just read over my notes, this is what I put down.

Mangrove Jacks Mexican Cerveza (1.7kg)
500g Dextrose
1kg LDME
Safale US-05 (16c Ferment)
12g Saaz Finishing Hops
200gm carapils 3L @ 65c - 30 mins
23L Filtered Water
Pitched at 22c 22/5/12

OG 1.050


I'm pretty sure it was in the Primary for 2.5 weeks. Reached 1.012 for 4 days in a row. I was going to add finings to it, but the LHBS guy saw the sample and said not to worry. I just tipped it down the sink. I only keg the beers, so it didn't even make it out of the FV. Maybe I should have left it at 2 degrees for a week or so to drop out any suspended yeast.. Ah well, next time eh?

Thanks manticle, I'll keep that in mind!


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