# Coopers Mexican Cerveza



## Uncle Fester

Bretheren,
My good wife just returned from the supermarket, with a can of Coopers Mexican Cerveza, and a packet of the recomended brew enhancer #2.

Ok.... I guess this is meant to be a Corona style of beer....

What would the recomendation be for any additions to the can? I have never tried this style of beer before, and have no idea if any hops/malts etc will enhance or detract from the result.

Any special temoeratures? does it like it warm, like a wheat beer, or cool like a Pilsner?

Anything that you could offer in the way of advice would be appreciated.

Please don't bother if all you have to add is some kind of "you should be brewing all grain" comment.

Simple fact... I have neither the equipment nor the expertise.

Kits and bits for me in the short term!

Cheers,

M


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## Kai

Ferment it as cool as you can, or as the tin recommends. Probably 20C would be a good target.

If you want some extra hops, find some Glacier. They have a wonderful lemon flavour/aroma that would complement a Corona clone nicely.


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## tangent

you can always add some lemon rind to the boil
or lemon grass (not too much of either)
you should easily better a Corona seeing how crap they are (no AG comments so far)
go by the lager rules of light malt and dexy= light body light brew
saflager yeast if you can, rather than what's under the lid
keep the temps cool (wrong time of the year unless you've got fermenter cooling)
and cold condition as close as 1C as poss for 4 weeks
and what Kai said!


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## Kai

Yep, what Kai said! Seriously, you'll be surprised at the lemon flavour you can get from Glacier.


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## mika

Keep us posted, saw that one in the shop today and was wondering what it would be like


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## sab

Purchased one of these myself today. The can recomended to use coopers brew enhancer 2 with it so I picked one up also.Not trying to hijack the thread,I thought it was better I asked here rather than start a new thread with pretty much the same question. Has anyone made one of these with just the kit and brew enhancer 2 and if so how did it turn out.Or should I make it some other way,is there any point in steeping grains in a brew like this or will it change the style of this beer .Im thinking of using a Saflager W-34/70
yeast that I have, will it turn out ok with this yeast ,or should I use a different type.I have aquired a small fridge that I have wired up a dixell T/stat ,so brewing at lager temps wont be a problem.Im not sure if I will add extra hops to it. I have mainly brewed lagers and a couple of ales so this one is pretty new to me ,just thought I would try something different.

Cheers.


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## sluggerdog

sab, I'd brew it as is without adding anything extras to it, this way you know what the kit is like. I doubt too many people would have done this kit as it only came out last month so few would be drinking it by now even if they have done it.

Using the saflager is a good idea though as long as you can keep the temp right in your fridge.

If your using liquid yeasts maybe try either of the following:

2035 American Lager Yeast. Bold, complex and aromatic, good depth of flavor characteristics for a variety of lager beers. Flocculation - medium; apparent attenuation 73-77%. (48-58 F, 9-14 C)

2042 Danish Lager Yeast. Rich, Dortmund-style, crisp, dry finish. Soft profile accentuates hop characteristics. Flocculation - low; apparent attenuation 73-77%. (46-56 F, 8-13 C)


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## sab

Cheers Sluggerdog, I think I will just do the kit and brew enhancer 2 , just need to decide on what yeast to use. Thanks for the info Slugger.

Sab.


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## tangent

nice work with the fridge
if you:
use a lager yeast (Saflager is easy to start with) with low ferment temps
rack your brew
lager your brew after ferment (cold condition)
you'll have a very drinkable brew for an extract 

and Slugger makes a good point, keep it simple to check out what it's like, then add a little hops or change the yeast on the next brew.


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## sab

Thanks tangent. I will rack it to 2ndary and CC I did this with some of my lagers and there is a hell of a difference compared with some of my first few brews. :lol:


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## 501

Dry Enzyme --
Danger Will Robinson, 
ensure it is *really *done if bottling.

^_^ :chug:


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## rhydz

hi guys.

i'm also very very very new to homebrewing. i got the coopers homebrew kit for christmas from the missus. i mean theres only one thing better than an unlimited supply of beer and thats being able to make your own!!!!

anyways i was stoked as a mofo. i brewed the coopers australian lager it came with n just bottled it yesterday.

anyways. i really want to attempt the corona as its not bad and i know i can flog it off to mates or whatever. plus my olds will drink it.

i know i will need the coopers mexican can mix, plus the brew enhancer (this is replacing the standard sugar yeah?). does the can mix come with the yeast? or is it recommended i buy a different yeast?

do i use the standard priming sugar drops as well?

cheers, i am sorry i am really new to this. so yeah kinda trying hard to learn.

thanks heaps.


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## mika

Welcome aboard.
As you may have read, this is a new brew to just about anyone, so you're on the cutting edge.

All the coopers kits (as far as I'm aware <_< ) come with a yeast satchet under the lid. At this stage don't think too big, work on the simple bits and expand from there.
DEXTROSE, DEXTROSE, DEXTROSE.... lots of people I know use plain sugar and good luck to them. It may cost a little more, but the proof is in the drinking.

You could use a different yeast (saflager mentioned previously), but it's only going to cost more and unless you can reduce the temperature you brew at, it's not going to be a huge difference. What's under the cap ain't that bad.
Yeast does maketh the brew, but spin a brew or two before getting fancy.

As for the sugar drops, I like them for the simplicity, but others on the site are not so fond..... personal choice me thinks...... I'm lazy so choice is easy


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## rhydz

what dextrose do i buy? wheres a good place to get it? and do i use that instead of the brew enhancer?

also does anyone know if coles or woolworths/safeway stock the coopers cans?

sorry i am a real dumb ass at this as i have just started.

i live in perth by the way!


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## Thunderlips

rhydz said:


> what dextrose do i buy? wheres a good place to get it? and do i use that instead of the brew enhancer?
> 
> also does anyone know if coles or woolworths/safeway stock the coopers cans?
> 
> sorry i am a real dumb ass at this as i have just started.
> 
> i live in perth by the way!
> [post="100506"][/post]​



Buy any dextrose, it's all the same. Some home brew shops also label it as glucos.
I haven't looked for it in a supermarket before so I'm not sure if you can get it there.
As for the Coopers tins, most supermarkets should have them. Here in Vic I've seen them at Safeway, Bi-Lo, Harris Scarfe etc.


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## KillerRx4

You should be able to get Coopers kits at the supermarket, Cant say ive seen that 1 though.

I suggest getting a bag of brew enhancer over dextrose, the dry malt will give you more body & head retention over 100% dextrose. This should also be available at the supermarket. I usually use coopers enhancer 2.

The most important thing you want to do with your brewing at this stage apart from sanitation is keeping a stable fermenting temp. Best to try & keep temp 18-22 deg C.


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## Weizguy

the Jan-Feb 206 issue of BYO has an article about Mexican cerveza.

They say it evolved from a Vienna lager, and the best yeast for advanced brewers is an Oktoberfest yeast, or Bohemian, Bavarian or Danish lager yeast.

Of course, this only helps those who have the kit beer, and the right yeast and a fermenting fridge. But I thought I should advise, just in case it helps someone.

Seth


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## Thunderlips

KillerRx4 said:


> I suggest getting a bag of brew enhancer over dextrose, the dry malt will give you more body & head retention over 100% dextrose. This should also be available at the supermarket. I usually use coopers enhancer 2.
> [post="100523"][/post]​



I'd go even further and buy bulk dry malt and bulk dextrose from a HBS and just mix the two at brew time. It should work out a fair bit cheaper. I often buy them both in 5kg bags but now that a mate has got into brewing we're talking about splitting the cost of 25kg bags, which works out cheaper again.


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## tangent

spray dried malt and dextrose suck moisture out of the air like crazy.
i'm much happier to pay a HBS to bag it by the kilo, then i'm only opening 1kg to moisture and not 5 or 25kg. Otherwise you could be chipping off chunks of malt off your 25kg rock for your brew, nothing wrong with that but not as easy as pouring the stuff.
Also I did some sums and the price at my local HBS is the same by the kilo or x5, x25 <_< 

To start with I'd stick to the pre-packaged, 500gm light malt/500gm dextrose packs. 

If you're happy to stay with malt extract brewing and adding hops anyway, I'd buy a drum of Coopers liquid malt (save $$$) 
and do a search for pint of lager's tip on using a valve on the lid with CO2. Excellent advice if you've got the gear.


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## rhydz

just went down to the local coles. in basso.

i got the brew enhancer #2 and some more carbo drops.

they didnt have the can of coopers mexican but :-( all they had was the orginal draught and original lager i think. i was disapointed.

so i rang IHS in basso they are out of stock. any recommendations for a store close by?


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## Mr Bond

Big w have a reasonable range of homebrew kit and enhancers.


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## rhydz

ok guys i got the brewcraft mexican cerveza. it also comes with a dry enzyme. should i add this if i want a corona style beer?


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## Uncle Fester

Kai said:


> If you want some extra hops, find some Glacier. They have a wonderful lemon flavour/aroma that would complement a Corona clone nicely.



My HBS can find no reference to Glacier Hops. Any hints as to where I would be able to get them?

Also, should they be added into a boil, or used as a dry hop?

As usual, Thanks in advance.....


M

[Edit: Spulling]


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## Darren

mandrakar said:


> Kai said:
> 
> 
> 
> If you want some extra hops, find some Glacier. They have a wonderful lemon flavour/aroma that would complement a Corona clone nicely.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My HBS can find no reference to Glacier Hops. Any hints as to where I would be able to get them?
> 
> Also, should they be added into a boil, or used as a dry hop?
> 
> As usual, Thanks in advance.....
> 
> 
> M
> 
> [Edit: Spulling]
> [post="101986"][/post]​
Click to expand...


Hi Mandrakar,
You could get them from here. Pellets are ok through customs

http://www.morebeer.com/browse.html?catego...&page=2#results

cheers
Darren


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## DrewCarey82

Anyone sampled this yet am highly interested if it goes alright.


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## cliffo

3 weeks in bottle - am going to try it on the weekend and will report back...fingers crossed. 

cliffo


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## cliffo

Tried the Coopers Mexican tonight - it's still green so can't really comment on it at this time...will try again in a week or two.

Anyone else tried this yet?

cliffo


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## Fingerlickin_B

Kegged a 2 can of this on 8/1 and I've been away ever since. 

Will be cold and very carbed when I return home tomorrow...will post results then :beerbang: 

PZ.


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## Kai

Weizguy said:


> the Jan-Feb 206 issue of BYO has an article about Mexican cerveza.
> 
> They say it evolved from a Vienna lager,



So they started with Vienna lager, then took out the malt, colour and any lingering hop aroma it might have had?



mandrakar said:


> My HBS can find no reference to Glacier Hops. Any hints as to where I would be able to get them?
> 
> Also, should they be added into a boil, or used as a dry hop?



I've never dry-hopped with them, so far I've only used them as 15 min or flameout additions. I got mine through a bulk buy Crispy organised, but you could try morebeer as Darren suggested.


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## tangent

> then took out the malt, colour and any lingering hop aroma it might have had?



it's a classic how to make cheap beer for the masses
just like rice in asian beers only corn, or what ever you have too much of...


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## Fingerlickin_B

Drinking my 2 can right now. 

Not at all offensive in the taste department, but a bit thin nonetheless. 

Pretty good hot weather beer...I'm off for another :chug: 

PZ.


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## Matt

tangent said:


> just like rice in asian beers only corn, or what ever you have too much of...



Corona is made from rice (around 40%, according to Protz), not corn. Extract brewers can knock up something similar using dried extract and rice syrup/rice malt extract from the health food section at Coles - it comes in 500g jars for a few dollars. Hop to around 10-12 IBU (Protz again) with a noble hop. Boil the hops seperately in a small amount of wort to minimise wort colouration. Lager, or ferment cool with a clean ale yeast for an easy-drinking summer ale that should please your friends.


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## pugsmoo

yeah up my way in Ballina, north NSW
the local coles has just made there homebrew section heaps bigger
they have all the gear now even spares for the the drum
must be gettin pretty popular
but yeah you can buy all the sugars and dextrose for sure


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## Brownie

Hi,

Canberra Folks where did you get your Can of Cerveza, been looking around and not seen it at supermarkets yet?

Yet to go to LHS @ Kambah or Kaleen.

Let me know.

Brownie.


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## Uncle Fester

Brownie said:


> Hi,
> 
> Canberra Folks where did you get your Can of Cerveza, been looking around and not seen it at supermarkets yet?
> 
> Yet to go to LHS @ Kambah or Kaleen.
> 
> Let me know.
> 
> Brownie.
> [post="104786"][/post]​



Woolworths. BYOAH does indeed stock it as well.

M


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## recharge

Anyone else drinking there mex yet??

:beer:


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## Drew

Brownie said:


> Hi,
> 
> Canberra Folks where did you get your Can of Cerveza, been looking around and not seen it at supermarkets yet?
> 
> Yet to go to LHS @ Kambah or Kaleen.
> 
> Let me know.
> 
> Brownie.
> [post="104786"][/post]​




Yeah, I saw some at Woolies in Kippax....might give it a go too.


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## Fingerlickin_B

Has anyone done one of these that tastes like a Corona?

Thats not what I was hoping for with the toucan, but a girl at my work wants to start brewing and shed like to create something similar to a Corona as her first beer. 

After quizzing her, she informs me that she does indeed want that watery Corona-ness  

PZ.


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## DJR

I "accidentally" picked one of these up at Woolies the other week - should have picked up the Pale Ale, but anyway. I've emailed Coopers asking about composition of this one since i can't find any information, the US sites usually list SRM/IBU's of the kits. 

And they've responded, too. Basically the kit is just standard pale malt with Sylvan and Tetra hop essences, bittered to 16 [email protected] Bit higher on bitterness than what i was expecting, i thought maybe more in the low 10's for IBU rating. They said since the Tetra and Sylvan essences are used then the final product can go into clear glass. No rice malt or anything weird like that. Might make a good base to add some more malt and some different hops (about 15-20 IBU's Cascade) for an APA bastard hybrid.


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## sluggerdog

DJR, sounds like a great kit then. My fav kit is the morgans canadian light as it is very light in colour/flavour and only bittered to 16 IBU as well. You can add whatever you want to it and it comes out a treat!


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## DrewCarey82

So is it worth brewing or not and what do people recommend with it?

With a coopers brew enhancer 2 will it be similar @ all to corona?


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## Fingerlickin_B

Well, the girl I was asking advice on behalf of has quit her job here...so I no longer care :lol: 

PZ.


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## sluggerdog

DrewCarey82 said:


> So is it worth brewing or not and what do people recommend with it?
> 
> With a coopers brew enhancer 2 will it be similar @ all to corona?
> [post="111512"][/post]​




If you wanted something similar to corona I would be using the Coopers Brew Enhancer 1 rather then the 2 as it will give a ligher body. No hops needed at all and ferment with a lager yeast if possible. 

16 IBU is a little high for a corona (I think) I would have though around the 12 mark would have been closer but then again it should come out a super simple, easy drinking brew if that's what your after.


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## OLD DOG

hi guys I made it with a brew enhancer 1 added some lime zest, juice and fermeted for a week now cold conditioning into 2 week and will keg on the w/e. 

Out of primary it wasnt as light or thin as corona, it will be clearer and hopefully taste even better now.

If it lacks flavour I will add some cascade hops and a little malt next time. 

Will keep you posted. 

regards old dog 

:chug:


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## DrewCarey82

Maybe even just go plain dextrose? And a dry enzyme possibly do ya's reckon?


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## sluggerdog

DC82, Yeah go the whole hog of dextrose if you rather, I would be leaving out the dry enzyme though as it should be dry enough with all the dextrose...


Would be nice to see a review or two of this for others to go by Kit Reviews Here - Coopers Mexican Cerveza


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## richierm

Hey fellow brewers,

I am complete newby at this, the loving wife bought me a Coopers Kit for Xmas, so I am underway!!

Finished a pretty good Coopers Stout and thought I would try something at the other end of the scale and picked up the Cerveza.

Seems to be OK, except not really bubbling very much? It has been a little cool on the Gold Coast (thermometer on brew says about 20-24 Degrees C.) It has been a full seven days and not sure if ready to bottle.

Has anyone else run this brew through and had similar issues?

I will probably just measure the readings and if it is static for a few days, just bottle and see how I go!!

If anyone has any thoughts about this, would be keen to hear. This looks like a great forum and good site - keen to learn and develop the brew skills.

Cheers


Rich.


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## berazafi

Hello

Im new here but just finshed drinking a keg of this.

I added 1 can, 800grams of dextrose and 500gms of light malt (powdered)

Fermented for 5 days, then straight into the keg ( it was my first ever time at kegging, and have learnt a few things from reading since then, eg secondary to let it settle so its not cloudy)

Came out very close to corona a tiny bit sweeter and a little less bitter on the after taste, although this beer had not even 4 days of conditioning

, I had a few people over on saturday for some poker (VB and bourbon drinkers)

I thought i would pass a few half glasses around, since they were very cloudy i expected nobody to touch a drop, well we ended up going though the keg, and by the end even the bourbon drinkers had had a few glasses. Worst thing is i have nearly a slab of VB sitting in my fridge taking up space

I wish i had of bottled a few to put away for a month or so, but no such luck.


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## Piste

I kicked one off last Sunday (6 days ago) and the sg is 1010, I thought it would be ready by now or does the enhancer 2 give a higher reading???
Will try again tomorrow and see if its the same and may just go ahead and bottle anyway.
I usually use Tooheys Dark with 1.5kg of malt extract (light) and bottle after about 10 days, but she who must be obeyed wants a Corona style for a change, I normally do a cider for her.
We'll see how this goes.
Unfortunately I didn't take a OG so I don't know whats happened, but it started erupting within an hour of the yeast being added and went for two days.


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## yardy

i had a win with the Cerveza/Partial i did, probably shouldn't have racked onto the blueberries but you live and learn.

have a look at the blog for recipe and pics, starts in January Archives under Si Senor' Mash, ends at Si Senor Tasting.

cheers
yardy


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## MVZOOM

Mine's a bit strange. It's been 6 days now, started at 1044 and now it's still at 1015 - doesn't seem to want to drop. 

Used the can and 1kg of Brew Enhanser 2 - ie.. the exact method proposed on the can. Wort is sitting at about 24deg. 

Tasted it this morning - tastes very sweet. Anyone know what the FG should be? I'll leave it another couple of days and then rack it, just looks like it's going no-where fast.

Cheers - Mike


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## Drew

I've just bottled this brew. I also had just the 1kg can and Coopers Brew Enhancer #2 (although I did add a couple of chillis for something new). Total volume was right on 23 L.

OG 1035, FG 1012. It reached 1012 in just 2-3 days, but after 8 days it hadn't budged any further. 

1015 doesn't sound *too* high. Did you brew to less than 23 litres?

Personally I've never had a FG below 1010 (in my expansive 3 brew history) despite each cans recommendation of 1006.


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## Thommo

MVZoom, You may as well rack it now. If it's already at the correct gravity then no harm done, and if it's stuck then the movement should get the fermentation happening again.

Thommo.


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## MVZOOM

Yeah, thanks Thommo - I'll leave it one more day then rack it - it's pretty sweet beer and still smells a little fruity, it may still have some more in it. 

Cheers - Mike


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## Agarn

I've made quite a few beers with different enhancers. They have less fermentables in them than regular sugar or dextrose. This equals higher OG and higher FG and less alcohol.(unfortunately)


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## pharmaboy

general feedback on this kit; i just did one with 500mls of rice malt and 250grams dried wheat malt, threw in a couple of yeast packs ( a muntons and the kit yeast) and brewed at 22 or so to 18 litres.

Hoping for something like an asahi dry, but came out very reminiscent of tooheys dry. Unmistakeably tooheys family taste (POR?) . As mentioned above, very cloudy - assume it will clear. easy drinking mega lager - my non beer appreciating friend even thought it tasted like 'beer'.


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## Fingerlickin_B

Just a little update on this kit. 

As mentioned I had done a toucan of this and it was "ok". 

About three weeks ago I kegged a one-can of it (purchased kit because I had no petrol at the time and the local Woolies had nothing better). 

The toucan was fermented at around 20-22 deg, but the one-can (single kit, no adjuncts mixed to 11L in a 15L fermenter with supplied yeast) was fermented at significantly lower temps: around 16 deg. 

The now-cooled-kegged-and-carbonated one-can is very much like a Corona, maybe ever so slightly "bigger" in the flavour aspects, but I'm sure anyone that likes Corona would love it. 

Now I need to get my mates around to drink it for me...it's a little too much like Corona for my liking :lol: 

PZ.


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## Fingerlickin_B

Oh, and the lower fermenting temps (I assume it was the temp) have produced a much lighter colour...very p*ss-yellow...also like Corona h34r: 

PZ.


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## Piste

Bottled 5 days ago, no explosions, good.
Was a bit cloudy but suddenly settled to a clear urine specimen with kidney infection colour.
I only used what was provided.
Might open one at the weekend to see how it is progressing for SWMBO's benfit, I'm more interested in my Dark Ale thats on the go at the moment.
As an aside, anyone used the Carlton Hydrometer? and are they any better than the standard garden variety.


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## Samwise Gamgee

> Was a bit cloudy but suddenly settled to a clear urine specimen with kidney infection colour.



hahaha nice description!


A little off topic, but when i was doing K&K i aimed for a Corona like brew. I achieved something pretty close to it, prob even a little tastier, using a Country Brewer recipe. Wal's Dry Lager can + a brew booster type sugar mix (can't remember which one)

Turned out pretty good for my first brew.


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## boagesmalone

I dont mind admitting that I quite like the taste of Corona since the old girl put me on to it about 12 months ago at a wedding in Armadale. It was 40 degrees that day and I wouldve been partial to anything in liquid form. 

In Mexico, Corona is considered by locals to be a very ordinary beer so Im lead to believe, and in much the same league as Fosters lager is here in Australia. Because of clever marketing by both companies the brands have succeeded in other countries quite well... I suppose if the locals dont like it then send it somewhere else where they might. When I think of a Corona beer with a piece of lemon or lime poked in the neck of a bottle, I cant help but think back to the days when West Coast coolers were all the go with the younger ladies. (Those were the days).

Im not sure whether Mexicans drink Corona with a piece of lemon or lime, but it sure does make an improvement to that particular beer. Perhaps Fosters should market their beer with a lemon and lime and see whether it is successful or not in Australia. 

Because Corona is so expensive to buy, we decided to put down 46 litres of Coopers Mexican Cerveza. I went along with the kit instructions without changing a thing. We had our first taste of it last weekend after it had been sitting in the kegs for just over 4 weeks and were quite disappointed, so weve decided to let it sit for another month or so. 

Our first attempt at matching a Corona style beer was using the Coopers Canadian Blond kit, which we quite like including our guests.

I will give the Mexican Cerveza another month to mature and if it fails meet up with our expectations then well go back to Coopers Canadian Blond, which by the way taste good when its only a month old and gets lighter in colour in no time at all.


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## Aussie Claret

Boagesmalone,
Hope your attempt improves with more conditioning; I can tell you that in Mexico they do drink Corona and other similar beers such as Sol, with lime. The reason it's served with lime is to keep the flys away, SERIOUSLY.

I put down one of these kits mainly for friends that come over, but made with the kit, 700g LME, 500 dextrose and 12g of cascade hops for the citrus taste. I fermented with Saflager W34/70 cold fermentation have racked and now kegged, it's conditioning as we speak. FG was 1008. I've only tasted the hydro test specimen and I think that it will be a quite good for a simple quaffer, it is crisp and light.

AC


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## Piste

I do like Negro Modella, a bit like an Old Ale, black and smooth and Mexican.


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## mika

Have been told the Corona Extra we get over here is not a patch on the Mexican version which apparently has a fair bit more flavour.
To my mind FG's of 1012-1014 are not real bad. Nicer if it goes lower, especially in this beer given that it doens't have any sort of sweet taste.
Best option is to bottle and sit for a while, in all likely hood it will end up just a bit gassier.

My 2c worth anyway.


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## MVZOOM

Well, just kegged mine. Had a second fermentor ready to rack it, but as I poured a beer to cool myself off after the preperation, the keg ran dry.  

That's right folks - no beer, with a weekend approaching :excl: . Did the maths (Wed night, 48 hours of carbonation required....) and kegged the biatch.

Left it tilted back for 30mins before I siphoned it into the keg, and it looked pretty clean.

FG was 1015, OG was 1044, 8 days about 25 deg average - work that one out? 

Will let you know on Friday night... 

Cheers - Mike


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## mika

She be sweet :chug:


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## MVZOOM

Yep, having had a few now. Pretty tasteless to be honest, nice quaffing beer (ie.. real cold), with a very sweet aftertaste. 

Actually, come to think of it, if my FG was 1015, there was probably un-used sugar, hense the sweetness (does that make sense?).

Having to carbonate a bit as it's a flat one. Would I make again? Maybe, if the right people wanted it, in the middle of summer. 

Cheers - Mike


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## Foz

Hey All,

Well i'm new to all this but made this Coopers kit with the suggested brew enhancer 2 and like MVZOOM said, the beer turned out a bit bland. At the same time though quite a nice beer to chug down and the GF doesn't mind it either (she's half the shareholders in our kit).

Nice clean drinkable beer and well worth the boost of a lemon or lime wedge.


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## Uncle Fester

Kai said:


> Ferment it as cool as you can, or as the tin recommends. Probably 20C would be a good target.
> 
> If you want some extra hops, find some Glacier. They have a wonderful lemon flavour/aroma that would complement a Corona clone nicely.
> [post="96985"][/post]​




Kai,
I have noticed with interest that these hops are available from Ross's new venture.

Hence, can you give a hint as to how much to use, and how to apply? I'm assumung that you would dry hop with them, but how many?


Keen to give them a lash.

M


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## Piste

Checked mine last night, I didn't rack the brew  and there is a heap of sediment.
Cracked one and gave it a burst, bit bland and gassy with an almost sweet aftertaste.
I may try another one but it needs something to give it a 'something', not sure what but I will follow the posts.
Didn't measure the OG but the FG was about 1010 after a week or so, it was fairly warm so it probably fermented at about 25c.
I prefer my dark ales but for a BBQ quaffer on a warm day this one has potential.


----------



## mika

Too my tastebuds at least, I'd say the "shop" corona is fairly bland and tasteless...:Flame suit on: and pullling asbestos jocks up over flame suit
:-D


----------



## Piste

But remember that it is a 'trendy' beer (Corona), just as (God forbid) Fosters is in the good ole US of A.
Dare I say it but I have seen it portrayed as a Boutique Beer in America (Fosters).
I agree with you, but it's good for the bludgers who attend the BBQ and don't appreciate a 'good' beer, also good after a workout with my horses, as long as it's wet and cold I really don't care, later on it's a different matter.


----------



## MVZOOM

Invited my neighbour over for a 'Corona' last night, he drank the whole glass and seemed to enjoy it, so all good. 

Cheers - mike


----------



## pharmaboy

mika_lika said:


> Too my tastebuds at least, I'd say the "shop" corona is fairly bland and tasteless...:Flame suit on: and pullling asbestos jocks up over flame suit
> :-D
> [post="116062"][/post]​



LOL! I always love how everyone bags corona (not least of all because of the types of people who drink it I'd suggest). On occasion i hve enjoyed the stuff - there is a little citrus thing happening that is unique (often ter4med the cats piss taste I suspect - but i am inexperienced in that dept.).

What is interesting is that I dont brew lagers or pilseners, because i think they have littl taste or charachter (to me), but i wouldnt go round telling anyone who drinks lagers that the beer is bad. Similarly, hops are a preservative, and originally added to beers simply to preserve them - not a flavour addition, not desireable - so 'hopheads' have a taste for preservative! not a taste for beer.

flame suit who needs em!


----------



## bindi

Quote: so 'hopheads' have a taste for preservative! not a taste for beer. end Quote:

That's so funny   Flame suite on? :blink:


----------



## petesbrew

I made this one in January and it goes down pretty nicely :beer: with or without a wedge of lime!


----------



## dreamboat

I made a quick and easy kit and bits with this, and have had it in the keg for a week or so now after only a short lagering period.
I did a boil with around 5 litres of water, 500g of LDME and 8g of czech saaz pellets. Only boiled it for 15 mins as I did not want to add too much bitterness to the brew. I used saf 34/70 and fermented at around 10C.

Beer is pretty good. Still a hint of extract taste, but only a little... and for the effort which I put into it, it was a good result.


dreamboat


----------



## Fingerlickin_B

I did something somewhat similar, but not so similar and with more of everything  

1.5kg LDME, 100g Magnum pellets (13.9AA) and used the supplied yeast. 

Currently fermenting at 20C. 

It'll turn out nothing like a Corona, but is just something I wanted to try...so why not?  

PZ.


----------



## Thunderlips

Fingerlickin_B said:


> 1.5kg LDME
> [post="117520"][/post]​


I've never used that much malt before so I'm wondering, will the measly 7gms of yeast that you get in the packet be able to get through that much malt or is it going to be heavy on the sweet side?


----------



## Fingerlickin_B

As it turns out, the beer I'm sipping right now was made from:
2x Cooper's Real Ale cans, 
1kg LDME, 
Recultured Cooper's Australian Pale Ale bottle yeast. 

Quite strong in the flavour and alcohol departments, but not overly sweet, so I expect the other to be fine :chug: 

PZ.


----------



## dreamboat

Thunderlips said:


> I've never used that much malt before so I'm wondering, will the measly 7gms of yeast that you get in the packet be able to get through that much malt or is it going to be heavy on the sweet side?
> [post="117525"][/post]​



7 grams of yeast is never enough. Unless you are doing around 12 litre batches. There is plenty of information on the 'net about yeast pitching rates (measures in millions or billions of cells per millilitre of wort) and universally, that info will ilndicate that 7g of dry yeast is not enough.

The yeast will, however, multiply and then consume all the malt, unless they get killed. And to kill them you have to do something pretty stupid like overheat them or kill them with alcohol poisoning. 1.5kg of malt and a kit is a long way from being enough for the alcohol to get them. The problem with having not enough yeast is that you are less likely to get a good fg and possibly not the same flavour (you can aerate well at the start of the brew, for up to 24 hours, which will get the maximum yeast cell multiplication and will help both of the above)


dreamboat


----------



## nicknet

Brewing the Coopers Cerveza at the moment, 3 days in. From what's been said sounds like it should be ok, my girlfriend only likes clear beer, not partial to the heavy lager's etc....

Google is sometimes surprisingly good at finding what your after, all I typed was "Coopers Cerveza what's it like" and found this forum.

Anyway Piste said something about

"I do like Negra Modelo, a bit like an Old Ale, black and smooth and Mexican"

When my girlfriend and I were in Mexico we went to a pretty typical Mexican pub (drunk locals, a few dogs running around, dirty food stand in the corner) in Ensenada and we were drinking Sol all night (which is similar to Corona but better flavour I think). The bartender asked if I wanted to try a Modelo as more of the locals drink this. 

I asked him about Corona and he said that the locals don't usually drink it cause it's a little more expensive that the other beers like Tecate, or XX. Both these I tried aswell and they taste like shit but were cheap, so you can't complain. Also, somebody said the Corona in Mexico tastes different to the Corona you get here. Maybe it changes due to climate or something when they import it, but I couldn't tell any difference. Only difference really is over there you pay $18 for a case (12 longnecks).


----------



## DrewCarey82

sluggerdog said:


> DrewCarey82 said:
> 
> 
> 
> So is it worth brewing or not and what do people recommend with it?
> 
> With a coopers brew enhancer 2 will it be similar @ all to corona?
> [post="111512"][/post]​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If you wanted something similar to corona I would be using the Coopers Brew Enhancer 1 rather then the 2 as it will give a ligher body. No hops needed at all and ferment with a lager yeast if possible.
> 
> 16 IBU is a little high for a corona (I think) I would have though around the 12 mark would have been closer but then again it should come out a super simple, easy drinking brew if that's what your after.
Click to expand...


Now looks like the ideal time to get one of these down.

From experience do people know if this comes with a lager yeast?

Cheers.


----------



## Fingerlickin_B

DrewCarey82 said:


> From experience do people know if this comes with a lager yeast?



Nope, ale  

PZ.


----------



## DrewCarey82

Damn Saf-lager would do the trick wouldnt it?

As where I am brewing is way to cold for ale yeasts around 16 degrees.


----------



## Fingerlickin_B

K-97 will easily handle 16 degrees, just make sure you rehydrate it before pitching

PZ.


----------



## Steve

yeah Drew - do it with a lager yeast for sure! Saflager, S189.
Cheers
Steve


----------



## Josh

DrewCarey82 said:


> Damn Saf-lager would do the trick wouldnt it?
> 
> As where I am brewing is way to cold for ale yeasts around 16 degrees.



I reckon the ale yeast that comes with it would work fine. If anything will ferment as clean as possible at that temp so would suit the style pretty well. FWIW I have an ale fermenting at 17C now, so there's no worries about the yeast working.


----------



## DrewCarey82

My thermometre stick on thingy generally hangs around the 14-16 degree mark do you guys reckon that the mexicon cervaza yeast would do the trick?

With most of my beers I normally chuck in an extra brewiser yeast to help chew through it as well, so maybe this would help having 14g of yeast rather then the miserly 7?

Cheers.


----------



## DrewCarey82

bump.


----------



## Josh

DrewCarey82 said:


> My thermometre stick on thingy generally hangs around the 14-16 degree mark do you guys reckon that the mexicon cervaza yeast would do the trick?
> 
> With most of my beers I normally chuck in an extra brewiser yeast to help chew through it as well, so maybe this would help having 14g of yeast rather then the miserly 7?
> 
> Cheers.



I would give it a try. You can use an extra yeast if you think the original won't be enough.


----------



## PostModern

DC, you can always add a couple of degrees of warmth to a fermenter by placing a juice bottle filled with hot tap water beside the fermenter and optionally wrapping it in a blanket. Once fermentation kicks off, it should hold the temp, but if not, just refill the bottle as needed. I also keep some frozen juice bottles in the freezer in case I need to knock a few degrees off the temp.

If it were me, I'd use a lager yeast and an ice bottle, which is going to be my strategy for my once-a-year doppelbock.


----------



## DrewCarey82

Put down my Coopers Mexican Cervaza - 19.5 litres(I must have been blind swear it was 21 litres!) and CBE2, happily bubbling away....

Tossing up wether or not to chuck in any lemon juice in secondary.....

Last night noticed that I am down to about 40 drinkable long necks! - 60 conditioning for about 2 weeks. And my mexican in primary and putting on a coopers bavarian lager tonight.....

Dire Straights in Drews brewery.


----------



## Piste

DrewCarey82 said:


> Put down my Coopers Mexican Cervaza - 19.5 litres(I must have been blind swear it was 21 litres!) and CBE2, happily bubbling away....
> 
> Tossing up wether or not to chuck in any lemon juice in secondary.....
> 
> Last night noticed that I am down to about 40 drinkable long necks! - 60 conditioning for about 2 weeks. And my mexican in primary and putting on a coopers bavarian lager tonight.....
> 
> Dire Straights in Drews brewery.


You poor bugger, I'm down to nil with two waiting to be bottled.
One of them is the Cervesa again, I did it this time with SafLager and 250g DLME I had laying around and the CBE2.
Thought about adding lemon juice to secondary, how much would you put in and what would the effect be??
Or is it that classic Mex cooking phrase 'anything goes' (because he has forgotten it in Mex, No Hay Fajita or something like that)


----------



## grod5

A am just about to put my MC into the fermenter. Having read this thread a little while ago I thought I'd give it a go.

I'm using the Coopers MC can Coopers Brew Booster 2 with an extra 500g of dex. 12g of goldings boiled for 35 min just for the xtra dex and for the hell of it. 12g of s33 and will ferment at 18deg. 

Fingers crossed

daniel


----------



## DrewCarey82

Have bottled mine a week ago.

Even now after 1 weeks conditioning it looks crystal clear..... How long have people who have done this waited before tasting and when did you think it was good to drink.

In regards to the lemon..... Good question didnt really consider.

Maybe squeeze about 10 or so and bring to boil and doink it in?


----------



## Drew

Thought it's about time I added my 2 cents.

I brewed up the Cerveza with CBE2 a few months ago - my favourite drop so far. I probably started drinking them about 3 weeks after bottling, and 3 months down the track they are all gone. (No patience). It was reasonably clear at this time - surely racking and more patience would result in a clearer beer.

I boiled 2 limes and 2 chillis and threw them in at the start of fermentation, which added some nice flavour. 2 chillis over 60 bottles turned out pretty mild (which is not a bad thing) - i'd probably would have upped it to 4 or 5 next time.

Also - i threw a single chili per bottle into about 10 bottles for priming just to test. FYI unbearably hot - but I will bring them out at the odd social occasion to separate the men from the mice! Or use them for cooking.


Now that winter has hit in Canberra though I'm going to have to try my first saflager yeast...


----------



## DrewCarey82

Did you add just the lime juice? 

Or the pulp as well.

Did it come close to the original corona?

Cheers.


----------



## Drew

DrewCarey82 said:


> Did you add just the lime juice?
> 
> Or the pulp as well.
> 
> Did it come close to the original corona?
> 
> Cheers.




The whole thing. It was pretty soft after boiling it so I figured the juices would get out. Don't know what effect the pulp has - but i guess it didn't hurt. More time and effort I'd probably throw just the juice in..

Been a while since I had one - but i'd say it came out with more flavour and a bit more body than a Corona- but this is without racking etc. (I wasn't really going for a clone anyway).


----------



## DrewCarey82

Ah okay.

That sounds like a decent recipe you should throw it in the best kit and kilo recipes thread


----------



## Piste

Bottled my batch of cervesa on Saturday, went clear and settled very quickly, opened one today just to see what it was doing, not much of a hiss, but it has been cool and secondary will probably take a while.
It was surprisingly good compared to the first one I made and I can only attribute this to the Saflager and addition of 250g LDME.
It was a bit soft and a touch of sweetness which I think will vanish soon enough.
Again for this I used the kit, Saflager, 250g DLME and the Coopers BE2, made up to 23 litres, 2 weeks in primary.
Didn't touch the yeast provided.


----------



## petesbrew

Poured the very last stubbie of my corona clone last night, added a slice of lime off the tree out front and savoured every last drop while bbqing some steaks. At 6 months old it was superb.
Mine was just the basic recipe off the Coopers tin. It was a little bit bland, but great with lime. I'll definitely be brewing this one again sometime in the future.


----------



## DrewCarey82

Tried mine @ about 3 weeks and have to say the colour is lighter then most beers but nothing like corona. Taste was in the same light style.

If I do again which I may for a summer beer while do with dextrose. I think malt stuffs the corona style.


----------



## Agarn

Kegged one only last week. Coopers BE no.1 with 500 g extra maltodextrin. Very mild flavour but ever improving.


----------



## gonzo

what sort of finings are you using for this brew


----------



## DrewCarey82

Theres different types of finings?


----------



## Kai

yep!


----------



## grod5

what the?

Tried mine last week, tasted like cider. Not happy Jan. Must have been something I did. Wont do it again, brew this I mean.

daniel


----------



## gonzo

started this brew last nite 

Using the coopers tin cerveza and Brew enhancer 2 

I used filtered water out of the insink filter 

it tastes a bit weak ( 23l like the tin says).

Fermenting fine ,dropped
10 specific gravity points in less than a day so im fairly happy with that

OG 1040 

hoping to get down to about 1010- 1008 ish 

Im using a heat belt in this weather its going good guns


----------



## Piste

grod5 said:


> what the?
> 
> Tried mine last week, tasted like cider. Not happy Jan. Must have been something I did. Wont do it again, brew this I mean.
> 
> daniel


Mine was like that but after about three/four weeks the sweetness vanished, it's still improving and waiting for some warmer weather (aren't we all  )


----------



## DrewCarey82

Excellent idea, actually I'll have to chuck that in some crates for summer this baby! You'd definatley appreciate it then hey!


----------



## Samwise Gamgee

grod5 said:


> what the?
> 
> Tried mine last week, tasted like cider. Not happy Jan. Must have been something I did. Wont do it again, brew this I mean.
> 
> daniel




What temp you ferment it at daniel?


----------



## grod5

Sam,

Fermented at 19Deg with S-33. It was in the keg for 1 week at 4Deg before I tried it. I used brew booster #2. Looking back at my notes I may have discovered my problem. I added 500g of dex. Og was 1062 Fg was 1014. I added the xtra as it was sitting around. I might try this again with just the #2 and S-04 at 12 Deg.


----------



## Samwise Gamgee

Definately not a temp issue, assuming S-33 is an Ale yeast? (i'm not familiar with it)

I'd say you found your prob with the dextrose as you mentioned.


----------



## Cognosis

My mate and I are new to home brewing, and we started a brew of Cerveza on the weekend. We chucked in the coopers cerveza can, 1kg of coopers brew enhancer 2, 1kg of coopers brewing sugar, and a few grams of Amarillo hops. She seems to be running steadily at 20 degrees celsius.

However, after reading up on it, I seem to think we weren't meant to add the brewing sugar. Anybody want to confirm this? Also, how do you think it will affect the beer? Any advice will be really appreciated


----------



## DarkFaerytale

Hey Cognosis,
you wern't ment to add it, no idea what it will taste like, it'll be nice and alcoholic tho, somewhere in the low 7% range i would guess

-Phill


----------



## Boozy the clown

She'll be 'sweeet'.

Dunno if the supplied yeast will be able to ferment all that sugar. But as phil says, if it does ferment it the beer will have some kick.


----------



## Cognosis

Cheers guys. If she does have a larger alcohol content, all the better . She'll be like Toohey Extra Dry Platiunum, except it won't taste like crap (hopefully anyway)


----------



## Boozy the clown

If it ferments it all your mates will call you a legend, if it doesn't your missus will love you for making such a sugary drink.


----------



## gonzo

my cerveza turned out great pity i had to put it in PET bottles i didnt have glass ones.
Tastes good but im a little worried that there isnt enough fizz in any of my beers that i have made at the moment i have them in foam boxes above the cement floor an after 2 weeks some only have tiny bit of carbonation the others heaps, and the one i bulk primed isnt fizzy enough probly didnt put enough sugar in it,


----------



## DarkFaerytale

hey Gonzo, maybe try putting them somewhere a little warmer, and give them another couple of weeks, i'm sure they'll come up fine

-Phill


----------



## Uncle Fester

Cognosis said:


> My mate and I are new to home brewing, and we started a brew of Cerveza on the weekend. We chucked in the coopers cerveza can, 1kg of coopers brew enhancer 2, 1kg of coopers brewing sugar, and a few grams of Amarillo hops. She seems to be running steadily at 20 degrees celsius.
> 
> However, after reading up on it, I seem to think we weren't meant to add the brewing sugar. Anybody want to confirm this? Also, how do you think it will affect the beer? Any advice will be really appreciated




For interests sake, what was the SG?

According to the Brewcraft's (very loose) brew calculator, if you made it to a full 23 litres, it should be about 7.1%





I'm not sure, but I vaguely remember something about this kit using a dy enzyme? If so, the attenuation may be a little better than this.

Festa


----------



## DarkFaerytale

hey fester, thats the same calculator i used, i'v used it on other things befor tho and found it to come out wrong alot of the time, i didn't get any dry enzyme in my coopers, i think there in the other types of kits, i might be wrong tho

-Phill


----------



## DrewCarey82

Gonzo said:


> my cerveza turned out great pity i had to put it in PET bottles i didnt have glass ones.
> Tastes good but im a little worried that there isnt enough fizz in any of my beers that i have made at the moment i have them in foam boxes above the cement floor an after 2 weeks some only have tiny bit of carbonation the others heaps, and the one i bulk primed isnt fizzy enough probly didnt put enough sugar in it,



G'day Mate.

If your using the actual Coopers ones they are especially designed for brewing and are good for easily 6-9 months.

cheers.


----------



## gonzo

yeah the coopers ones the ones in PET bottles are probbly not in high enough temps, im not sure if i carbed the Ale enough cause of the high gravity reading i carbed some with drops and the rest with 45g of sugar for the 10L left over


----------



## sog

The Cooper's Cerveza marked my recent return to brewing after a 2-year hiatus (no, not a hernia).

I choose this because:
my girlfriend (read: brewing apprentice) is a Corona fan
the supermarket is a LOT closer than my closest HBS
I cook a lot of Mexican meals
I replaced the kit yeast with a SAF Lager W34/70 yeast as I had not then replaced my broken immersion heater and figured that a lager yeast would me more true to the style (though the low-temp brewing was the real driver).

I also added half a lime to the fermenter (after sterilizing the exterior). I had done this before with a Brewmart Cerveza and was pleased with the results after a few month's conditioning.

We tried one after 3 weeks in the bottle and, whilst it was quite drinkable and washed down the chilli nicely, decided it needs more time. But she was very impressed with her first brew. I can't wait to show her how good they can get with a bit more effort and patience.

The central heating sits on 18C so I have now moved the lager fermenter to an unheated spare bedroom where it sits on about 13-14C.


----------



## Cognosis

Bottled mine today, and I have some questions:

Is she meant to be so orange? (this is the first time I've bottled in glear glass)


----------



## Mr Bond

Cognosis said:


> Bottled mine today, and I have some questions:
> 
> Is she meant to be so orange? (this is the first time I've bottled in glear glass)



If by orange you mean not as light as a corona ,Yes

Extracts are always a bit darker,and impossible to get as pale as a beermade with grains.

Keep those clear bottles out of the light(in a box until fridging).


----------



## Wardhog

I've had one of these lagering in the fridge in the shed for two weeks now. I find myself unable to go to the shed without a small glass to hold about 20-30mls of this beer just to sniff it, I absolutely love the smell. It's also the clearest beer I've made.

Using SafLager 34/70, fermented at 12C (took about two weeks in primary)
Cervesa can contents + 750g dextrose + 250 LME
Lagered at 4C for 3 weeks

Bottling this weekend.

Hops:
15g Saaz boiled for 30 minutes
10g Saaz boiled for 5 minutes

This was the first time using hops seriously, I don't think I'll be able to look back after this. The hop additions have made this beer 20x better than anything I've done before, and it isn't even ready yet!


----------



## chimera

Might be the cold weather. what yeast you using?


----------



## DrewCarey82

His saying drinking wise mate, as in he hasnt conditioned it yet.

I am saving my cervaza for the summer.


----------



## DJR

Brauluver said:


> Keep those clear bottles out of the light(in a box until fridging).[/color]



Actually the kit uses tetra and sylvan which are light-stable and won't skunk in clear bottles, as long as you don't add any other hops. So clear bottles are fine.


----------



## Wardhog

DrewCarey82 said:


> His saying drinking wise mate, as in he hasnt conditioned it yet.
> 
> I am saving my cervaza for the summer.



Yeah, I'll leave it in the bottle for at least two weeks before testing one. At the moment, it's still lagering in the HDPE jerry cans in the fridge, so there's no carbonation yet, but I still can't stop sniffing and tasting it. Stocks are going down 20ml at a time.

My intention is to leave this for the summer too, but I don't think I'll be able to resist.


----------



## Mr Bond

DJR said:


> Brauluver said:
> 
> 
> 
> Keep those clear bottles out of the light(in a box until fridging).[/color]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Actually the kit uses tetra and sylvan which are light-stable and won't skunk in clear bottles, as long as you don't add any other hops. So clear bottles are fine.
Click to expand...


If you read this post cognosis states that he added hops so my original statement is valid


----------



## DJR

Brauluver said:


> If you read this post cognosis states that he added hops so my original statement is valid



My bad... just trying to remind people that clear glass is fine for this kit as long as there is no added hops. I should really read things before posting h34r:


----------



## Cognosis

The 'orange juice' colour is clearing up nicely as all the sediment sinks to the bottom, and she's taking on a nice corona-ey colour (we've got a bottle to compre it with). Here's hoping for a kickarse brew


----------



## gonzo

im so happy with my result on this one
did the simple can + brew enhancer 2 and it tastes great even better than coronas


----------



## JCG

Ive done this one before, when I first started brewing this year picked up 2 cans for $8. I did the first one with a kilo of dextrose came out very clear and very light. My only concern was it did not hold a head. I have taken my concern to my HBS he thought it was my glasses, but when I tried my ESB IPA it held head all the way down and it laced the glass (and that was done with goo and dextrose, nothing else). Again I tried CMC in same glass as my next drink and still no head. 

I am planning to another brew this time using brewiser liquide brewing sugar (plus a little hersbrucker hop), will this give more head than dextrose?


----------



## DJR

JCG said:


> Ive done this one before, when I first started brewing this year picked up 2 cans for $8. I did the first one with a kilo of dextrose came out very clear and very light. My only concern was it did not hold a head. I have taken my concern to my HBS he thought it was my glasses, but when I tried my ESB IPA it held head all the way down and it laced the glass (and that was done with goo and dextrose, nothing else). Again I tried CMC in same glass as my next drink and still no head.
> 
> I am planning to another brew this time using brewiser liquide brewing sugar (plus a little hersbrucker hop), will this give more head than dextrose?


 
You could steep a bit of wheat malt, or use malt rather than dextrose, but that will make it too dark and not light enough. I'd go with steeping the wheat malt personally. 200g of cracked wheat malt grain in a grain bag, put in some 65C water for about 45 mins then boiled for 30 mins with a bit of kit goo or dry malt (maybe about 100g or so), and you can boil up your hops for the last 15 mins of the boil to add some aroma. Alternatively you could get some dry wheat malt powder if you can find it. Wheat malt is great guns for head retention.


----------



## JCG

> put in some 65C water for about 45 mins then boiled for 30 mins with a bit of kit goo or dry malt (maybe about 100g or so), and you can boil up your hops for the last 15 mins of the boil to add some aroma



Wheat malt eh? If I boil that will as you suggested will it get darker like LDME does? As would like to keep the beer as light (in colour) as possible. 

JCG.


----------



## grod5

I 've used a Morgan's Extra Pale extract 1.5kg for my last 2 brews (Morgan's Golden Saaz and Brewcraft Pilsner) and found that it was very light in colour and the head was fine. 

I might even attempt the CMC with this as well.

daniel


----------



## DJR

JCG said:


> put in some 65C water for about 45 mins then boiled for 30 mins with a bit of kit goo or dry malt (maybe about 100g or so), and you can boil up your hops for the last 15 mins of the boil to add some aroma
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Wheat malt eh? If I boil that will as you suggested will it get darker like LDME does? As would like to keep the beer as light (in colour) as possible.
> 
> JCG.
Click to expand...


No it won't go too dark. If you're using the dry stuff you should only need to boil for 30 mins - adding the hops at 15 mins (maybe about 20g of hops to start with). You're only trying to add the head retention, so using dextrose for the rest of it will mean you still have a light coloured beer. But the one time i tried the MC kit i found it was way darker than Corona, even with just brew enhancer 1.


----------



## adamj_008

Whats a good hop variety to use in this style of beer. Im either going to try a Hallertau or Pride of Ringwood, but what are some suggestions. Ive heard cascade been thrown around. what type of flavours would that add to the brew? Any others that i might consider? Cheers.


----------



## Grasshopper

Boy, there sure seems to be alot of interest in this particular kit on this thread.

Can anyone tell me what the heck the brew enhancer actually is? I've looked at some Coopers kits in my grocery store (in Canada) and I haven't come across them and several kits of theirs ask for it.

Drews idea about adding some chilis is very interesting and something I'd like to try. A friend did this with pickles once and they were wickedly good.

Up here Corona is popular in mexican food restaurants and in the summer. A wedge of lemon or lime is nearly always dropped in the bottle when you get it at a restaurant. My wife and I enjoyed the novelty of it until reading that the practice is a way of hiding "off" beer. A clear bottle in a hot climate... you can see why this might have become a habit. Personally, I don't think the beer is that remarkable. But I sure like the clear ceramic labelled bottle, the wedge of lime, and notion of the beer with spicy food. And on a hot day. I think they've done very well selling the "ritual" of it to people. I find that dropping some lemon in any beer that I'm not fond of makes it more drinkable.

I'm dying to hear more people discuss their batches of this stuff. Especially brewing with chilies. I had no idea that was feasible.

A very interesting thread.


----------



## Steve

Grasshopper said:


> Boy, there sure seems to be alot of interest in this particular kit on this thread.
> 
> Can anyone tell me what the heck the brew enhancer actually is? I've looked at some Coopers kits in my grocery store (in Canada) and I haven't come across them and several kits of theirs ask for it.
> 
> Drews idea about adding some chilis is very interesting and something I'd like to try. A friend did this with pickles once and they were wickedly good.
> 
> Up here Corona is popular in mexican food restaurants and in the summer. A wedge of lemon or lime is nearly always dropped in the bottle when you get it at a restaurant. My wife and I enjoyed the novelty of it until reading that the practice is a way of hiding "off" beer. A clear bottle in a hot climate... you can see why this might have become a habit. Personally, I don't think the beer is that remarkable. But I sure like the clear ceramic labelled bottle, the wedge of lime, and notion of the beer with spicy food. And on a hot day. I think they've done very well selling the "ritual" of it to people. I find that dropping some lemon in any beer that I'm not fond of makes it more drinkable.
> 
> I'm dying to hear more people discuss their batches of this stuff. Especially brewing with chilies. I had no idea that was feasible.
> 
> A very interesting thread.



Grasshopper, an article on chili beer:

http://www.byo.com/feature/605.html

Cheers
Steve


----------



## Tyred

Grasshopper, information on brew enhancers

Brew enhancer 1 (coopers) - dextrose and maltodextrin
May also be called Body Brew
Probably 400g Maltodextrin(Cornsyrup).600g Dextrose
Brew Enhancer 1 improves the body, mouthfeel and head retention of your favourite brew without altering the flavour.

Brew enhancer 2 (coopers) - dextrose, maltodextrin and Light Dry Malt 
May also be called Brew Booster
Probably 250g Maltodextrin(Cornsyrup).250g Light Malt.500g Dextrose
Brew Enhancer 2 improves the flavour, body, mouthfeel and head retention of your favourite brew. 

Most of this from http://www.coopers.com.au/homebrew/hbrew.php?pid=7


----------



## Grasshopper

Thank you both for the information!


----------



## Team_Beer

i'm bottling one of these tomorrow night so i hope it turns out I just used the packet yeast and brewers no 2 so i'll let you all know in a few weeks how it went!


----------



## sluggerdog

cough cough... 10 pages of talk on this kit and only 1 comment on www.hbkitreviews.com ??

http://www.hbkitreviews.com/view-id-283-co...an-cerveza.html

100% Affiliated (not for profit though) :beer: 

ADD YOUR COMMENTS HERE: http://www.hbkitreviews.com/post-id-283-co...an-cerveza.html


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## Grasshopper

Stupid question: how did you navigate to that page? I can't seem to find the submit review feature for some other kits I've made.


----------



## Kingy

hi all,in the middle of fermenting the mecican cervarsa or what ever it is (corona) i used 1kg of 50/50 and added halletua hops (dont think ispelt that right either) and the yeast under the lid. Its been bubbling since saturday which is 5 days and there seems to be no raised scud like foamy crud you get on top of the beer while fermenting
is this normal for this brew?

aw yea i also used the dry enzyme

cheers kingveebee


----------



## siblesworth

Hi!

Just brewed the Coopers Mexican Cerveza (my second ever brew), using the can + yeast with 500g of LDME and 250g of dextrose made up to 20 litres, and adding a 12g Cascade hop teabag just before pitching yeast and making it up to 20 litres (aiming for 5% ABV). Brew temp stayed around 24 degrees (Adelaide is rediculously hot at the moment!).

Now, I just tasted it 5 days into the bottle and I am very impressed. Good body, good hopiness, tiny head (so far) and a reasonable alcohol kick! Nothing at all like Corona (but that's a good thing!). If it tastes this good at five days then I can't wait for Christmas/New Year!


----------



## Team_Beer

mines been in the bottle a week, so it's only a week before a try, i can't wait first beer after a long brewing break!


----------



## shamus

anyone got any updates?? I bought a can of this the other day and will probably start it in a week or 2...


----------



## hewy

I have this sitting in a keg in the fridge.

I added a heap of lemon to mine. Boiled up lemon rind with the dex/malt for about 20 mins. Then threw 3 lemons in the fermenter with the wort.
It smelled really lemony when it was fermenting and I was a bit worried I was going to end up with lemonade. Tastes quite alright from the keg. Certainly no overpowering lemon flavours and pretty damn easy to drink.

Got some mates coming over on sunday so we will get into it properly then. I'll report back after that...


----------



## hewy

I must say the beer went down a treat...

probably a little too lemony on second taste. I would probably do something similar with a lot less lemon. Still a good beer for summer...

head retention is pretty non-existant. I am guessing this is due to the lemon juice that inevitably ended up in the beer.

oh well live and learn


----------



## Wortgames

I'm just sipping a toucan of the coopers version - it's not bad!

Fermented for about 10 days at 20C then crash-chilled (still in primary) to about 3C for a few days. Filtered and kegged Sunday night.

I didn't add any extras, this was a dump & stir of the worst order, but it is a perfectly drinkable summer beer for the heathens. Looks good in the glass and the bitterness balances out pretty well - I suspect that a single kit might be a bit bland by itself. Hell, the double kit is pretty bland.

This actually reminds a bit of a 'good' XXXX* - there is a hint of malty character there if you go looking for it, but not enough to frighten the rednecks.

_*allow me to qualify that. When I was in Brissie once, ages ago, I actually had a XXXX that surprised me. I don't remember which 'version' it was, but it was surprisingly malty and I didn't mind it at all for a cheap beer. It certainly pi**ed all over VB. God I hope someone knows what I mean..._


----------



## Team_Beer

well i'm currently sitting down to my second tall boy of the coopers mexican cervesa and i'm pretty happy with it, it could do with a wedge of lemon but otherwise another week in the cupboard and she will be ripe for NYE!!!


----------



## Drulupis

I love Corona, so I bought a can of Coopers Cerveza, hoping to get somewhere in the ballpark.

Made it up and loved the sample I took before bottling, although I too thought it could perhaps do with a stronger flavour. So I picked up another can and made it up to 18L to increase the flavour a little.

Now, some 2-3 months later, both brews are perfect lawnmower beers. Good head initially, moderate retention. Great if you just want to quench a thirst.

Unfortunately my taste has since matured a little more towards the hoppy and the malty. (Viva La Chimay)
I've tried hopping a Coopers Pale Ale and double hopping a Coopers Real Ale.

The Pale Ale is ok (actually gets good reviews from my colleagues) but wasn't what I had envisaged.
The Real Ale is a little young yet to decide - good aroma but I'm hoping the aggressive bitterness mellows a smidge.

I'm about a week away from my first All Grain...and gettin' antsy.... ;-)

Cheers all


----------



## The King of Spain

Ended up with one of these by accident. Worked OK with a tin of light malt and hopped with a little PoR to counter malt. Used a coopers pale ale yeast starter and brewed at 18c. Not my favorate beer but suspect that if I followed instructions it would be down the sink.


----------



## Eugene

Well,

I brewed one of these a month ago, 4 days in primary, 10 days in srcondary, about 23 deg c temp, as per kit with an extra 400g od dextrose.

I opened one up at two weeks in the bottle, it was very good, great head, bubbles all the way to last mouthfull, all but zero sediment, too easy to drink, im keepinf=g them for the few days I get off over Christmas. Hey, thtas now, I jhad better get some in the fridge for this afternoon.


----------



## Team_Beer

well i sat down to a few of thse the other day with my buddy and i tell you they have one hell of a kick, it sneaks up on you, needless to say he got picked up from my place and left his car while i went into the lounge and had a snooze.


very happy with the beer! i'll be making this again!


----------



## JimmyXR6T04

well, i've done two of these brews now.. and so far, they're not only my favourite, but everyone else who tries my brews. However, that might also be due to the fact that i used liquid malt, dry malt, and hops.. rather then just the usual brew enhancers.

One of the brews has been in the bottle for 10-12wks, the other 6-8wks, and both are great :chug: 

A quick run down on what i did -

As stated, i used liquid malt (500g), dry malt (500g), one saaz hops bag thingy and the mexican cervesa wort. I pitched the yeast at around 20deg and left in the fermenter for around 12-14 days. The first batch i used a nottingham ale yeast, and the second brew i used the yeast provided in the can, plus a special yeast frome the home brew shop.

I'm just an amateur brewer, and these were probably 7th and 10th brews.. the others so far being canadian blonde (which is really good too) and some bavarian lagers (also really good). But using the liquid malt/dry malt combo really has taken the brews to another level.. i can't recommend them enough.


----------



## downundah

Hi all,

Just by way of introduction, I am brand new to brewing. I have only ever tried to brew once before when I was about 18 (over 10 years ago) and whilst the brew I made was drinkable, it was far from impressive. Now that I'm a bit older and more patient, I've decided to have another crack. The missus bought me a home brew kit for Christmas and I've picked up a tin of *Coopers Cerveza * from the supermarket. My wife loves Corona, so I'm hoping to emulate this brew as close as possible on my first brew in my new kit.

I've got quite a few questions I'm hoping some of the more seasoned brewers on here can help me with...

1. PET bottles versus glass bottles - is there a noticeable difference in the end result, or is glass only something for the purists and PET equally as effective? (I was stoked when I saw PET bottles as remember having to cap the Glass bottles the last time I brewed).
2. There has been a lot of discussion on this topic about which yeast to use (an ale yeast is provided in the can i believe) as opposed to a Saflager yeast. I am in Brisbane where the temp is a little warmer. Again, will the type of yeast I use make a noticeable difference? The prior threads suggested Saflager would work better if temps were a little cooler. At this stage I'm planning to use the yeast provided but would like to know if the difference will be worth going with Saflager instead...
3. What does dry enzyme do, and will it help with making this particular type of brew?
4. Will finings alter the taste of the brew or just help reduce sediment?
5. How long can the beer store for, and what would you suggest would be an optimal time to leave it bottled before drinking it?

Thanks in advance to anyone who is able to help me with these questions...

Downundah.


----------



## Adamt

downundah said:


> 1. PET bottles versus glass bottles - is there a noticeable difference in the end result, or is glass only something for the purists and PET equally as effective? (I was stoked when I saw PET bottles as remember having to cap the Glass bottles the last time I brewed).



No real difference. Make sure you clean and sanitise the bottles properly either way. PET bottles are handy as you can tell when they are carbonated as they're hard.



downundah said:


> 2. There has been a lot of discussion on this topic about which yeast to use (an ale yeast is provided in the can i believe) as opposed to a Saflager yeast. I am in Brisbane where the temp is a little warmer. Again, will the type of yeast I use make a noticeable difference? The prior threads suggested Saflager would work better if temps were a little cooler. At this stage I'm planning to use the yeast provided but would like to know if the difference will be worth going with Saflager instead...



Usually the yeast strapped to the kit is subject to extreme conditions which may either kill it, or severely reduce its effectiveness. Ale yeasts (kit yeasts are ale yeasts for the most part) should be fermented between 18-20C, keeping as close to those temperatures as possible. Lager yeasts (Saflager for instance) should be fermented at 10-12C. Yes, different yeasts create a completely different beer. If you are able to maintain lager fermentation conditions use the Saflager, otherwise get a quality dry ale yeast such as US-56 (or US-05).



downundah said:


> 3. What does dry enzyme do, and will it help with making this particular type of brew?



I'll leave tihs one for someone else. I've never used dry enzyme.



downundah said:


> 4. Will finings alter the taste of the brew or just help reduce sediment?



Both, it reduces sediment which may remove flavours you might get from drinking the sediment. A highly flocculant yeast should leave most of the sediment in the fermenter with careful racking.



downundah said:


> 5. How long can the beer store for, and what would you suggest would be an optimal time to leave it bottled before drinking it?



If you use PET bottles you can give the bottles a squeeze to see how carbonated they are. Once they're carbonated try one every few days/week.


Hope this helps you out!


----------



## Yeasty

Hi guys, im new here (first post - w00t) 

Im getting back into brewing with this Mexican Cerveza brew for a starter.

Ive got access to a fridge, or a chest freezer, and am interested in trying to get a quality brew for a first attempt...

I read ^ above that i can use 



> Lager yeasts (Saflager for instance) should be fermented at 10-12C



Would this be better brewed in a fridge, or chest freezer with a temperature controller to keep the temps right?

How long @ these temps would it take to ferment (i havent got a secondary setup as yet) so it will be going straight to bottle...

Eventually id like to get into kegging and, and setup the freezer as a storage unit


----------



## snagler

Everthing this time of year is better brewed in a fridge. Put the coopers mexican aside for now and brew a dark ale/stout if you cant run a fridge. Ales being a lot more forgiving to our summer heat in my opinion. Unless of course you live in Tasmania or somewhere else colder.


----------



## Yeasty

Nope, i can defintly get a fridge setup going, or a chest freezer. Trying to decide which of the two will be better at the task (with a temp controller)

Just wondering how long it will take, ideal temps, and what yeast...?

edit/ was going to try a Kilkenny brew, but the shop ran out so i chose this for now. I can run another brew straight away though, as ive got a good supply of bottles  Will post later for hints on the Kilkenny


----------



## snagler

Yeasty, I used saflager 34/70 in my last brew. I gave it one week in primary and one week in secondary and all was good at 12 degrees. A longer secondary would be advised but not nessesary. A extra week would give you a clearer beer with less sediment. 
Im very happy with the saflager 34/70 packet yeast at 12 degrees, however it doesnt floc the best.


----------



## Green Iguana

Yeasty,

I have just racked the coopers mexican. I used saflager, pitched at 20C then fermented at 12 C for 12 days, raised to 18 C over the last 24 hours whilst still in the primary. I will now lager in the secondary at 2 C for 7 days. It would be preferable to lager longer, however i am thirsty as my kegs are dry..


----------



## Yeasty

So it would be better for me to get a secondary setup going? Do i just use another fermenter for that?


----------



## snagler

Yeah yeasty all you do is hose it into another fermenter, obeying all the sanitary rules and minimal splashing etc. For now dont worry about doing a secondary if you dont have a spare fermentor, just give it a go in the one fermentor. When fermentation has finished let it go another week then bottle.


----------



## Yeasty

Another quick question before i start my mexican (just waiting to get my fridge temp controller)...

It says on the side of the can to use 1kg of brew booster. The guy at the shop sold me a bag of brew booster which contains

500g dextrose
500g Light dried malt
250g malto dextrin

Am i supposed mix it then use 1kg, or just mix the lot together and dump the 1.25 kg bag in? What would the result be if i did?

thanks


----------



## shamus

what final gravity has everyone had when they brewed this with Coopers BE2? Mine finished at 1012....does this seem a bit too high or is it pretyy much rigth for this?


----------



## phonos

Yeasty said:


> Am i supposed mix it then use 1kg, or just mix the lot together and dump the 1.25 kg bag in? What would the result be if i did?



Yeasty, just add the lot in - a bit of extra malt won't do you no harm!



shamus said:


> what final gravity has everyone had when they brewed this with Coopers BE2? Mine finished at 1012....does this seem a bit too high or is it pretyy much rigth for this?



Shamus, I have had a FG of 1.010 in the past using brew enhancer 1. What ingredients did you use? You are very close if you haven't already finished. Wait a couple of days and if it hasn't dropped any more, you should be set.


----------



## shamus

Phonos said:


> Yeasty, just add the lot in - a bit of extra malt won't do you no harm!
> Shamus, I have had a FG of 1.010 in the past using brew enhancer 1. What ingredients did you use? You are very close if you haven't already finished. Wait a couple of days and if it hasn't dropped any more, you should be set.


I just used the kit and Brew enhanceer 2.... I'm assuming the maltodextrin in BE2 gives a higher FG.... It was at 1012 for 2 days, then I racked it and the next day it was still 1012....


----------



## DrewCarey82

Guys use brew enhancer 1 or if you can bring urself to do it dextrose, trust me you want the unfanciest blend possible as dont forget you dont want extra body head ect.... Its supposed to be a corona clone remember.


----------



## Kingy

i done a mexican cervesa and its like bottled gold im gunna smash a few (well quite a lot of a few) of them all down when my old man comes for a visit over the long weekend comin up.

Cant wait, as long as my missus stays away from them,(i might have to take the garage key off her keyring on the sly) otherwise theyll all be gone.

gunna do 2 more batches at the same time when this heat settles out a bit. (i have 3 fermenters) so just rack both and bottle at the same time.

dont taste like corona,and no lemon or lime needed. Its just clean and smooth with no home brew taste or slurry. bloody beutiful!!


----------



## Yeasty

KINGVEEBEE said:


> i done a mexican cervesa and its like bottled gold



and your method /tips are? :.....


----------



## Kingy

dunno been looking for my beer diary all arvo,ive given up now and just drinkin beer instead.
When the missus gets home ill ask her,she'll know where it is. (its probably under something) 
I do move things when im looking for stuff.

I know it was a basic brew with no extra fancys it amazed me how it turned out,when i find it ill post it.


----------



## Yeasty

Just thought id ask here to keep it all in the same thread...

What SG should i have if i used -

1.7 can of Coopers Mexican Cervesa
500g Dextrose
500g light dried malt
250g maltodextrin

I pitched Saflager yeast at 20deg C, and its now fermenting @ 12 deg in 23L

I took a SG reading before i pitched the yeast, just wondering how far off i am 

thanks


----------



## Jaeger

shamus said:


> I just used the kit and Brew enhanceer 2.... I'm assuming the maltodextrin in BE2 gives a higher FG.... It was at 1012 for 2 days, then I racked it and the next day it was still 1012....



I've just bottled a batch of Cerveza today (can + BE2), and it's FG was also 1012. OG was 1040, which seemed a bit low, but it'll do for a quick summer beer.


----------



## Cortez The Killer

I made this a while ago 


came out surprisengly 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


Cheers


----------



## Slurpdog

Cortez The Killer said:


> I made this a while ago
> came out surprisengly 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
> Cheers



And how'd it go Cortez?
I love a good lawnmower beer!


----------



## poppa joe

SLURPDOG...
That would be no good for me...
The wife does the mowing and does'nt drink..
Cheers
PJ


----------



## Cortez The Killer

Slurpdog said:


> And how'd it go Cortez?
> I love a good lawnmower beer!



It's really nice - very easy drinking - I'd drop back the alcohol just a tad to make it more lawnmowing  

The candy sugar didn't impart any cidery flavours. 

Non home brew drinkers have found this one very nice and easy drinking

Depending if you wanted more flavour you could use a more exciting hop schedule

Cheers


----------



## downundah

I've just put down my first brew in over 10 years, so am a little rusty.
I put a Coopers Cerveza down on Friday (Australia Day) at 8pm, with yeast pitched at approx 27 degrees. I know this is not ideal but I live in QLD so couldn't be avoided with the equipment I have. Fermentation began almost immediately, and by Saturday the brew was bubbling along rapidly. By Sunday the bubbling through the airlock slowed right down, and yesterday (Monday) it was virtually non-existent. I've kept the wort at a consistent 28 degrees the whole time in a dark area, but am now needing to know when to bottle. The OG was 1036 and I took a reading late last night (on day 3) of 1010. I was thinking that tonight would be the best time to bottle, having been in there for 4 days at a consistent 28 degrees and allowed a little time after fermentation has completed to settle.
Have I left it too late, or is tonight too early ???
Any tips on when to bottle would be appreciated.

I don't want to leave it too late, but by the same token don't want to bottle too early!!!


----------



## Cortez The Killer

leave it at least a week

cheers


----------



## Eugene

downundah said:


> I've just put down my first brew in over 10 years, so am a little rusty.
> I put a Coopers Cerveza down on Friday (Australia Day) at 8pm, with yeast pitched at approx 27 degrees. I know this is not ideal but I live in QLD so couldn't be avoided with the equipment I have. Fermentation began almost immediately, and by Saturday the brew was bubbling along rapidly. By Sunday the bubbling through the airlock slowed right down, and yesterday (Monday) it was virtually non-existent. I've kept the wort at a consistent 28 degrees the whole time in a dark area, but am now needing to know when to bottle. The OG was 1036 and I took a reading late last night (on day 3) of 1010. I was thinking that tonight would be the best time to bottle, having been in there for 4 days at a consistent 28 degrees and allowed a little time after fermentation has completed to settle.
> Have I left it too late, or is tonight too early ???
> Any tips on when to bottle would be appreciated.
> 
> I don't want to leave it too late, but by the same token don't want to bottle too early!!!



I would Rack it and give it another 5-7 days, I connot tell you how much it will improve your beer for such a small effort.

I am drinking one right now, Standard Kit (coopers Cerveza), 1kg dex, coopers yeast, it has been in the bottle now for 6 weeks, in the fridge for 2 weeks, and is one of the easiest drinking beers I have done, I like an active beer, so I bulk primed with 190gram of Dex into largies, these things hold head to the last mouthful and bubble like crazy.

My "none home brew" freinds ask for more and want to know what it is, when told its brew they dont believe me, but still want more, two guys have acctually started brewing after having a few of these, they cannot belive its home made (sort of).

Rack, bulk prime, store and enjoy.

I do two brews now each time, one is always this kit.


----------



## wildschwein

Wow; this thread is an epic. This new Cooper's product has really got everyone going. 

I suggest if you are really looking for an authentic Corona taste and you're a bottler (like me) you should use green or clear bottles and then leave them in direct sunlight for 30 minutes or so to impart that "skunky" imported characteristic you get with light-struck beers like Corona and Sol. I wouldn't do this with any other beer that isn't served with citrus though.


----------



## maxy007

Eugene said:


> I would Rack it and give it another 5-7 days, I connot tell you how much it will improve your beer for such a small effort.
> 
> I am drinking one right now, Standard Kit (coopers Cerveza), 1kg dex, coopers yeast, it has been in the bottle now for 6 weeks, in the fridge for 2 weeks, and is one of the easiest drinking beers I have done, I like an active beer, so I bulk primed with 190gram of Dex into largies, these things hold head to the last mouthful and bubble like crazy.
> 
> My "none home brew" freinds ask for more and want to know what it is, when told its brew they dont believe me, but still want more, two guys have acctually started brewing after having a few of these, they cannot belive its home made (sort of).
> 
> Rack, bulk prime, store and enjoy.
> 
> I do two brews now each time, one is always this kit.




Hi Eugene,
What is your OG and FG on this kit. The one I made was about 4.5% which I'm happy with but it was flat.. no head at all


----------



## Yeasty

mine turned out fine (its 2 months old now and damn great) its about 5%

Mine gets a good head, and ive found it has more to do with the glass as well. Ive got some coopers 345ml beer glasses that hold a good head until i finish.

I find after trying a few different brews now its a great lawnmower beer. Light on taste and body, but very easy to drink.


----------



## brettprevans

If you want some extra hops, find some Glacier. They have a wonderful lemon flavour/aroma that would complement a Corona clone nicely.
[/quote]

any idea where you can get Glacier hops from?


----------



## jkeysers

Sorry, if this has been covered. I skimmed the thread and didn't see anything. Was just wondering if anyone has done a toucan Mexican Cerveza? Either as a Cerveza with a cheap can like Farmland/Coles Lager, or with 2 Cerveza cans.

I wanna give one a try (with some lemon/lime zest and Saaz hops) and was just wondering how it would come out? How much water to add? Whether to add the kit yeasts or a specific lager yeast? etc.

:beer:


----------



## brettprevans

i_like_chicken said:


> Sorry, if this has been covered. I skimmed the thread and didn't see anything. Was just wondering if anyone has done a toucan Mexican Cerveza? Either as a Cerveza with a cheap can like Farmland/Coles Lager, or with 2 Cerveza cans.
> 
> I wanna give one a try (with some lemon/lime zest and Saaz hops) and was just wondering how it would come out? How much water to add? Whether to add the kit yeasts or a specific lager yeast? etc.
> 
> :beer:


Dont think a toucan cerveza has been covered in this thread. spose you could you a larger and a cerveza as a toucan but you would want to find an unhopped larger or its will be bitter (dont quote me on that though). Coopers cerveza is pretty cheap at the supermarket. Someone like Bconnery or Wortgames may have done a toucan cerveza. 

Instead of using saaz try using glacier hops. theres threads talking about glacier hops also. It will give its a lemon taste to it. 

If you use the zest make sure you dont get any of the white stuff (pith) in the zest. its the pith that is bitter.


----------



## delboy

this is sort of on topic 

sorry for the hijack 

mexican cerveza ie carona,cantina,sol, has a certain taste about it and an aroma what are the hops used to acheive this has anyone ever got it ?

del


----------



## jkeysers

citymorgue2 said:


> Dont think a toucan cerveza has been covered in this thread. spose you could you a larger and a cerveza as a toucan but you would want to find an unhopped larger or its will be bitter (dont quote me on that though). Coopers cerveza is pretty cheap at the supermarket.



Yeah, I didn't think I saw anything on it. It sounds interesting. As for the bitterness thing, I had considered this. I noticed a few people had said that the brew wasn't bitter enough. But yeah, maybe 2x Cerveza cans would be better. I was thinking 2 Cerveza cans with a little Dextrose to bump up the alc. vol.
A little lemon/lime zest, all topped up to about 25-26L. Then some Saaz hops in the secondary for aroma.

I considered the Glacier hops, but don't want it to be too lemony. With the zest in the wort and then maybe a wedge of lemon/lime with the beer when its served, that should be more than enough. Don't wanna overdo it.

Anyway, if anyone has attempted a toucan with a Mex. Cerveza, i'd sure like to hear about it.


----------



## discoloop

> mexican cerveza ie carona,cantina,sol, has a certain taste about it and an aroma what are the hops used to acheive this has anyone ever got it ?



I'm not so sure the flavour and aroma can be put down to the hops. I'd always guessed the distinctive 'mexican' taste was due to the use of some sort of adjunct. (Rice)?



> Anyway, if anyone has attempted a toucan with a Mex. Cerveza, i'd sure like to hear about it.



Wortgames wrote about it earlier in this thread. Page 10. "Not bad", apparently.


----------



## wildschwein

I put down one of these down today. Just to see what it's like. 

Boiled up 500ml of liquid rice malt (from health food isle in Coles) and 500g of dextrose with 2L of water and 20g of Bavarian Saaz pellets for 5 minutes. Strained into the fermenter with kit contents and topped up tp 23L with cold water. Pitched the kit yeast (which is an ale and lager blend) at 23 degrees C and took it out to the laundry to enjoy some cold nights.


----------



## BIGRO

I have just put one on keg now, looks and smells ok but will try taste test tomorow!! :beerbang:


----------



## wildschwein

Bottled up my batch today. Fermentation took 12 days at 12-14C. Bulk primed with 3/4 cup of dex boiled in an equal measurment of water. Smelt pretty citrusy and it has the piss yellow colour of Corona. Looked great in the Corona bottles I have aquired recently. I don't care that much about these getting light struck as it will probably help the beer taste just like Mexican brews. Just going to serve it up ice cold with a lemon slice in a couple of weeks.


----------



## Brewtus

i_like_chicken said:


> Yeah, I didn't think I saw anything on it. It sounds interesting. As for the bitterness thing, I had considered this. I noticed a few people had said that the brew wasn't bitter enough. But yeah, maybe 2x Cerveza  cans would be better. I was thinking 2 Cerveza cans with a little Dextrose to bump up the alc. vol.


Small irony here.... Dos Eccys is spanish for 2x or XX or double X or whatever which is about the best Mexican beer. Better that Corona (meaning small crown or ring around the sun) or Sol (Spanish for sun).


----------



## BIGRO

Mine tastes great on tap (well as good a a mexican beer can)


----------



## aimre

Hey guys,

Ive got a can of this im ready to try as soon as my current batch it over.

I got BE2 (looking at the Nutritional Panel, its got 645g of sugar) so i was think of adding another 4-500 g of Dex. Would this b alright.

I plan on using the kit yeast as i can only keep the temp at 21'C

What u guys recomend?


----------



## Slurpdog

Had a can of the Coopers Cervaza in the cupboard for a while now and finally got around to using it last night:

1 x Can of Coopers Cervaza
1 kg Dextrose
500gms of Dried LME
30gms of Saaz pellets
6 x Fresh lemons
2 x Saflager 34/70 yeast.

Cut lemons into quarters and boil in 2L of water for 20 mins, mashing well with a potato masher.
Boil Dried LME and dex in a seperate pot for 30 mins.
15gms of Saaz @ 15 mins
Using a hopsock, strain contents of lemon water into boiling malt/dex @ 10 mins
15gms of Saaz @ flameout.
Crash chill in water bath.
Add to fermenter and top up to 23 Litres.
Pitch 2 packs of Saf 34/70 yeast @ 18deg and seal up fermenter.
OG - 1052
Colour is an eerie yellow/green and the test sample tstes very lemony.
Will probably rack to secondary at 7 days.

Less than 12 hrs after pitching, the ferment has really kicked in strong and so it's off to the ferment fridge to finish of at 9-11deg.
I wouldn't normally use 2 yeasts but I wanted to make sure this thing got off to a flying start.
Will post tsting notes if I remember.


----------



## aimre

aimre said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> Ive got a can of this im ready to try as soon as my current batch it over.
> 
> I got BE2 (looking at the Nutritional Panel, its got 645g of sugar) so i was think of adding another 4-500 g of Dex. Would this b alright.
> 
> I plan on using the kit yeast as i can only keep the temp at 21'C
> 
> What u guys recomend?




anyone?


----------



## Slurpdog

aimre said:


> anyone?



Aimre

Just the BE2 would be fine on its own.
All the extra Dex will do is bump up the alcohol of the finished beer as Dex is fully fermentable. It won't add any more body.
Throw some Saaz or Hersbrucker hops in just to make it interesting.
The kit yeast will be fine at 21deg, but if you can get a hold of a 100 can cooler to place your fermenter in, then you could ferment a little cooler for a cleaner beer.

Slurpdog


----------



## BIGRO

aimre said:


> anyone?



Hay aimre, i made mine with just the tin and coopers brew enhancer 2, up to the 23 litre mark. tastes great only had about 6 sconers tonight lol :beerbang: 

I only used the yeast that came with the kit and it fermented at around 18 to 20 deg for about 6 days and im really happy with the results, i didnt add anything except what it said to do on the can and it tastes great(even though i have never been a corona fan) but mate its up to you, you could try it as per "instructions" or you could add some hops or some LME but id be happy so settle with the Brew enhancer 2 and add lemon or once you have it in the glass

I have been adding a slice of lime to my glass for a bit more of a bitter taste more than anything!!



ps i have ot on a keg!!


----------



## aimre

Slurpdog said:


> Aimre
> 
> Just the BE2 would be fine on its own.
> All the extra Dex will do is bump up the alcohol of the finished beer as Dex is fully fermentable. It won't add any more body.
> Throw some Saaz or Hersbrucker hops in just to make it interesting.
> The kit yeast will be fine at 21deg, but if you can get a hold of a 100 can cooler to place your fermenter in, then you could ferment a little cooler for a cleaner beer.
> 
> Slurpdog




Thats what i was thinking, cos with the Dex in BE2 being so low, its only like 3% Alc


----------



## boingk

aimre - BE2 contains light dried malt extract [LDME] as well which is fermentable, gives body, and flavour to your brew. You should be looking at around the mid 4's mark. Actually, it should say on the packet what it will make up to %'ge-wise - check out the back of one next time your down at the local homebrew store or where ever.


----------



## aimre

Fair enough, didnt relise. It say 4.8% for 1kg of BE2


----------



## wildschwein

I tried one of mine today after 3 days in the bottle. My recipe is above somewhere. It's the most cidery flavoured beer I have ever made. Tastes like a mix between Strongbow and Cooper's Sparkling Ale but more watery (I used 500g dex + 500g of rice malt syrup). Can't say there is much in the way of hops flavour either. It's early days yet but so far it's not tasting that great. Oh well, you have to try this stuff I guess.


----------



## brettprevans

heres what im thinking of putting down tomorrow. cheap summer lawnmower brew

2 cans x Coopers Cerzesa
250g dex or 250g rice malt
15g glacier hops @ 15min
15g glacier hops @ flameout
2 x lager yeast (s-23) @10C 3 weeks, @2C 1 week
28L. approx OG 1.045 FG 1.011. 5.%

Any suggestions for alterations to the hops schedule? Ive got 90g of glacier, so theres heaps to play with.

glacier shold give it a nice lemon taste. ive never used it before and I couldnt find anyones post brewing commenting on their hop schedule.

thx


----------



## ibast

citymorgue2 said:


> heres what im thinking of putting down tomorrow. cheap summer lawnmower brew
> 
> 2 cans x Coopers Cerzesa
> 250g dex or 250g rice malt
> 15g glacier hops @ 15min
> 15g glacier hops @ flameout
> 2 x lager yeast (s-23) @10C 3 weeks, @2C 1 week
> 28L. approx OG 1.045 FG 1.011. 5.%
> 
> Any suggestions for alterations to the hops schedule? Ive got 90g of glacier, so theres heaps to play with.
> 
> glacier shold give it a nice lemon taste. ive never used it before and I couldnt find anyones post brewing commenting on their hop schedule.
> 
> thx



How'd this go? I would have though two cans would be bitter enough, thought the finishing hops wouldn't hurt.


----------



## brettprevans

I changed the recipe last minute

1 Cerveza can, 
350g Dex, 
250g LDME, (should have used 100g Carapils or wheat extract instead of 100g of LDME- but didnt), 
5g Glacier hops @20, 
10g Glacier hops @15, 
10g Glacier @10, 
20g Glacier @ flameout, 
22L
2 x saflager @ 12C for 3 weeks, then chill as cold as I can for another 2.
~4.2% before bottling. OG 1.038, FG 1.008

Having a look back at the receipe Im suprised if I actually used as much hops Ive said as the resulting beer is still light on Hop flavour and aroma. Although I may have used that much. I would possibly use [email protected] if I did it again. 

It is a nice summer lawnmower beer. Easy to knock back and the few guys who have tried have liked it, but thern again thats not hard as I personally dont think theres much to it.


----------



## ironxmortlock

Just bought this kit.

What do you recommend for getting a subtle lemon flavour through the beer? Fresh lemons? How many and what's the procedure?

Also, I've a got four 6g packs of Morgan's Lager yeast in the fridge. What these work with this beer if I fermented at 10C?

Thanks,

M


----------



## Katherine

> Just bought this kit.
> 
> What do you recommend for getting a subtle lemon flavour through the beer? Fresh lemons? How many and what's the procedure?
> 
> Also, I've a got four 6g packs of Morgan's Lager yeast in the fridge. What these work with this beer if I fermented at 10C?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> M



I make a really nice chilli and kaffir lime beer out of that kit. Everyone that tries it loves it. Its my simpliest beer. Not quite sure if you like chilli. 

1 x Coopers Cerveza
1 kg of BE 1 or 2

3 hot chillis cut up (only 3 - 4)
handful of kaffir lime leafs

throw them in just before pitching the yeast.

I dont rack this beer no need.

Wait 3 weeks before drinking as the in the first two weeks the kaffir lime leaf is really really strong and perfumey.

Im going on to all grain soon but I think I will continue to do this kit. Really easy and nice to drink. And Im not a fan of Corona. 

If your not a chilli fan you could just use the kaffir lime leafs. 

Cheers 
Katie


----------



## ironxmortlock

Katie said:


> I make a really nice chilli and kaffir lime beer out of that kit. Everyone that tries it loves it. Its my simpliest beer. Not quite sure if you like chilli.
> 
> 1 x Coopers Cerveza
> 1 kg of BE 1 or 2
> 
> 3 hot chillis cut up (only 3 - 4)
> handful of kaffir lime leafs
> 
> throw them in just before pitching the yeast.
> 
> I dont rack this beer no need.
> 
> Wait 3 weeks before drinking as the in the first two weeks the kaffir lime leaf is really really strong and perfumey.
> 
> Im going on to all grain soon but I think I will continue to do this kit. Really easy and nice to drink. And Im not a fan of Corona.
> 
> If your not a chilli fan you could just use the kaffir lime leafs.
> 
> Cheers
> Katie



Thanks for that Katie!

How does the flavour of the lime go in the long haul? I'm after a very subtle flavour.

M


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## Katherine

> Thanks for that Katie!
> 
> How does the flavour of the lime go in the long haul? I'm after a very subtle flavour.
> 
> M



After a week, its potent and overpowering. Mine is 2 months old now and awesome. I use about 12 leaves cut up so maybe use half of that... Can you source Kaffir Lime leaves??? You can get them dried but I recommend using fresh ones and you can keep them in the freezer. (Wooloworths have them) Kaffir Lime leaf is a different taste to lime but I think you will enjoy. 

Try a bottle after a week... then wait its amazing how the lime mellows.

I hope you like it... let me know...

Katie


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## sluggerdog

Katie, how well do you cut the leaves up? Sounds interesting.


----------



## brettprevans

IRONxMortlock said:


> Just bought this kit.
> 
> What do you recommend for getting a subtle lemon flavour through the beer? Fresh lemons? How many and what's the procedure?
> 
> Also, I've a got four 6g packs of Morgan's Lager yeast in the fridge. What these work with this beer if I fermented at 10C?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> M


true lager yeast is meant to work at cold temps and 10C is warm enough. some yeasts will work while they are at 4C. Just make a starter or use 12g of yeast.

glacier hops gives a lemony taste, hence I used it in my brew. Dry hopping may an idea with say 10g.


:icon_offtopic: Not a cervesa recipe but if you like kaffir lime leaves in your beers heres another receipe
*Summer Wheat*
Morgans Whispering Wheat
40g Coriander in stocking bag. 
2 or 3 limes and or lemons - rind & juice. 
Kaffir lime leaves. 
200g honey. 
1kg wheat beer blend from HBS (or similar - dried wheat malt and dex?)
Rind in boil at 15. Honey and juice and coriander and kaffir lime leaves in at 10. Sieve into fermenter. Add kit etc, as usual. Coriander added in stocking bag to fermenter.


----------



## ironxmortlock

citymorgue2 said:


> true lager yeast is meant to work at cold temps and 10C is warm enough. some yeasts will work while they are at 4C. Just make a starter or use 12g of yeast.



Yeah, I've used true lager yeasts like S23 before. These Morgan's "lager" yeast packets are from the tins I've used different yeast with. I was really wondering if the Morgan's yeast (blue packet) is a true lager yeast that will ferment at low temperatures?



citymorgue2 said:


> *Summer Wheat*
> Morgans Whispering Wheat
> 40g Coriander in stocking bag.
> 2 or 3 limes and or lemons - rind & juice.
> Kaffir lime leaves.
> 200g honey.
> 1kg wheat beer blend from HBS (or similar - dried wheat malt and dex?)
> Rind in boil at 15. Honey and juice and coriander and kaffir lime leaves in at 10. Sieve into fermenter. Add kit etc, as usual. Coriander added in stocking bag to fermenter.



Yeah, that sounds like a good one. Might have to give it a go sometime. :icon_cheers:


----------



## brettprevans

ahh I see ehat you mean re morgans. cant say whetehr its a true lager yeast or not. theres have been threads that discuss which kit yeasts are the realy deal. try searching under 'real lager yeast'. yeasts have coding on them that distinguish whether they are real lager yeast or not, I cant remember what it is though. I would tjhink that because morgans yeast is reliable that it probably is a lager yeast. but best to check.


----------



## Katherine

> Katie, how well do you cut the leaves up? Sounds interesting.



Very roughy not to small just enough to break the leaves. Just beware on first tasting extremely perfumey.... but eventually a summer quaffer! If you get the chilli right you can actually sit on this beer for awhile!


----------



## Katherine

> *Summer Wheat*
> Morgans Whispering Wheat
> 40g Coriander in stocking bag.
> 2 or 3 limes and or lemons - rind & juice.
> Kaffir lime leaves.
> 200g honey.
> 1kg wheat beer blend from HBS (or similar - dried wheat malt and dex?)
> Rind in boil at 15. Honey and juice and coriander and kaffir lime leaves in at 10. Sieve into fermenter. Add kit etc, as usual. Coriander added in stocking bag to fermenter.



I have not had much luck with wheat beers...


----------



## bconnery

With this recipe, you dont' want to use a wheat yeast, or at least I didn't. The original yeast for the recipe is k97. 
It isn't really a hefe type wheat beer at all. 
This is a fantastic summer drinking beer. It really didn't last long at all...

*Summer Wheat
*Morgans Whispering Wheat
40g Coriander in stocking bag. 
2 or 3 limes and or lemons - rind & juice. 
Kaffir lime leaves. 
200g honey. 
1kg wheat beer blend from HBS (or similar - dried wheat malt and dex?)
Rind in boil at 15. Honey and juice and coriander and kaffir lime leaves in at 10. Sieve into fermenter. Add kit etc, as usual. Coriander added in stocking bag to fermenter.


----------



## 3GumsBrewing

Picked up a tin of this on Monday at woollies for $8.  
Made it to 19L with 1kg of LDME and about 30g of NZ Hallertau Aroma dry hopped, flicked the kit yeast and used s-23 instead.

No idea how this will turn out but hopefully it should satisfy the hordes at xmas, cause they are damn sure not getting their paws on my Belgians!

DK


----------



## hsv_069

Decided to give this one a go also. After reading this thread i added 1 red chilli and the juice of 1 lemon and 3 small limes. Not sure how it will turn out but the sample from the OG (1046) didnt taste too bad but I guess the chilli hasnt had a chance to give off its flavours yet. I will let you know how it ends up.


----------



## Katherine

> Decided to give this one a go also. After reading this thread i added 1 red chilli and the juice of 1 lemon and 3 small limes. Not sure how it will turn out but the sample from the OG (1046) didnt taste too bad but I guess the chilli hasnt had a chance to give off its flavours yet. I will let you know how it ends up.



You will probably find the chilli wont come through that much even after time. Unless that one chillis was some super freak! I usually put around 4 to 5 hot chillis in my mexican. Takes about 3 weeks in the bottle just to get the right ting not super hot but just right.


----------



## railgun_livewire

Hey all, 
I'm just enjoying my first bottle of this now.

It was the first brew I've ever done and I'm fairly happy with the result.
My only concern is that the beer does have a strong yeast flavour, not something I'd associate with Corona.

When I say strong, I don't mean like a baker's armpit - its quite blended with the whole taste of the beer, but it is striking.

Has anyone had a similar experience - or can someone tell me what may have caused this?

Cheers!


----------



## crundle

railgun_livewire said:


> Hey all,
> I'm just enjoying my first bottle of this now.
> 
> It was the first brew I've ever done and I'm fairly happy with the result.
> My only concern is that the beer does have a strong yeast flavour, not something I'd associate with Corona.
> 
> When I say strong, I don't mean like a baker's armpit - its quite blended with the whole taste of the beer, but it is striking.
> 
> Has anyone had a similar experience - or can someone tell me what may have caused this?
> 
> Cheers!



What recipe did you use railgun, the standard tin and kilo of sugar, or something different? And what yeast did you use, then we might be able to help you track down the culprit for that taste you are getting.

cheers,

Crundle


----------



## railgun_livewire

My brew was 100% standard.

I used the tin, provided yeast and 1kg of Dextrose.

Fermented for 6-7 days at 25-27deg, bottled for 10 at around 15deg.


----------



## brendo

railgun_livewire said:


> My brew was 100% standard.
> 
> I used the tin, provided yeast and 1kg of Dextrose.
> 
> Fermented for 6-7 days at 25-27deg, bottled for 10 at around 15deg.



Hey Railgun,

Glad to hear this has gone well. Under 2 weeks is still pretty green, I think you will find that the taste will clean up a bit with some more time to condition.

Also, a careful decant of the beer into a jug (so you can do a single pour) while taking care not to swirl up the yeast and holding back a bit of the beer at the bottom will avoid some of the yeast taste.

Cheers,

Brendo


----------



## railgun_livewire

Thanks Brendo - its been great!

you've found an error in my details too - it should read 15 days! (not 10)...sorry.


The glass I poured was from a 375ml Stubbie - so I didn't seem to get any sedement in the glass.


From what I've read, even 20days is a little green - so I'm still hoping it improves with a few more weeks.


----------



## loikar

railgun_livewire said:


> My brew was 100% standard.
> 
> I used the tin, provided yeast and 1kg of Dextrose.
> 
> Fermented for 6-7 days at 25-27deg, bottled for 10 at around 15deg.



:blink: Shhhhheeeeeeezzzuuuuuusssss!!
I'm not surprised you can taste yeast, there's not much else in it.  

Put a six pack of that aside and make it again:
1x Tin Coopers Cerveza
500g *L*ight *D*ry *M*alt *E*xtract
250g Wheat malt extract
250g Dex
15g of Saaz boiled for 15min in 2L of water with 200g of the LDME
Safale-U05 yeast

Cook at 16-18deg until yeast drops (approx 14 days).
(I would also throw in a handfull...say about 30g of Saaz hops after 6-8 days in the fernenter to give it some aroma)

Bottle and set aside for 3-4 weeks.

Then open a bottle of the one you originally put aside, and one of the bottles from the new batch.
I'll be intrested to see if the six-pack you put aside is finished before the entire new batch.

Edit: if you want a recipie for a really nice Cerveza based brew, PM me and I'll type it all out for you step by step. 

Fingers,


----------



## brendo

railgun_livewire said:


> Thanks Brendo - its been great!
> 
> you've found an error in my details too - it should read 15 days! (not 10)...sorry.
> 
> 
> The glass I poured was from a 375ml Stubbie - so I didn't seem to get any sedement in the glass.
> 
> 
> From what I've read, even 20days is a little green - so I'm still hoping it improves with a few more weeks.



I routinely left mine for 4-6 weeks... drop nice and bright.

To be honest, given this type of brew doesn't have much of a flavour profile, ANY other flavour is going to poentially be dominant.

Give it a few more weeks and nice long chill and you should find things improve.

That or you could brew something with flavour  

Good luck mate,

Brendo


----------



## chappo1970

brendo said:


> ...That or you could brew something with flavour  ...Brendo



Tehehehe :lol: 
Just had to slip that one in MrB didn't ya?


+1 I would go Mr BeeryFingers recipe (that's if wanted to have a lemon with me beer :huh: )


----------



## Bribie G

The thing about Mexican beers like Corona is that they use a lot of rice in the formulation, giving a very clean beer. What hop and malt flavour there is actually comes through as definite flavour / aroma in the beer and any trace of yeastiness would stomp right over it. If you are making it again, I would suggest throwing out the kit yeast and using a much cleaner fermenting yeast such as US-05, and bump up the hops a bit. You can actually get the same hop they use in Corona from CraftBrewer and other sponsors. The hop is called Galena. I have just bottled an all grain Cerveza based on malt, rice and hops but used the USA hop 'Chinook' as I had some on hand already, and the Chinook worked ok as well.

A cleaner yeast and a touch more hop should get you pretty close to a commercial Cerveza as there's not much to go wrong with them.


----------



## flattop

Bribie is right, the kit yeast for Cerveza is not much chop... I mean THROW IT OUT
In fact i made quite a few Cerveza kits last year. The best one i made was with US-05 yeast.... oh and the best ingredient i used was TIME...
Because Cerveza is a very light flavored beer it needs maturity (i'm talking months).
US-05 will give a clean finish but even that wont kill the brewers tang. I recently cracked a Cerveza (last one) from a batch i made with US-05 in November... and thought 
"wow for a Cerveza kit brew it's not bad"... but i assure you that the other 29 bottles drunk in January weren't as mellow(not bad just not the same).
A bit of hops would help hide the yeast as well.

Reculture the US-05 if you intend to do a few Cerveza's (see yeast washing etc for how to do it) you can re use the US-05 yeast a number of time and get a number of brews from each $6 sachet so the costs of a decent yeast come down to almost nothing (and the taste is worth the investment).


----------



## crundle

railgun_livewire said:


> My brew was 100% standard.
> 
> I used the tin, provided yeast and 1kg of Dextrose.
> 
> Fermented for 6-7 days at 25-27deg, bottled for 10 at around 15deg.



I have made this kit with Lyle's Golden Syrup instead of using dextrose, and have made it with the yeast provided and some yeast from a bottle of Cooper's Pale Ale also. It has such a light flavour that the yeast will make some fairly noticible flavours if it ferments at moderate to high temperatures. I try to keep mine below 20 degrees while it is brewing, you can do the same by putting it in a fridge during the day and taking it out at night if you don't have another way to keep the temps down.

This beer is nice once left for a month or two, and with no hop addition is a very easy to drink beer, that mates and family will happily drink even if they turn their noses at home brew normally.

Not to say the other advice given is wrong at all, but if you are just beginning, the easiest thing you can do to improve it is yeast change, temperature of fermentation, and time to mature in the bottle.

This one will still be drinkable, but your next one will be much better I bet, and it just keeps getting better from there on in.

Enjoy,

Crundle


----------



## Bribie G

Crundle's comment is very interesting that he used Lyle's Golden Syrup. In my latest Cerveza I used a 500g tub of Rice Malt Syrup that you can get from Chinese stores and it fitted in beautifully. Apart from that the stuff is only $2 a tub, so bargain goop:





Another high-flocculating yeast to consider is Nottingham ale yeast. If you can keep the temp down to less than 17 degrees it acts more like a lager yeast and ferments very clean and drops like s**t sticking to a blanket


----------



## railgun_livewire

Thanks everyone - what a response!
(considering I've hi-jacked someone else's thread lol)

I'll give this one some more time and let you know how it turns out.

I do intend on getting stuck into some experimentation for my next brew, so the tips have been noted - thank you!


Mitch


----------



## Hutch

railgun_livewire said:


> My brew was 100% standard.
> 
> I used the tin, provided yeast and 1kg of Dextrose.
> 
> Fermented for 6-7 days at 25-27deg, bottled for 10 at around 15deg.


Hey Mitch,

Just to give you a little more advice - "25-27 degrees" is WAY too high, even for an ale yeast - most likely cause of it tasting "yeasty" and NQR.

I've made this kit using a similar simple k&k mix, and S-189 lager yeast ("Swiss Lager" from Craftbrewer) fermented at 12 degrees, and it turned out very clean, if not a little bland (as intended I guess).

As per all advice, use a better yeast, and ferment in the recommended temp range (16-20deg for Ale yeast, 10-15 deg for lager yeast). You'll notice a huge improvement in the quality of your beers simply by using better yeasts, and better temperature control.
Cheers,
Hutch.


----------



## railgun_livewire

That's an interesting point Hutch.

My understanding was to pitch the yeast at as close to 25deg as possible and do all things necessary to keep it there ("Home Brew" - by Willie Simpson).
Are you suggesting pitching at 25 and cooling - or are you suggesting that I pitch at 20deg also?

What do others have to say on this point?


----------



## wyethm

Just pitched US-05 at 18deg and it was up and going within 24 hours.

It was harvested from a previous brew. Spending $5 on a decent yeast and then re-using has definately improved the quality of the beer I've been making and because you can re-use it, costs hardly anything.

Cheers

Mark


----------



## buttersd70

railgun_livewire said:


> What do others have to say on this point?



This is a point thats been done to death....if you do a search on this site, you'll find leterally hundreds of posts talking about optimum temperature for yeast. If you look at manufacturers data sheets, they too will give optimum temperature range for their yeasts. And give a degree or two either way, all (credible) information points to what Hutch said.

Stating that all yeasts need to be kept at 25C is akin to saying that all meat needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 70C.


----------



## crundle

railgun_livewire said:


> That's an interesting point Hutch.
> 
> My understanding was to pitch the yeast at as close to 25deg as possible and do all things necessary to keep it there ("Home Brew" - by Willie Simpson).
> Are you suggesting pitching at 25 and cooling - or are you suggesting that I pitch at 20deg also?
> 
> What do others have to say on this point?



My experience has been to pitch the dry yeast at around 24-27 degrees, and then to whack the fermenter in the fridge to cool it down to below 20 (normally aim to keep it at 15 degrees for the rest of the fermentation). By pitching the yeast at a higher temp, I am allowing it to multiply (I don't culture the yeast if I use the packet yeast) before it starts making alcohol. If I am using some cultured yeast (like from a Coopers pale Ale), then I pitch it at the lower temp of around 15 degrees as there should be enough yeast in there to start making alcohol right away, instead of needing to multiply first.

At the very end of the fermentation, I take the fermenter out of the fridge and let it warm up to around 27 degrees for a day to help the yeast finish off anything they might have left behind. This is because by this point, the bulk of the fermentation would have been completed, and there is very little risk of 'off' flavours being produced by higher fermentation temperatures. This can result in a nice dry finish for your Cervaza.

I would also point out that once it has had a day at 27 degrees, I crash chill the fermenter down to around 2 degrees in the fridge to help any yeast drop out to clear the beer. Although I keg mine from there, if you bottle it will still help to do this to clear the beer, and it will still leave enough yeast in suspension to bottle condition. If you have another fermenter available, it is good to rack from the first cold fermenter into another, and then to add the whole of the sugar you will be using to bottle condition to the second fermenter. Dissolve the amount of sugar (typically I think to be around 180-200 grams for a 23 litre batch - confirmation anyone?) in a small amount of boiling water, and add it to the second fermenter, and stir. Each bottle will have exactly the same amount of priming sugar in it, and then let them condition for a good month at least.

Hope I haven't confused you, but search for some of this info in the articles section at the top of the page and you can make up your own mind!

Crundle


----------



## Wonderwoman

crundle said:


> I have made this kit with Lyle's Golden Syrup instead of using dextrose



+1

I used the following recipe:

coopers mexican cerveza kit
900g of lyle's golden syrup 
250 g of crystal malt
20 g chinook dry hopped after 7 days

bottled after 14 days.

I opened the first bottle of this last night and it was fantastic. I'm already planning to do another batch of ot this weekend, but I'll use amarillo this time


----------



## DKS

wonderwoman said:


> +1
> 
> I used the following recipe:
> 
> coopers mexican cerveza kit
> 900g of lyle's golden syrup
> 250 g of crystal malt
> 20 g chinook dry hopped after 7 days
> 
> bottled after 14 days.
> 
> I opened the first bottle of this last night and it was fantastic. I'm already planning to do another batch of ot this weekend, but I'll use amarillo this time




Lyle's Golden syrup in a cerveza kit doesnt seem right to me but your combo with the crystal sounds good. The low malt & hop profile of the kit would highlight the golden syrup, crystal and added hops. saying that Ive not ever used syrup. 

It sounds like it would be a nice drop but I dont know if you could still call it a cerveza. Anyway your enthusiasm has got me, Im gonna make one. I have 2 cans of Lyles in the cupboard, crystal, a few hops and a couple of cans of unhopped pale.

The last cerveza i made took months, 9deg ferment, 4 weeks, 2nd for 2 weeks, bottle for 3 months, drinking over the next 6 months.One left. Came up real nice I added some chilli in different amounts to some bottles but got more of a capsicum sweet taste with a little hottness. next time more fire! :icon_cheers: 
Daz


----------



## Katherine

> The last cerveza i made took months, 9deg ferment, 4 weeks, 2nd for 2 weeks, bottle for 3 months, drinking over the next 6 months.One left. Came up real nice I added some chilli in different amounts to some bottles but got more of a capsicum sweet taste with a little hottness. next time more fire! :icon_cheers:
> Daz



Try using a dried chilli... you will get more fire then vegetable taste.. if your worried about sanitation soak in vodka...


----------



## Wonderwoman

DKS said:


> Lyle's Golden syrup in a cerveza kit doesnt seem right to me but your combo with the crystal sounds good. The low malt & hop profile of the kit would highlight the golden syrup, crystal and added hops. saying that Ive not ever used syrup.
> 
> It sounds like it would be a nice drop but I dont know if you could still call it a cerveza.



yeah - I wasn't aiming for a "cerveza" style beer - I'm not really a fan of corona or similar beers.

I'm wondering if a different kit would be a better base and I'm open to suggestions...

I'm also intrigued by Katie's chilli and kaffir lime leaf recipe - how "chilli" tasting is it? I'm actually a big fan of chilli, but all the chilli beers I've tried in the past have been really unappealing to me


----------



## Bribie G

I made an all grain cerveza with boiled rice as an adjunct plus some rice malt syrup. And the chinook hops which I can definitely vouch for in this style.

The rice syrup is available from Chinese Grocers and has a fragrant malty twang as well, also about half the price of Lyles at $2 a 500g tub.


----------



## moosh

Ive done 2 of these brews in the past few months.

The first i did was - 

1 x Coopers Creveza kit
900g of Dextrose
150g of Wheat Malt extract
1 x Haertaul (sorry bout the spelling  ) t bag boiled for 3min then added to the brew

Put it in the fermenter for 14 days while i was over seas in a bath of water to keep the temp down. When i first cracked one open after about a week in the bottles it wasnt too bad but after 2 months in the bottles its a great brew to sit and smash down after a long day at work.

The second i adjusted the recipie a little -

1 x Coopers Creveza kit
200g of Light Malt Extract
200g of Wheat Malt
700g of Dextrose
1 x Halertaul T bag boiled for 8min.

I only bottled this last week and cracked my first one tonight, so far it isnt too bad once again, has a little more taste than i was expecting so it will be interesting to see what its like after another few months.


----------



## mwd

Made the 'Katie' style Chili and Kaffir Lime leaf Mex with 500gms Wheat DME + 300g Rye Caramel +300gms Raw Sugar + 15g Hallertau.
About 8 small red chilies and about 10 KL leaves chucked in with the yeast.

Only been in the bottle 10 days but had to have a quick taste.

Strange aroma of Kaffir Lime bit perfumed and tastes a bit perfumed. This I understand will become much less with some bottle time.

No sign of chili when you take a mouthful but the warmth kind of hits you 5 seconds later. Bit weird the nearest I could describe is the bite from Ginger Beer with a lasting warmth.

I blended half the bottle with a an Oettinger Pils which tames the perfumey flavour nicely.

Don't think I could quaff a lot of this so not a session beer but an interesting experiment nevertheless.

BTW I have never tasted a Commercial Chili Beer so had no idea what to expect :icon_cheers:


----------



## heyyu

why add lemon .the mexicans only use it for tequila or stick it in the necks of their stubbies to keep the flies out


----------



## mwd

heyyu said:


> why add lemon .the mexicans only use it for tequila or stick it in the necks of their stubbies to keep the flies out



I thought it was lime to wipe the rust off the bottle below the cap. :huh: 

Where did anybody mention lemons ? did I miss something.?


----------



## Cube

There is a few uses for the old lime trick that I have heard. One is to keep flies away due to the lime sent or something to that effect, one is to 'clean all the dusty shit' off the bottle before they suck on the bottle...dusty place.

Either way - it adds to the beer because it has nothing really to it. I wouldn't add it to mine because I beef the flavour up when I make this kit.


----------



## petesbrew

Glad I refound this thread.
Planning on something quick and easy for something, before my next AG.

Coopers Cerveza
1kg Saunders LME
500g Rice Malt Syrup

Any grain suggestions? I have Carahell & caramunich I
As for suitable hops, I've got Cascade, Amarillo, Chinook & Saaz

Safale US-05

Cheers in advance
Pete


----------



## crundle

Whatever hops you add to it wont need to be too strong as there is very little taste in this beer to start with. If you start throwing in steeping grains though, you will need to beef up the hops a bit to get that balance, but I would be using the Saaz myself, love that stuff in this kit!

Crundle


----------



## Pennywise

+1 on the Saaz, I made a simple Coopers Cerveza with just a BE2 for some family thatwere comming for my sons b'day, I wanted something that everyone would drink & like so chucked about 30g of Saaz in for about 5 mins, the fam loved it and I could drink it too  which doesn't happen often when I make beers for others.


----------



## petesbrew

Cheers guys, I'll keep it relatively simple

Coopers Cerveza
1kg Saunders LME
500g Rice Malt Syrup
100g Carahell (steep)
15g Saaz @ 60min
15g Saaz @ 5min
US-05

Depending on my CBA factor I might even drop the grain & boil.
Pete


----------



## loikar

Doing this Tomorrow.

I tin CMC
500g Amber DME
500g Wheat Malt
250g Dex, just to beef the %

15g Amarillo @ 20min
10g Cascade @ 5min

edit: US05

Will be sitting in the fridge for 3 weeks while I'm in Germany.

Probably taste like piss after comming back from there...


----------



## beerbrewer76543

BeerFingers said:


> Will be sitting in the fridge for 3 weeks while I'm in Germany.



Off to Oktoberfest hey? You seem to have won this round... <_<


----------



## loikar

L_Bomb said:


> Off to Oktoberfest hey? You seem to have won this round... <_<



Nah I wont make Oktoberfest, but I will make Septemberfest!


----------



## petesbrew

Brewed up last night

Possum Trap Cerveza
Coopers Cerveza
1kg Saunders LME
500g Rice Malt Syrup
120g Carahell (steep)
10g Saaz @ 60min
10g Saaz @ 10min
US-05

Easily named as I spent the night awake due to a f###ing possum tearing stuff up in the ceiling.
The little prick was even staring at me from the top of the skylight.
Pete


----------



## Pennywise

Let us know how it comes out Pete, looks like a great session drop.


----------



## petesbrew

Homebrewer79 said:


> Let us know how it comes out Pete, looks like a great session drop.


No worries. As per the tips, it just needs a touch of hops for something easy drinking.


----------



## claymen

I recently did a kit one of these.

Japanese Blonde LME 500ml
Mexican Cerveza LME 1.7kg (1tin)
Saflager S-23 (Dry Lager Yeast) 1pack
Brewcraft Brewbooster #15

OG 1049
FG 1011

It came out pretty close, its not quite as pale but the taste is nearly spot on. It's spent 2 weeks in the fermenter at about an average 12-13c (as low as I could keep it short of using a fridge). Debating whether to bottle or keg it..


----------



## Pete2501

Maybe that's the issue I've got with my Mexican Cerveza. I used a ale yeast and it's way too fruity. It overwhelms the lemon taste really easy.


----------



## Bribie G

petesbrew said:


> Cheers guys, I'll keep it relatively simple
> 
> Coopers Cerveza
> 1kg Saunders LME
> 500g Rice Malt Syrup
> 100g Carahell (steep)
> 15g Saaz @ 60min
> 15g Saaz @ 5min
> US-05
> 
> Depending on my CBA factor I might even drop the grain & boil.
> Pete



My grain version also uses the Rice Malt syrup ( I get the Maltose Chinese brand from a Chinese supermarket) and US-05, plus 20g of Chinook or any other US style hop boiled for 90 minutes and it hits the spot with Corona Drinkers. US-05 fermented cool, i.e. around 16, takes a bit longer but makes a good fake lager. 


:icon_offtopic: 
Sorta off topic. Has anyone actually TASTED a bottle of Corona at all? I was at a brew day last week and a couple of the attendees weren't home brewers and brought some bottleshop beer along to be polite, one of them brought a six pack of Corona and handed them round after we had been drinking everything from Robust Porters, Toucan 9% Stout, Classic Aus Lager made on Galaxy, hoppy APAs etc. Politely we quaffed the brews and you know what, the first couple of swigs cleared the palate then we agreed (Gravity Guru, Winkle and myself) that the beer had a bit of malt character and we could detect a pleasant background hop bitterness. Very surprising indeed, the little bugger was holding up quite well, almost went looking for a second bottle  

I'm doing a Cerveza this week - got some US-05 on Saturday - and as an experiment I'm going to do an all Green Bullet variety, might end up chasing sheep with a lime slice in my hand h34r:


----------



## claymen

Yer some of the kits come with an ale yeast instead during the hotter months. 

A quick google turned up this.



> Understanding the Difference - Ale VS Lager
> 
> Understanding Lagers VS Ales
> 
> Hugh Sissons Diary of a Brewer
> 
> 
> I am often asked (especially when I am doing our public brewery tours) about the difference between ales and lagers and beers. I hear discussions of top fermenting yeast (ales theoretically) versus bottom fermenting yeast (lagers, so they say), and even if where the yeast does its work were consistently true (it is not in all cases), it does absolutely nothing to explain the flavor differences between the two major types of beer. Consequently, in my opinion, top versus bottom is completely useless! More edifying is to discuss flavor differences in ales versus lagers.
> 
> 
> Beer is the overall generic term for fermented malt beverages whether it is an ale or a lager, it is still called beer! There are ONLY two kinds of beer ales and lagers. Within those two broad categories there are many styles. Major ales styles are pale ale, IPA, porter, stout, and barleywine, just to name a few. Among the major lager styles are pilsner, Mrzen, bock, and dunkles (dark lager).
> 
> 
> What really differentiates an ale from a lager is the temperature of fermentation. Ales ferment typically between 64 and 70 degrees F, and lagers ferment typically between 52 and 58 F. Fermentation is the process whereby yeast consumes the sugars from the malt, and in turn produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. All yeast strains, in addition to producing alcohol and CO2, also produce small amounts of other compounds which add subtle flavor complexity to the beer.
> 
> 
> With warmer fermentation temperatures (ales), yeast will produce elevated ester compounds. These come across on the palette as a rounded fruitiness, and give ales their characteristic complexity. Typically, ale yeasts will not ferment at colder (lager) temperatures.
> 
> 
> Colder fermentations obviously require a yeast that is genetically capable of fermenting at colder temperatures (as opposed to ale yeasts). The colder temperatures prevent these lager yeasts from producing the amount of esters which are so characteristic of ales. However, many popular lager yeasts do produce elevated sulfur compounds during fermentation. These sulfur compounds take extended cold storage (known as lagering) to be pleasantly integrated into the beer, but once accomplished, these compounds show on the palette as crispness and cleanness.
> 
> 
> This is all a bit of an oversimplification, but it is helpful to understanding the basic differences between the two types of beer. Ales can be referred to as being fruity, rounded, and complex, and lagers can be referred to as being crisp, clean, and angular. A close sampling of normal strength (ie around 5% ABV) examples of each type will illustrate these concepts from a sensory perspective. So have a couple of beers you pick the type and see if you think I am right!



http://www.4syndication.com/clipper_city_b...ager/24467/v.do


----------



## claymen

BribieG said:


> Sorta off topic. Has anyone actually TASTED a bottle of Corona at all? I was at a brew day last week and a couple of the attendees weren't home brewers and brought some bottleshop beer along to be polite, one of them brought a six pack of Corona and handed them round after we had been drinking everything from Robust Porters, Toucan 9% Stout, Classic Aus Lager made on Galaxy, hoppy APAs etc. Politely we quaffed the brews and you know what, the first couple of swigs cleared the palate then we agreed (Gravity Guru, Winkle and myself) that the beer had a bit of malt character and we could detect a pleasant background hop bitterness. Very surprising indeed, the little bugger was holding up quite well, almost went looking for a second bottle



I quite like Corona but I know many that do not, "piss beer" comes to mind as the description by others. But its a nice light beer, great for a hot day with a wedge of lemon or lime.


----------



## petesbrew

Bribie, I haven't had a corona for a while now, due to too many other beers to drink. 
But I've never had a bad one. Gotta have the lemon or lime, otherwise I just feel like something's missing.
If anyone turned up at my place with a six pack to share they're more than welcome to grab a lime from the tree on the way in! :icon_cheers:


----------



## staggalee

wildschwein said:


> Wow; this thread is an epic. This new Cooper's product has really got everyone going.
> 
> I suggest if you are really looking for an authentic Corona taste and you're a bottler (like me) you should use green or clear bottles and then leave them in direct sunlight for 30 minutes or so to impart that "skunky" imported characteristic you get with light-struck beers like Corona and Sol. I wouldn't do this with any other beer that isn't served with citrus though.



 

stagga.


----------



## pscarazza79

Hi all, well this is my first write up on a beer ive put down, whilst im still getting some gear ready to venture into partial and maybe allgrain i thought id try this coopers corona kit. I only just got a temp mate and what a world of difference it does for brewing so with this kit im trying a fair dinkum lager yeast (weihenstephan yeast to be exact).
I just used a brew enhancer kit no 1, some hal hops and some rice extract with it and also some dry enzyme. I made it on tuesday rehydrated the yeast at 23 degrees then pitched it and put it in the fridge at 17 degrees for 24 hours then lowered it to twelve. Well after a nervous wait i saw some activity  
Go to love this tempmate and home brew experimenting and also keep this corona thread going as i can vouch when i was working in the tropics up north a corona and lime/lemon is the way to go. :lol:


----------



## petesbrew

Ducked out to the garage/brauhaus last sunday for a taste. THere it was happily bubbling away...... at about 30c. Argh. Couldn't be bothered moving it, thinking, the damage is done.
Problem is, the fermenter is sitting about 2m away from a North facing garage door. I'll be bringing my next brew in a bit closer. Good belgian temps though!


----------



## mwd

Tropical_Brews said:


> Made the 'Katie' style Chili and Kaffir Lime leaf Mex with 500gms Wheat DME + 300g Rye Caramel +300gms Raw Sugar + 15g Hallertau.
> About 8 small red chilies and about 10 KL leaves chucked in with the yeast.
> 
> Only been in the bottle 10 days but had to have a quick taste.
> 
> Strange aroma of Kaffir Lime bit perfumed and tastes a bit perfumed. This I understand will become much less with some bottle time.
> 
> No sign of chili when you take a mouthful but the warmth kind of hits you 5 seconds later. Bit weird the nearest I could describe is the bite from Ginger Beer with a lasting warmth.
> 
> I blended half the bottle with a an Oettinger Pils which tames the perfumey flavour nicely.
> 
> Don't think I could quaff a lot of this so not a session beer but an interesting experiment nevertheless.
> 
> BTW I have never tasted a Commercial Chili Beer so had no idea what to expect :icon_cheers:



3 months in the bottle and this has turned out much better. The perfumed Kaffir lime upfront flavour has mellowed out. Much more drinkable now but not really suitable for drinking in large quantities. Just trying to find a good food match to go with it :icon_cheers:


----------



## jyo

Tropical_Brews said:


> 3 months in the bottle and this has turned out much better. The perfumed Kaffir lime upfront flavour has mellowed out. Much more drinkable now but not really suitable for drinking in large quantities. Just trying to find a good food match to go with it :icon_cheers:



Geeez, 10 kaffir lime leaves!! 

I added 4 or 5 to a black rock mex last year (500gms rice malt, 1kg dex, 20 gms saaz) and after 2 months in the keg, the lime still made my eyes water!!
Not bad though


----------



## petesbrew

Cracked open the first tallie tonight. Poured pretty flat and had that phenolic flavour to it. Damn it! :angry: 
I think this flavour comes up to teach me to clean my gear properly.

Thankfully I picked up a lemon on the way home. A slice of that in the glass, and problem solved (almost). <_< :huh:  

ps. Got a new lurker onboard lately. If he see's this, Gday Brenny, I've got your cerveza tallie in the fridge, hopefully it's better than mine!


----------



## stevehollins

I've just got onto brewing after sitting around for months umming and ahh-ing about it, and whacked this one on for my first time. threw out the instructions and just went off all the helpful bits and pieces i found on here, it's currently sitting in 28 PET bottles that came with the coopers micro-brew kit and hopefully won't taste horrid after another few weeks. I stuck with the kit and the recommended BE2, but added about 2 and a half grams of cascade hops just for the hell of it. 
Will let you know how it goes if anyone's interested!


----------



## damof

I just poped one into the fermenter on tuesday night. Having a little trouble keeping the temps down, hopefully it'll be fine though. Definitely not one to do in summer if you have no fridge or means of temp control.


----------



## Pennywise

For sure let us know how ya first brew turns out mate, welcome to the forums. For what it's worth 2 1/2g wont be noticable, unless you put that in each bottle? Good on ya for throwing youself into it, it's a slippery slope this HB caper.


----------



## Flash_DG

just a small question, Is this style of beer a Lager or Ale? and which should it be brewed as?
also Mine has been in the bottle for over a month and it is quite tasteless even compared to a Corona : (
and the carb lvl is quite low.


----------



## iScarlet

It depends on the yeast you use. I think it's supposed to be a lager, although Coopers kit yeasts (excluding a couple of kits) tend to be a hybrid monster of both ale and lager yeasts.


----------



## Flash_DG

yeah I knew about the coopers yeast, which I used, that's why I asked in case I want to try again with a bit more knowledge.


----------



## iScarlet

Heh, yeah. When I tried it first up I did I used BE1 and the kit yeast, came out around 3.2% ABV and with very little taste but it was nicely carbonated and we kept lemons handy for when we drank it. 

I wasn't too big on it but it was a hit with SWMBO and her friends so I tried again with Glacier hops BE1 and a lager yeast. That's pretty much one of the few kits and bits I'll keep doing for a while to keep her happy.


----------



## Peteoz77

For some reason I decided to brew one of these after being AG for more than a year. When it finished, I carbed and kegged it... and it was so tasteless and bland that I decided to dry hop the keg with 30grams of Summer Saaz and 20 grams of Simcoe. It finished quite nice! I still have a lot of it to drink, but I am trying to save it for non craft drinkers.


----------



## manticle

OT: I find it strange that so many people report their lady friends like sweet light beers. Apart from some dangerous flirtation with platinum blond when she first tried it (shortlived and not as exciting as it may read), my lady is a fan of refreshing bitterness and hearty malty beers like stouts and porters.


----------



## flattop

I had about 4 attempts at the Cerveza for the missus, she is a St George drinker.
I gave it away after 4 brews, US-05 helped, LME was ok, Golden Syrup was a mistake but i couldn't hit the spot. 
What i found was that time was the best answer, i reckon with such a light flavored kit it really needs about 4 months in the bottle to come good.
Moved to AG, that solved my problem but i still haven't brewed one the missus likes.... but then i gave up trying!


----------



## stevehollins

Homebrewer79 said:


> For sure let us know how ya first brew turns out mate, welcome to the forums. For what it's worth 2 1/2g wont be noticable, unless you put that in each bottle? Good on ya for throwing youself into it, it's a slippery slope this HB caper.




Haha will do, thanks mate! Yeah, I wasn't sure how much to put in, a mate from work offloaded them to me the other day and thought it couldn't hurt, I figured a style like this is pretty inoffensive to begin with so it'd probably make a good base to muck around with, but i guess time will tell. Seems like a hard one to get "right", if there is such a thing.


----------



## iScarlet

manticle said:


> OT: I find it strange that so many people report their lady friends like sweet light beers. Apart from some dangerous flirtation with platinum blond when she first tried it (shortlived and not as exciting as it may read), my lady is a fan of refreshing bitterness and hearty malty beers like stouts and porters.



Oh, my lass likes a good whack of beers, but out of the kits she seems to have liked this one the best. Yet to see how she goes with some of the partials I'll be thrusting her way.


----------



## manticle

You're lucky I'm not a man who insists on making innuendos with every breath.

While my sweetpea doesn't like the all same beers I like (she doesn't enjoy yeast driven beers like trappists or some eisbocks) she does have a great palate and can be a really good source of feedback (and having a non brewer give honest feedback is really useful) and she will try most things most days.


----------



## casualties_army40

DrewCarey82 said:


> G'day Mate.
> 
> If your using the actual Coopers ones they are especially designed for brewing and are good for easily 6-9 months.
> 
> cheers.



sorry but are you saying that the bottles themself will last 6-9 months and then you will have to get new ones or do you mean that once you've bottled brew in them, that they will last 6-9 months? im just curious because i use them. cheers


----------



## manticle

casualties_army40 said:


> sorry but are you saying that the bottles themself will last 6-9 months and then you will have to get new ones or do you mean that once you've bottled brew in them, that they will last 6-9 months? im just curious because i use them. cheers



Pretty certain it means the beer will last that long. Some PET bottled beer may have oxidation problems due to permeability of plastic but the coopers PET bottles have been formulated with that in mind. If you make beer you want to age for a long time, glass is probably best but if you want to bottle brews that need less maturation in PET then the Coopers ones are the way to go. Re-usable as far as I'm aware (have a set but only bottled in them once so far from expert).


----------



## mwd

Coopers/Morgans bottles have a nylon membrane so theoretically should be as good as glass.

Most people do not bottle in PET if they are intending to store for years.

I have some PET bottles getting on for one year without any problem considering they are stored at ambient in the tropics between 35C-13C and all between.


----------



## flattop

I have brews in PET which are fine after 14 months, i have had the odd brew that was a little flat but considering my caps have been used up to 6 times i'm not surprised. I'm in the process of ditching any cap that's been used 3-4 times and using new ones. I don't match caps to bottles either which i hear can extend their life.
Caps are cheap so i may end up only using them once or twice. 
I bottle in glass as well and to be honest i like PET for ease of storage in terms of lack of weight, they are also lighter when full, tend to bounce when dropped (i've lost a few glass bottles that way).
Glass looks and feels better, but my mind is turning more to PETS just for ease.


----------



## roverfj1200

flattop said:


> I have brews in PET which are fine after 14 months, i have had the odd brew that was a little flat but considering my caps have been used up to 6 times i'm not surprised. I'm in the process of ditching any cap that's been used 3-4 times and using new ones. I don't match caps to bottles either which i hear can extend their life.
> Caps are cheap so i may end up only using them once or twice.
> I bottle in glass as well and to be honest i like PET for ease of storage in terms of lack of weight, they are also lighter when full, tend to bounce when dropped (i've lost a few glass bottles that way).
> Glass looks and feels better, but my mind is turning more to PETS just for ease.



I use PET bottles for my every day drinker up to 12 months in the bottle. Special brews that may be stored longer go into glass. But even the "beer" PET bottles seem OK after 12 months.


----------



## BeerGimp

tangent said:


> you can always add some lemon rind to the boil
> or lemon grass (not too much of either)



so, how would one use lemon rind in a partial? just boil water, add kit and dextrose, and the lemon rind and boil it a bit and leave the lemon rind in it? and if using the glacier hops, would the standard boil in 500ml water for 7 minutes or so be sufficient? do glacier hops come in the bags?

i really wanna try this one.


----------



## BeerGimp

hi there, everybody looking for glacier hops, i have found them here:

http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/product-search.asp

they're pricey but apparently if you pick them up from their shop you only pay for the hops but postage is free, otherwise there is postage costs to consider. They also have the saf lager w34/70 yeast.


----------



## thekelsobrewer

G'day, not currently brewing at the moment but a work colleague asked about doing a Corona clone and talked about using the kit as a base, I presume he wants something rather bland but easy to drink on a hot summers day, crikey we get plenty of them here at Bathurst but I suppose were not on our Pat Malone, any way I suggested he try the White Labs yeast suitable for this style but was unsure of the type of hop or hopping rate assuming it will be just the can kit, Ultrabrew/ Coopers No 2, a low bitterness and more aromatic hop would be my thinking, also would a Wyeast California Lager yeast be suitable for this style as it wouldn't have to be fermented at Lager temps, hard here at this time of the year, cheers Leroy.


----------



## Mitcho89

G'day guys,

I got a kit for Christmas as most fellas do and gave it a crack. I've got lager conditioning at the moment in my old fridge sitting at 24C. I don't know how well it's going to go because I had no choice but to pitch the yeast at 32C when making it. It was a stinking hot day and the tap water I had was horribly hot. Anyway I got the temp of the wort back to 27C through ice bottles and wet towels so I'll find out how she tastes in a couple of more weeks. 

I've been reading this thread religiously and a couple of great idea's popped up through out the thread. I have 30 of the plastic brew bottles and I'm trying to work out a way to get that 'citrus' taste for the Cerveza mix. I could stick 3 or so wedges into the tallie bottle and try and drink it like a stubby or pour it into a glass but then I saw boiling a few limes to soften them up and through them as the mix is being made. 

What do you guys think, good idea or are there any better idea's?

Thanks and kind regards,

Mitch.


----------



## MitchDudarko

I chucked one of these down about 16 days ago which had the tin of cerveza, 1kg dex, 500g dried wheat malt, US-05, and a fist full of chinook. Just waiting on a filter kit that I bought from Ross, and i'm gonna keg it. Hydro readings have tasted pretty darn good too. 
Mitch.


----------



## Aus_Rider_22

Mitcho89 said:


> G'day guys,
> 
> I got a kit for Christmas as most fellas do and gave it a crack. I've got lager conditioning at the moment in my old fridge sitting at 24C. I don't know how well it's going to go because I had no choice but to pitch the yeast at 32C when making it. It was a stinking hot day and the tap water I had was horribly hot. Anyway I got the temp of the wort back to 27C through ice bottles and wet towels so I'll find out how she tastes in a couple of more weeks.
> 
> I've been reading this thread religiously and a couple of great idea's popped up through out the thread. I have 30 of the plastic brew bottles and I'm trying to work out a way to get that 'citrus' taste for the Cerveza mix. I could stick 3 or so wedges into the tallie bottle and try and drink it like a stubby or pour it into a glass but then I saw boiling a few limes to soften them up and through them as the mix is being made.
> 
> What do you guys think, good idea or are there any better idea's?
> 
> Thanks and kind regards,
> 
> Mitch.



When you say you've got a lager conditioning, what exactly is the recipe? If it is in fact a lager yeast, which I doubt, then that's way too high. Lager yeasts require a temp range of about 10-15. 

In regards to the Corona lime/lemon twist, people have tried a few different ideas. I've heard recommending using Glacier hops as they have a lemony/citrus taste and aroma. I remember one member saying something along the lines of this.. "The lemon or lime taste only occurs from adding the fruit after the beer is opened. If people want this weird taste then they can add a slice to their home brew. by trying to add fruit or specific hops during the ferment, you are probably not going to get the desired results."

I am not tryin to sound negative. I for one really wanted to find a good Corona recipe when I first started brewing. I brewed a Coopers Cerveza kit with a brew enhancer and even after reading people's thoughts on it I thought it would be half close. It wasn't a bad beer, just no where near a Corona. And the more you learn about beer styles and brewing, the more I understand why. Corona is a lager. For a start the Cooper's Cerveza uses a ale yeast. Also, I highly doubt Coopers bitter there Cerveza tins with Galena as Corona does.

All the best!


----------



## Caelum

Just read through this thread - has given me a few ideas on my next brew of the CMC.


My current brew, put down just hours ago is:

1 can CMC
850gr BE 1
125gr sucrose
Stock coopers yeast(will alter this for the next brew, after reading comments here)

I am also going to add to the brew (soon) 75gr of coriander seeds, in that i'll crack them in a mortar and pestle, boil for probably 10 minutes, then let cool and add that to the brew. I'll filter out the seeds themselves, so only the liquid is added to the brew.

For half of the brew, i'm planning to turn into a chilli beer, i currently have 4 (super hot, by most peoples standards) dried chillies rehydrating in 150ml of vodka. I plan to divvy that up into ~15ml doses which will be added along with the priming sugars at bottling.


As you can see, the base beer is actually going to be fairly 'stock standard', but i think i'll have a play around with some hops and use pure dextrose rather than BE 1 next time...


Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread - appreciate it!


edit: OG of ~1040, before pitching.


----------



## Parrothead

For what it's worth, I have a list of the yeasts that Cooper's uses in thier kits - I no longer remember where I got it - but it lists the Mexican Cervesa as being supplied with a lager/ale blend.


----------



## jivesucka

1st attempt at this product. previous experiences were brigalow pale ale (which is pretty awful) and the brigalow apple cider which i can already guess is going to be inferior.

pretty sure i put my foot in when i added the yeast last. dunno if this was the right move but the instructions were pretty vague.


----------



## bum

Yeast last is correct, mate. I wouldn't worry about it. From what I hear the Brigalow cider is about the best tin they make (but as you've noticed this isn't the same thing as the best tin anyone makes). Give it as long as you can in the bottle and I'm sure it'll be alright.

If you're finding the tin instructions a little inadequate (they all are, regardless of brand) have a look at this article: http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...;showarticle=13 While it isn't exhaustive it is a pretty good starting point for most types of kit you can buy. For even better advice just keep reading everything here that you can.

Best of luck and welcome aboard!


----------



## kevspud

I did a Coopers Mex Cervensa as one of my first brews. All I added was 600gm Dextrose, 400gm Maltodextrin. First tastes were not very good but left it for two months and improved. Got better with age and was actually a nice refreshing beer.

I don't touch any of my bottled beer now for at least 4 months. You'd be suprised the difference it makes and 6 months is even better!!


----------



## Caelum

Firstly a correction to my previous post: 15gr of coriander, not 75!


Anyway, just tested the SG of the brew, has quietened down and not bubbling anymore for the last day(at all), and it is still sitting at 1015... From what i've read that indicates there's still some residual sugars in the brew, not exactly intended.

Though it *might* work with the chilli i intend to add to some of the brew... who knows.


I'm wondering if maybe the coriander has reduced the effectiveness of the yeast, due to an antibacterial action?


Will check SG again tomorrow, see if it's still the same, and if so, will likely bottle sunday night or monday...


----------



## rendo

Here here Kev! +1 +1 +1

6months minimum for me, but i usually brew lagers. I did a toucan and after 9months it was GOLD. Its been 12months now, drank one for lunch....top stuff.



kevspud said:


> I did a Coopers Mex Cervensa as one of my first brews. All I added was 600gm Dextrose, 400gm Maltodextrin. First tastes were not very good but left it for two months and improved. Got better with age and was actually a nice refreshing beer.
> 
> I don't touch any of my bottled beer now for at least 4 months. You'd be suprised the difference it makes and 6 months is even better!!


----------



## Mitcho89

Hey there guys,

My apologies for the late reply, I've been on holiday for a week. I just had my first brew of lager curing for 2 weeks and only just tried it. Not too shabby for the short amount of time. No doubt it will get a lot better after a month +. As far as lager yeast, I have no idea what so ever. I just used what came with the home brew kit which was a kilo of brew sugar and the Coopers "Lager" mix. It said in the manual to keep at 24C (19-27) for a minimum of 2 weeks when bottled and then keep at room temperature for up to and beyond 3 months for best flavor. 

Today I mixed the Cerveza brew and all seems to be going well.....Except I got the temperature wrong again! I used 2L of boiling water the first time and ended up with 32C' for about a day with the Lager so I used a liter and a half of just hot tap water and got 30C !!! Very irritating... It's gone down in temperature quite a bit in my brew fridge to 24C and I pitched the yeast straight away so I shouldn't run into too many problems hopefully... 

Thanks very much for all the advice and kind regards,

Mitch.


----------



## Caelum

OK, did a test run of my vodka chilli extract, to see how much i need to add to the CMC when bottled.


<Caelum> just put 2.5ml of my vodka chilli extract in 285ml of cascade stout, to test how much i need to put in my coopers mexican brew...
<Caelum> it would NOT want to be any hotter, in a stout!
<Caelum> going to put 5ml per longneck, i think.
<Caelum> lips, tongue, throat, top of mouth... all letting me know something isn't quite right!
<bimbo> how did you make the vodka chilli?
<Caelum> 150ml vodka, 5 habeneros.
<Caelum> dried habs, i should note.
<Caelum> chopped
<Caelum> left for about 1.5 weeks




Will let you all know how it goes in 2 weeks time, after the bottles are carb'd.


----------



## RetsamHsam

BeerGimp said:


> they're pricey but apparently if you pick them up from their shop you only pay for the hops but postage is free..



:huh:


----------



## Pennywise

:lol: :lol: There go's that mouth full of coffee


----------



## Bribie G

Evil, if that 12g of hops consists of the 'teabag', what I would do personally is slit its throat and boil the pellets with some of the LDME for about 20 minutes and tip that into the fermenter - that should give a bit more bitterness and flavour and still some aroma, Cerveza is more malt driven less aroma. :icon_cheers: 
Doing all grain Cervezas I never add finishing hops, it's surprising how hoppy they turn out even with just a bittering addition .


----------



## Arghonaut

After a bit of help with my recipe, i picked up one of these kits on sale and want to get it on this weekend. I have 90g of glacier hops, carapils, LDME and a jar of rice malt extract. I want to try and produce a fairly hoppy beer, and just wanted some tips on balancing this out.

Something like:

1x Coopers Cerveza Kit
500g ldme
500g Rice Malt Syrup
100g carapils
20g Glacier @20,
20g Glacier @ 5 
30g @ flameout
US05 yeast
Any advice?


----------



## bignath

Arghonaut said:


> After a bit of help with my recipe, i picked up one of these kits on sale and want to get it on this weekend. I have 90g of glacier hops, carapils, LDME and a jar of rice malt extract. I want to try and produce a fairly hoppy beer, and just wanted some tips on balancing this out.
> 
> Something like:
> 
> 1x Coopers Cerveza Kit
> 500g ldme
> 500g Rice Malt Syrup
> 100g carapils
> 20g Glacier @20,
> 20g Glacier @ 5
> 30g @ flameout
> US05 yeast
> Any advice?



I just started drinking something quite similar as i needed a quick n easy one for a keg filler.

Mine was:

Cerveza goop
500g cooked rice
100g Med Crystal
bittered with Magnum
US-05

It's come out pretty decent actually. You can get the nutty aroma from the rice and it shows up a little in the taste department too. What % is your Glacier? Haven't used that hop before so i don't know what to recommend.

As i said i was hoping for an easy to drink sessionable beer, and it's come out good. I have other kegs with AG Bright Ale (tony's recipe) that i am painstakingly avoiding drinking due to an upcoming party in a few weeks, so i'm drinking this one instead.

Keep an eye on the bitterness, and i am sure you'll like it...Ferment at 17/18 degrees.


----------



## Arghonaut

If i use the kits spreadsheet it comes out to 25.2 ibu, the glacier are 6%, was mentioned alot thorugh this thread, its meant to have lemony taste, havent tried it yet myself either.

Want to get this through the fermenter now and bottled for summer, got an AG amber ale im also itching to do, but had this kit sitting there for a while now and want to use it


----------



## bignath

Arghonaut said:


> If i use the kits spreadsheet it comes out to 25.2 ibu, the glacier are 6%, was mentioned alot thorugh this thread, its meant to have lemony taste, havent tried it yet myself either.
> 
> Want to get this through the fermenter now and bottled for summer, got an AG amber ale im also itching to do, but had this kit sitting there for a while now and want to use it




go for it i reckon. 25IBU is pretty good for most commercial beers. Coopers Pale for example is bittered (i believe) to around 27 as an example. It seems most Aussie beers would be around this number. Would be keen to hear the results if you do your recipe with Glacier. 
Keep us posted...


----------



## Arghonaut

Just pitched the yeast following the recipe above, OG was 1040. Had a taste of the wort and has good bitterness, the hops had a lemony smell when i opened them, cant taste much of it at the moment though, think i'll dry hop the remainder of them and see how it turns out.


----------



## Arghonaut

Had a taste of this (recipe previous page) when taking a reading this morning, it smells like a fresh peach, and also has a very pleasant peach taste. Did a bit of research based on this and it seems the glacier is also known to give peach flavour and aroma, certainly no lemon flavour in this batch!

Not at all what i was expecting but the wort tasted very good, so very interested to see how it develops, should be a very nice drop ice cold on a hot day though.


----------



## bignath

cool man. let us know how this one goes.. I picked up 8 cans of Cerveza for $6 each when coles were clearing them out. Would like to try your recipe if it comes out any good..

Bignath


----------



## Tanga

I just put down my first brew in a while. I tried this one - but spilt some of the boiled malt BE2 mix. Oops - and then to compound the problem I added too much water as well - I was worried that it wouldn't have any flavour (especially after reading this thread)... so I added a bottle of bickford's lime cordial. It's about 1/6-1/7 of the concentration the cordial is meant to be so hopefully it won't be too overpowering, but instead add a dry lime hint. Or it'll taste lie crud. Oh well - time will tell.

Oh - ps - I also added the yeast too warm. By a long shot. It was telling me the fermenter was down to 30 degrees, but then the thermometer shot up again. Probably around 38, maybe even 40. Did I fuxor the yeast? Will it cook the yeast? It's too late to get to the brew shop now. It smells yeasty - so hopefully not too cooked (kit yeast) - but if it is and I wait until tomorrow morning to grab another yeast will it be ruined? Should I just junk it?


----------



## J Grimmer

Hi Tanga,

_Did I fuxor the yeast? Will it cook the yeast?
_Possibly i would check for signd of fermentation, is it bubbling through the airlock, what your hydrom reading is and has it changed. I wouldn't chuck it yet at worst you may inadvertantly have added some yeast nutrient at that temp though.

J


----------



## Tanga

J Grimmer said:


> Hi Tanga,
> 
> _Did I fuxor the yeast? Will it cook the yeast?
> _Possibly i would check for signd of fermentation, is it bubbling through the airlock, what your hydrom reading is and has it changed. I wouldn't chuck it yet at worst you may inadvertantly have added some yeast nutrient at that temp though.
> 
> J



Haha! Thanks J. It is fermenting great guns - so the yeast is OK. The temp is around 22 - 24 now. How hard should I try to bring the temp down? The plan for this one is to be a Christmas quaffer for a XXXX and a couple of Hahn superdry drinkers - so a bit of fruityness is OK.

Any one added cordial to the wort before? I've used it as a primer in apple cider before but not in the wort before.


----------



## Tanga

PS - is it too late to add some more for flavour (it's been in the fermenter 12 hours now). To the person who added *coriander* - how did that turn out?


----------



## Jimboley

Tanga said:


> Haha! Thanks J. It is fermenting great guns - so the yeast is OK. The temp is around 22 - 24 now. How hard should I try to bring the temp down? The plan for this one is to be a Christmas quaffer for a XXXX and a couple of Hahn superdry drinkers - so a bit of fruityness is OK.
> 
> Any one added cordial to the wort before? I've used it as a primer in apple cider before but not in the wort before.




I've added lime juice cordial to bottle condition a Cerveza to make a kinda Raddler beer.
I just used the nutritional guide to work out the dosage. Pretty sure it's 6 grms of sugar carbohydrate per 750mL bottle.
(35mL i think?...dont quote me on that)

BTW it turned out a success. Very easy to drink on a hot day.
I must say that I reckon u need to keep that Pitch & ferment temp right down at least for the first 1/3 of the ferment.

Before getting a wort chiller I used to sterilize some take away containers and fill them with clean/sterile water & freeze them the night before I brew. Put the ice in the wort after the boil & it will help drop the heat quickly



Cheers



James :icon_cheers:


----------



## tbasten

My last batch has just finished bottle conditioning and i got to say I am really happy. I used Safbrew yeast and it fermented for about 5 weeks at 14c. I carbonated for 2.7 vol of CO2. Tasted it last night, has a similar taste to Hoeegarden, carbination is perfect to what i like, head retention is ok but will get better with time. Head formation is really great. Next time i will steeping some grains, and adding coriander seeds and orange peel to really bring out the Hoeegarden flavour. I think the Safbrew yeast really have a nice complimenting flavour to this style of beer.


----------



## Tanga

I can't get the heat down so I'll just have to live with it I guess. Lime Juice sounds like an interesting addition for this one. Though I like the idea of adding some wit ingredients I think the high temp ferment (with the provided yeast) might clash so I'll stick to the lime.

I'm using a wet towel around the fermenter with the fan on. The freezer is full of my flatemates' stuff so I'm in trouble with bringing the heat down =(. Hopefully it's not too bad. 24 is pretty warm though.


----------



## Arghonaut

Arghonaut said:


> 1x Coopers Cerveza Kit
> 500g ldme
> 500g Rice Malt Syrup
> 100g carapils
> 20g Glacier @20,
> 20g Glacier @ 5
> 30g @ flameout
> US05 yeast
> Any advice?



Been in the bottle two weeks now, also dry hopped with 20g of glacier, had a few yesterday with some friends who helped harvest my crop of garlic. Very refreshing, plenty of citrus and peach flavours, light body, gentle bitterness at the end. Had to whack a few more in the freezer to cool quicky everyone knocked them back so fast. Got what i was after, an easy drinking beer with a good hit of flavour.


----------



## Jimboley

Arghonaut said:


> Been in the bottle two weeks now, also dry hopped with 20g of glacier, had a few yesterday with some friends who helped harvest my crop of garlic. Very refreshing, plenty of citrus and peach flavours, light body, gentle bitterness at the end. Had to whack a few more in the freezer to cool quicky everyone knocked them back so fast. Got what i was after, an easy drinking beer with a good hit of flavour.




Excellent! sounds good.


----------



## mkstalen

Last week I kegged the following:
Coopers Mex tin
1kg LDME
500g Dex
250g Crystal steeped at 68deg for 20min
20g Galaxy 20min
15g Galaxy 7min


Had the first glass on Friday arvo, very happy. Turned out a little Fat Yak-ish


----------



## Bubba

I kegged a Coopers Cerveza as follows, it turned out bloody nice and I have a mate who is a Sommelier and he thought it was great (as a girl beer for hot summer arvos).

Coopers Creveza
BE2 1kg
Exta 200g Dex
Juice 2 limes and put juice in water and some of the BE2 and bring to the boil
Rind of 2 limes (none of the white stuff though) in hop bag, add to the boil for 5minutes only
At flame out add 15-20g Cascade hops in hop sock (you could also dry hop in fermenter), and add it all to fermenter
Top to 23l
I added kit yeast, but think US-05 would be great and clean
Kept to 20 degrees for 9 days and kegged.

My Sommelier mate said he could detect crushed pineapple on the back palet, but I think it was just the Cascade, anyway a very fresh, clean beer, subtle hints of lime and a real refresher on a hot day...definately something quick easy and a crowd pleaser for the Xmas drinkers!


----------



## Bribie G

Shyte - it just occurred to me - just over a month to Christmas and all I'll have in kegs will be Yorkshire Reds, Speckled Hens, Dunkels etc. I'm going to get hung out to dry if I don't crank out something yellow and mega. Might just run up a quick mini BIAB in my new electric stockpot arrangement with a kilo of base malt I have surplus, add a can of Cerveza and 750 dex, I have Galena coming out of my ears and S-189 at 19 degrees.

Done and dusted by Xmas no worries.


----------



## Jimboley

Bubba said:


> I kegged a Coopers Cerveza as follows, it turned out bloody nice and I have a mate who is a Sommelier and he thought it was great (as a girl beer for hot summer arvos).
> 
> Coopers Creveza
> BE2 1kg
> Exta 200g Dex
> Juice 2 limes and put juice in water and some of the BE2 and bring to the boil
> Rind of 2 limes (none of the white stuff though) in hop bag, add to the boil for 5minutes only
> At flame out add 15-20g Cascade hops in hop sock (you could also dry hop in fermenter), and add it all to fermenter
> Top to 23l
> I added kit yeast, but think US-05 would be great and clean
> Kept to 20 degrees for 9 days and kegged.
> 
> My Sommelier mate said he could detect crushed pineapple on the back palet, but I think it was just the Cascade, anyway a very fresh, clean beer, subtle hints of lime and a real refresher on a hot day...definately something quick easy and a crowd pleaser for the Xmas drinkers!




Great recipe and well constructed. Now you just have to hold off drinking it all by Xmas.
If you end up using the US05 in another batch I'd recommend a 18C-20C ferment for a good result.
Good point to boil the lime juice with the sugar and also not using the bitter white pith on the lime.
Keep up the good work!


----------



## Bubba

Jimboley said:


> Great recipe and well constructed. Now you just have to hold off drinking it all by Xmas.
> If you end up using the US05 in another batch I'd recommend a 18C-20C ferment for a good result.
> Good point to boil the lime juice with the sugar and also not using the bitter white pith on the lime.
> Keep up the good work!



No need to worry, I have another Cerveza down ready to keg this coming weekend to keep for Christmas, plan to have 4 kegs running at Christmas. 1 Golden Ale, 2 CPA clones, 1 Cerveza and have a stock of 90 bottles ready to go!
Should be a festive season!
I agree with the 18-20 with US-05, keeping to themp down using frozed PET bottles and blankets I can get it pretty close in summer.
Have a good one!


----------



## bcurtis1980

I know this thread has been dead for a while but I'm looking for some help with my mexican cerveza.

Ive used the cerveza tin and the yeast that comes with it and BE2 as recommended on the tin.

My SG was 1036 and my current reading is 1012 thus giving an current abv of around 3.7%, it has been fermenting at around 18-21c for 9 days and the reading has been 1012 for the last two days.

Can i add more sugar at this stage to bump up the abv or am i stuck with 3.7% as this is a little weak for me, i'd prefer around 4.5-5%. Has fermentation finished as my hydrometer readings have been the same the last two days?

Also, is it best to transfer my batch to another fermenting bucket to try and leave the sediment in the bottom of the first bucket or should i just bottle from the bucket it's currently in?

I'm gonna use coopers carbonation drops to bottle, maybe a stupid question but when i bottle and add the carbonation drops and leave my bottles for a few weeks, do the carbonation drops then increase the abv of the beer as long as you leave the bottles for a while or are they just to give fizz when opening the bottles?

Any help/advice would me much appreciated.


----------



## Bogan333

27.8.11
1.7kg Coopers Mexican Cerveza
1 kg Dextrose
1 Brew Enhancer 1
7g Lime Zest
7g Coopers Yeast
7g Fining
23 l Spring Water
Carbonation Drops two per 640ml Amber glass Bottle

Temperature 24c
OG 1.066
FG 1.008
8.2%
Bottled 3/9/11

Opening: lots of Fizz and smoke
Look: EBC 2? A very Pale Ale, lot's of carbonation and a very good white head
Aroma: very fruity, No hops aroma
Taste :IBU 5, Light, very sweet, very little malt and very refreshing
The same as: very close to Corona but better


----------



## J Grimmer

bcurtis said:


> Can i add more sugar at this stage to bump up the abv or am i stuck with 3.7% as this is a little weak for me, i'd prefer around 4.5-5%. Has fermentation finished as my hydrometer readings have been the same the last two days?
> 
> Also, is it best to transfer my batch to another fermenting bucket to try and leave the sediment in the bottom of the first bucket or should i just bottle from the bucket it's currently in?
> 
> I'm gonna use coopers carbonation drops to bottle, maybe a stupid question but when i bottle and add the carbonation drops and leave my bottles for a few weeks, do the carbonation drops then increase the abv of the beer as long as you leave the bottles for a while or are they just to give fizz when opening the bottles?
> 
> Any help/advice would me much appreciated.



Hi BCurtis,

To answer your questions the simple answer is yes to all. 

To incvrease the abv% I would think that another 500g of LDME/Dextrose would put your gravity to where you want.

Transferring to a secondary vessel can be done but is not nessesary sometimes it is good to wake up your yeast or if your planning to age a brew, as a rule i generally dont but that me personally and have brews on the yeast cake for up to 4 weeks.

Finally carb drops will do both, the secondary fermentation will convert the sugar to alcohole and give of Co2 which cant escape the lid on the bottle thus carbonating your beer. Generally you can add .5% to the abv. 

hope that helps

Jan


----------



## bcurtis1980

J Grimmer said:


> Hi BCurtis,
> 
> To answer your questions the simple answer is yes to all.
> 
> *To incvrease the abv% I would think that another 500g of LDME/Dextrose would put your gravity to where you want.
> 
> *Transferring to a secondary vessel can be done but is not nessesary sometimes it is good to wake up your yeast or if your planning to age a brew, as a rule i generally dont but that me personally and have brews on the yeast cake for up to 4 weeks.
> 
> Finally carb drops will do both, the secondary fermentation will convert the sugar to alcohole and give of Co2 which cant escape the lid on the bottle thus carbonating your beer. Generally you can add .5% to the abv.
> 
> hope that helps
> 
> Jan




Cheers for the reply!!! 

I've only got 1kg of brewing sugar in the house will this do the job??

How much longer roughly would I have to leave it for if i was to add more sugar?? Temp wise i'm sitting around 18 c, the very highest i'm getting is 21, am in Scotland can't really expect much more although the weather is not bad at the moment....indian summer in next few days apparentyl!!!

Also, if i were to add more sugar, will this alter the taste much or will it just make the abv stronger but the body/taste of the beer will stay the same??

cheers

Ben ( first time brewer )


----------



## J Grimmer

bcurtis said:


> Cheers for the reply!!!
> 
> I've only got 1kg of brewing sugar in the house will this do the job??
> 
> How much longer roughly would I have to leave it for if i was to add more sugar?? Temp wise i'm sitting around 18 c, the very highest i'm getting is 21, am in Scotland can't really expect much more although the weather is not bad at the moment....indian summer in next few days apparentyl!!!
> 
> Also, if i were to add more sugar, will this alter the taste much or will it just make the abv stronger but the body/taste of the beer will stay the same??
> 
> cheers
> 
> Ben ( first time brewer )



Hi Ben,

Sugars generally only are used to increase the abv and make the beer feel thinner in the mouth. They can some times leave a cidery flavour in the beer. So having said that adding 500g of sugar will put you in the ball park of what your aiming for, personally i would use LDME but that is just me. 

Seeing that you have already had this brewing for close to 2 weeks it sounds like its done according to your SG readings and can be bottled now. Adding the additional fermentable maybe another week or so, just use your hydrometer see once its done. 

Temp wise 18-21 temp range is fine for a kit yeast, raising the temp towards the end of fermentation can help eating up some residual sugars, so don't sweat it, the yeast has done the bulk of the work.

I would stress, if your happy with how it is now then your pretty close to where want to be so you could put it down to learning this is your first brew so don't expect to get every thing right as your learning the process. 

One tool i have found works well is the K&K spreadsheet link http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...9655&st=380, it can help plan your next brew.

Jan.


----------



## J Grimmer

Hi Ben,

Sugars generally only are used to increase the abv and make the beer feel thinner in the mouth. They can some times leave a cidery flavour in the beer. So having said that adding 500g of sugar will put you in the ball park of what your aiming for, personally i would use LDME but that is just me. 

Seeing that you have already had this brewing for close to 2 weeks it sounds like its done according to your SG readings and can be bottled now. Adding the additional fermentable maybe another week or so, just use your hydrometer see once its done. 

Temp wise 18-21 temp range is fine for a kit yeast, raising the temp towards the end of fermentation can help eating up some residual sugars, so don't sweat it, the yeast has done the bulk of the work.

I would stress, if your happy with how it is now then your pretty close to where want to be so you could put it down to learning this is your first brew so don't expect to get every thing right as your learning the process. 

One tool i have found works well is the K&K spreadsheet by IanH - link - http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...9655&st=380, it can help plan your next brew.

Jan.


----------



## Bribie G

LDME = "light spray malt" where you are. 
Yes it would definitely improve flavour and mouthfeel compared to sugar or glucose, consider it for your next batch. 

Another trick would to be using a tin of Lyles Golden Syrup plus an extra 200g sugar to lend a bit more interest. Lyles is partly "inverted" and will ferment faster.


----------



## Bats

I have had a lot of success with Coopers Mexican Cerveza and dry hopping with Super Alpha hops. I'm told that's the hop variety used in Corona but don't quote me on it. I lagered it for a while and the amount of citrus notes that came out was awesome. I'm guessing Super Alpha and Glacier, one or the other would be on par.


----------



## mattyc

Brew Meister said:


> I carbonated for 2.7 vol of CO2.


Is this around the mid range for this style? Going to bulk prime into Tap King bottles next week.


----------



## joshF

I'd think corona may be even less than that, say 2.3 or 2.4 but It's probably hard to pick up on because its a flavourless beer to begin with. Nothing against corona lovers but it lacking in flavour beer is purely fact. Just make sure its cold as possible and the carbonation will be far less noticeable.


----------



## citizensnips

if there's one time I would drink corona its when its a belting hot day somewhere exotic and someone hands me an icy cold one, and I mean icy. When I drink it I enjoy it for what it is, not as a beer but as a refreshing beverage


----------



## Not For Horses

citizensnips said:


> not as a beer but as a refreshing beverage


You might like San Pellegrino too. It's exotic, refreshing and tastes great with a slice of lemon. 2.5 volumes of co2


----------



## Dunno238

Hi Guys,
I have been reading through these forums for about 2 weeks now and am about to dive into a homebrew myself.

This is what i'm planning to do and was just hoping i could get some feedback before i dive in.
I have a STC1000 arriving this week and will be hooking it up to a chest freezer on the weekend.

Ok as this is my first brew i need to keep it simple and the WAF (wife acceptance factor) of the finished product needs to be high. Hence the Corona like first brew.

Coopers Creveza
BE2 1kg (50% Dextrose, 25% Maltodextrin, 25% Light Dry Malt)
Saflager S-23 Yeast
23L Brew

The plan was......
Pitch yeast @ 20 degrees
Place in chest freezer and drop to 10 - 12 degrees
Wait till SG readings are stable.
Raise temp to 16-18 degrees for yeast clean up.
Then Cold Crash to 2 -4 degrees for a week.
Bottle using carbonation drops (will probably rack and bulk prime in future)
Store in a the cupboard for about 2 - 3 weeks or until carbonated
Then hopefully in the fridge down nice and cold to be ready for around new years.

I'm hoping it will be ready for new years but i don't mind if i have to wait longer as i have read the longer you leave it the better it is 
Any problems anyone could see or extra things i should do?
Also would i be better using the CBE 2 or would i be better off getting a mix from the local HBS as i have to get the yeast from there anyway.

Thanks.


----------



## yum beer

I always used 1kg LDM and 250gm Dex. Comes out high 4% with bottling.
Your temps look to be good, but get some lager yeast, 34/70 works well, 1 pack will be sufficient.
I also found the Cerveza is better while a bit younger 4-6 weeks, so you should be good for new years.


----------



## Dunno238

yum beer said:


> I always used 1kg LDM and 250gm Dex. Comes out high 4% with bottling.
> Your temps look to be good, but get some lager yeast, 34/70 works well, 1 pack will be sufficient.
> I also found the Cerveza is better while a bit younger 4-6 weeks, so you should be good for new years.


Thanks for the info know i just have to find a decent HBS in south east queensland.


----------



## yum beer

Try sponsor above...'craftbrewer' is in Brisbane...somewhere....


----------



## pixiescam

Hi all. Just brewed this one last week and it's the first time I've attempted a home brew. Couple of queries.

I've had it at a fairly stable temperature in my garage for 7 days and the fermentation has definitely happened, but it seems to have slowed down to almost non existent now. I wouldn't be concerned, but it has currently only registered about a 1020 on the Hydrometer down from 1044 at brew time. Would you suggest I've done something wrong to end up with a weakfish brew or that it still has some fermentation yet to occur?

I tasted some flat today and it smells and tastes fine, just a tad weak.

Thanks peeps


----------



## flano

I have been All grain brewing for about 3 years now...mainly making big American pale ales.
Tried the cans years ago and failed miserably...recently met a dude who reckons he brewed this and it was great.
His missus backed him up.

So am going to have a crack at it . Then keg it and leave in the fridge ungassed until xmas. about 5 weeks.

I have the can of goop ( coopers cerveza )
1 kg dextrose
20 grams super alpha to dry hop it with.
us-05

I will be surprised if it is any good.
Hope it is. The wife will think I am a genius.


----------



## fletcher

i've only done this one once and it was wrecked on me while fermenting thanks to the person staying at my house while i was away on holidays. i've always wanted to give it a crack to see how it is.


----------



## superstock

Flano said:


> I have been All grain brewing for about 3 years now...mainly making big American pale ales.
> Tried the cans years ago and failed miserably...recently met a dude who reckons he brewed this and it was great.
> His missus backed him up.
> 
> So am going to have a crack at it . Then keg it and leave in the fridge ungassed until xmas. about 5 weeks.
> 
> I have the can of goop ( coopers cerveza )
> 1 kg dextrose
> 20 grams super alpha to dry hop it with.
> us-05
> 
> I will be surprised if it is any good.
> Hope it is. The wife will think I am a genius.


Did a Coopers Cerveza for my son a couple of months ago. Straight as per the instructions, BE2 and nothing else. Pitched the kit yeast @24' and put it in the coolgardie safe in the breezeway @ 18/20'. OG 1040 FG1010. Bottled after 10 days.2 carb drops per 740ml pet. Crated and kept in the breezeway covered by double black garbage bin liners for 2 weeks @ ambient, then into the w/shop fridge @ 10'.
First taste, 4weeks after bottling-- bit thin for me, not much head & needs to be served really cold.
4 weeks later, definately improved, better head & retention. The boys loved it. One comment that was made, is you can drink a half a bottle, put the cap back on and it will stay carbed in the fridge & drinkable 48hrs on.
Now I'm being asked what a Morgans Cortes Cerveza would be like. My reply was, you buy the kit.


----------



## Bax

May be worth looking at my caribbean siesta thread if you guys want something a little different. Was a coopers recipe, cerveza extract with 2x 500g DME's. 10 minute boil with 12g of Calypso hops, and the other 12 gets dropped in for dry hopping.

Came down to about 1006 if I remember correctly, still a bit thin. But it's a really pleasant hot day beer with a fairly nice aroma.


----------



## GeoffN

Just put one of these down. Kit, 1kg LDME with kit yeast. Currently sitting at 24 °C as I do not have a working fridge to brew in. Using the non working fridge as an esky.

I would like to dry hop and would like a recommendation. I have Amarillo, cascade and Fuggles in the freezer at the moment. I'm planning a small dry hop addition to add a little aroma to counter the potential yeasty flavour from the somewhat higher fermentation temperature. I don't know much about hops so please tell me which of those three would be the most suitable. From my reading I'm tending toward a 12 g addition of cascade after the initial fermentation stops.

Thanks in advance for any and all advice.


----------



## burrster

I can definitely recommend dry hop with 25g of cascade. I did it and the results went down well with me, and a good handful of my mate's.


----------



## GeoffN

Thank you burrster for the recommendation. I ended up going with 15g of cascade as I was a little concerned with over doing it for a very low flavour beer. I'm hoping that my wife will enjoy this one, she is NOT a beer drinker but something light and malty she may do.

She tasted my LC pale ale tonight and said she enjoy the hop flavour but not the bitterness. I could possibly have done the full 25g.

Will see how it ends up. I hope I remember to report back.

Sent from my HDC-08 using Tapatalk 4


----------



## GeoffN

Bottled this today. FG 1.008. Not a strong hop flavour. Could be a nice light easy drinking beer.

Sent from my HDC-08 using Tapatalk 4


----------



## GeoffN

After 2 Weeks in the bottle this brew is OK too much malt and too little hop for my liking. Slightly sweet after taste. I'll leave it for another week before I open another one. At this point if I did another one I would use dex and maltodextrine to reduce the maltiness.

Sent from my HDC-08 using Tapatalk 4


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## burrster

The combo I put down with the 25g of Cascade dry hopped, was the Cerveza can, 100g dextrose, 125g dark spray malt( had it lying around) and 250g maltodextrin, and kit yeast, came out at about 3.9% ABV.


----------



## flano

ok results are in.
I did this one and kegged it for what must be about 7 weeks I guess.

As far as a kit beer goes it is pretty good.
It tastes a bit like corona.

Doubt I could be bothered doing it again though.


----------



## fuseo

recharge said:


> Anyone else drinking there mex yet??
> 
> :beer:


I am drinking mine and it's pretty decent by my standards (don't read too much into that comment). I left the 1st stage ferm for 6 weeks and 2nd stage for another 6 weeks. Brew held steady temp of 21 degrees over the 1st stage. 2 carb drops per glass bottle and the taste is pretty good. I did the kit so it had the can, packet yeast and BE2. Got to use my new bench capper and Green caps and I even splurged and purchased some brew labels for my 1st attempt with the glass bottles. 

The only thing I am concerned about is the head lasts momentarily (about 30sec after pouring) however the beer itself still is bubbly and fresh.


----------



## burrster

As is the Head retention on this kit setup is not that great Fuseo. I'd recommend using the coopers 1.4kg of wheat extract instead of the BE2, or steeping Carapils grain. Both should aid in head retention.

I've just put down my 4th incarnation of this kit. It involved the kit extract, 400g of Carapils grain steeped for 30 minutes, and 20g Amarillo hops boiled at 15 minutes and 5 minutes and dry hopped(totaling 60g), and Nottingham yeast. Attemping a light/ mid strength beer and I'm using the coopers Cerveza to trial/learn about hops flavour. I've done - no hops, Cascade, Hallertau and now Amarillo. The carapils should help with the head retention, but wheat extra will do the same( have done this with other brews - 1kg).

I highly recommend a Citra or cascade hops version, for this brew to emulate the lemon/lime people so often put in Carona's. 20 - 25g Dry hopped is the easiest way to get started.

My latest version is still in the Primary FV so I'll try and remember to let you know how it goes, if your interested!


----------



## Bribie G

This must be about the longest running thread on AHB, with a five star necro award.

I reckon the Coopers Cerveza and Canadian Blonde kits, being light and mildy flavoured, are heroes as they are really good for pimping up with spec malts, partials and hops and don't seem to display the kit twang compared to some of the other variants in the Coopers range.


----------



## fuseo

Is it just a coincidence but each time I drink this brew I get a headache! It tastes good and doesn't smell weird or is discoloured but every time I have a small session with this particular brew I get a wicked headache about two longnecks in! 

Any light you can shed on that or you reckon its just coincidence???


----------



## Bribie G

What adjunct do you use with the tin? According to a couple of home brew writers there's such a thing as a "sugar headache" with some sensitive drinkers that they put down to some fusels and other weird alcohols that get produced when yeast has to deal with a lot of sucrose, just traces but enough to tip the thing in sensitive individuals.


----------



## fuseo

Bribie G said:


> What adjunct do you use with the tin? According to a couple of home brew writers there's such a thing as a "sugar headache" with some sensitive drinkers that they put down to some fusels and other weird alcohols that get produced when yeast has to deal with a lot of sucrose, just traces but enough to tip the thing in sensitive individuals.


The kit with yeast from the lid and BE2. Carb drops to prime and the only other different thing I have done between this brew and my 1st (Coopers Can kit Aussie Lager) was the use of glass long necks as opposed to the PET ones that came with my starter kit. The first brew had zero affect (headache wise) on me so obviously I have continued on with the cerveza but yeah this one is almost making me think i should tip the whole thing. A side note to mention that NO ONE else has had these effects from my beer. Just me.... *sigh*


----------



## yum beer

May just be coincidence........what sugars did you use in your lager that doesn't cause the problem


----------



## fuseo

yum beer said:


> May just be coincidence........what sugars did you use in your lager that doesn't cause the problem


BE1 only.

I'm sure it's it's just in my head (pardon the inevitable pun) but I am worried that I may have to tip this stuff out....


----------



## Wigarus

Hey guys thought I kegged this a couple of weeks ago and I am rapt with it. 

I have made 8 kit brews now (usually adding extra hops and light dry malt or something else) and this is by far my favourite so far 

1 can Coopers Mexican Cerveza
1kg Coopers brew enhancer 1
500gm Coopers light dry malt extract
15grams Citra hops @ 15 minutes
15grams Centennial hops @ 15 minutes
15grams Citra hops @ 1 minute
15grams Centennial hops @ 1 minute
Kit yeast 

5L boil and fermented at 18 degrees. 

Tastes great


----------



## fuseo

So I have NOT tipped the batch out and the extended second fermentation has actually made this beer taste amazingly more full than when I first tried the brew. Definitely trying this one again.


----------



## fuseo

Oh and no more headaches when I drink it. So stoked


----------



## Damo007

So I put one of these on nearly 3 weeks ago, and it's still bubbling away. is this normal? Used the yeast from the kit, with BE 1 and an extra 200 grams of dextrose. was going to test the SG tonight and see where its at.

cheers
Damo


----------



## wereprawn

No its not normal. Taste it and see . Most infections will ruin your beer but some don't. At 18c I've found the coopers kit yeast takes 7 days max. So you have an infection or the ferm temp is lower than what you think. Although even if it is lower 3 weeks seems a bit long.


----------



## Damo007

wereprawn said:


> No its not normal. Taste it and see . Most infections will ruin your beer but some don't. At 18c I've found the coopers kit yeast takes 7 days max. So you have an infection or the ferm temp is lower than what you think. Although even if it is lower 3 weeks seems a bit long.


In the past i've found it's between 7 - 10 days. It's been awhile since I've brewed and wasn't sure. Temp has probably sat around the 20c give or take a few.

So possibly my first infection. Bummer.... Not happy jan!!

Edit: Will be 3 weeks on Saturday.


----------



## Damo007

SG is sitting at 1.017ish, which is still fairly high from my experience, only started at 1.036. Had a tasting and can't really taste any thing bad, but then again I'm not really saure what I'm looking for either.

Another thing, the kit was 2 months past it's best before, which I didn't realise until throwing the can in the bin.

Just not sure if I should dump and start again or persist and see how it goes. If I do continue, it'll be my first kegged beer.


----------



## wereprawn

That's odd Damo. The only think i can think of is that the yeast was not good due to age. Could try throwing a fresh pack in.If it refuses to cooperate after that you may as well keg , refrigerate, gas and drink quick so you can try again imo..


----------



## yum beer

Throw a new yeast at it. swirl it up and give it another week.


----------



## Damo007

wereprawn said:


> That's odd Damo. The only think i can think of is that the yeast was not good due to age. Could try throwing a fresh pack in.If it refuses to cooperate after that you may as well keg , refrigerate, gas and drink quick so you can try again imo..





yum beer said:


> Throw a new yeast at it. swirl it up and give it another week.


Cheers boys, did this today and will see how we go..

Thanks

Damo


----------



## wynnum1

Did Coopers Mexican Cerveza with 700 grams dextrose and 500g tubs of maltose syrup and kit yeast fermented under 17 c lacks flavor needs more hop flavor .Could be mixed to make an alcopop flavor very neutral but is easy to drink.


----------



## fuseo

FYI people.

Big-W Miranda (NSW) is selling BE2 for $5 and Coopers Cerveza for $10 so jump on that real quick


----------



## Axl100

Did my first coopers Mexican cerveza as per instructions on the kit using 1kg of coopers brew enhancer 2. SG was 1.060 and FG was 1.010. It has been kegged and see what its like..


----------



## yum beer

Hey axl I would say you had some crap in your initial sample. No way you get 1060 with 1 can and a kilo of BE2.
Punch your numbers into some software....off top of my head , probably more like 1040..


----------



## Axl100

Hey Yum Beer.... Yeah I don't know mate. I cant use tap water here as it is shit . I have buy filtered water from woollies..



yum beer said:


> Hey axl I would say you had some crap in your initial sample. No way you get 1060 with 1 can and a kilo of BE2.
> Punch your numbers into some software....off top of my head , probably more like 1040..


----------



## fuseo

tangent said:


> use a lager yeast (Saflager is easy to start with) with low ferment temps
> rack your brew


Stupid question guys...

What exactly does "rack your brew" mean?


----------



## reimana

I have made this kit for the missues with BE2 and dextrose. I think that the BE2 made the beer to malty that contradicts this style of beer. Would definitely recommend just using dextrose.


----------



## burrster

Hi Fuseo. Racking your brew means to siphon your brew from your primary to secondary, primarily to separate it from the yeast cake. You would then condition it for what ever time you choose, then go through your bottling process. hope this helps.


----------



## burrster

By the way guys, I'm now drinking my latest version of the Coopers Cerveza. It's the kit, 200g light dry malt, plus 400g Cara pils grain as I mentions earlier, with Amarillo hops. Taste great! It's also only 3.1% for those looking to brew a light beer. pretty nice head as well. I used Nottingham yeast. This is to be my base recipe for hops experimentation.


----------



## fuseo

burrster said:


> Hi Fuseo. Racking your brew means to siphon your brew from your primary to secondary, primarily to separate it from the yeast cake. You would then condition it for what ever time you choose, then go through your bottling process. hope this helps.


Wait...

So after the fermentation process there's more waiting time BEFORE bottling? I have NEVER done that. It goes straight from the fermenter into bottles. Is this bad? Would my beer turn out better by "racking off" even though I'm using kits and kilos?


----------



## fuseo

Oh and thanks for the reply burrster!


----------



## burrster

It's not bad. It's just a different way of doing this. My current Method is all done in the primary fermentation vessel. 1 week of ferment, then 1 week of dry hopping followed by 1 week cold crash, all in the first vessel. I then rack into a second vessel which has my bulk priming sugar solution, which I then immediately bottle. 

Some people rack to a secondary after 1 week in the primary then condition it by what ever process they like, in the secondary. everyone develops their own method. Racking is considered a good this because the yeast cake "may" impart off flavours into a brew. however in my experience, a few weeks on the yeast cake does not hurt it.

The reason for conditioning in the primary or secondary vessel, is the idea that the more yeast there is doing the conditioning the faster/better it will happen( as opposed to the limited amount in a single bottle). I'm sure there are other reasons too. Home brew is about patience!

How long does your brew stay in the primary vessel before bottling? do you have a temperature controlled environment?( fridge/ temp controller etc) Racking off can help your beer flavour, but as I said, my method seems to produce fairly good results(and is less complicated than multiple racking's, and less chance of introducing infection) from a single vessel. So I would choose a longer time in the primary instead racking to a secondary for a first move to improvement in flavour.


----------



## fuseo

So much solid info there man! Thank you!

In a nut shell, I mix in the kilo of brew enhancer or whatever goes with the particular batch along with the concentrate. 2 litres boiling water and stir the heck out of it. Add tap water to the 23ltr mark on the fermenter. Put on the Krausen collar and add the yeast. I then take a gravity reading and note the temp and that's it. I will take four other gravity readings and inject them into a excel workbook I have made up with basic formulas to give me averages and the like. When gravity is at 1.010 for two or three days straight I then bottle with carb drops. My fermenter is in the coolest section of our fifty year old cottage which has the ability to hold my brew temps at around 23 degrees year round. 

I have used this method on all my batches. I have only made five home brew batches since I bought the kit. Sadly my attempt at the coopers Canadian blonde went to vinegar. I left the brew in the primary fermenter for 3 weeks which I was advised that was the reason for it. 

So yeah. I pretty much run the fundamental instruction on the pack style for brewing. Hence my intrigue when racking off was explained to me.


----------



## yum beer

Hey Fuseo, good idea to check your temp 'before' you add your yeast, just to be sure your temp is not too high. Low 20's is ideal to pitch and if you can ferment at 18-20 you will see improvement in flavour.
Pitching hot will cause thte yeast to throw some undersirable flavours.
Obce you have a stable hydro readings for 3 days let it sit another 5 days(in a fridge if you can) before you bottle....this will allow the yeast to drop out and make a clearer and tastier brew.
You should find that winter may help with the lower temps and may even let you use some lager yeast(s-189 will run out to a higher temp,18ish without any problem).


----------



## fuseo

More great advice! 

So probably best to keep it in the primary fermenter then.


----------



## Axl100

I don't know if I have done anything wrong. I followed the directions as per kit to 23 litres. It tastes a bit weak for me. Can I make it for 20 litres instead of 23 or add more be2.


----------



## burrster

Axl100, best bet would be to drop to 20L. It is a clean ('weak' as you put it)tasting brew though. If you describe what you think is weak, I could lead you in the right direction. Does it need more malt flavour, bitterness, hops flavour?


----------



## wereprawn

Making it up to 20 ltr will give more flavour. Those cervesa kits make a great base for much more interesting beers though.


----------



## Axl100

burrster said:


> Axl100, best bet would be to drop to 20L. It is a clean ('weak' as you put it)tasting brew though. If you describe what you think is weak, I could lead you in the right direction. Does it need more malt flavour, bitterness, hops flavour?


Hey Burrster if you could im open to any suggestions. I would like it a bit stronger in taste. Cheers.


----------



## burrster

Well, as mentions making the final volume less, with the same ingredients will increase the flavour(and ABV).

Alternately, for a more malty flavour you can add some light DME, maybe another 500g, 

You could also steep some specialty grains, ie 250g of Caramalt. This is a great way to add that 'fresh' feel to your beer. 

Adding hops will increase the flavour. This is done by selecting a hop you want, for example 20g Cascade steep it in hot water for say 10 minutes, then add this to your fermenter before pitching your yeast. this may increase bitterness if you use hot water above 70 degrees Celsius. If you are steeping gains then you can add hops to that process, after you've finished steeping the grains.

You can then also dry hop - ie by adding 20g of hops to the fermenter after the first 4 -5 days and leaving it for a week or so before bottling. 

All these amounts of grain and hops are up to you to choose, but the above mentioned amounts are a good place to start. 

If you are after more bitterness you can boil hops for up to 30 - 60 minutes in either the wort created from steeping the grain or one made from some of the can goop or other dry ingredients. 

Ian's spread sheet is a great tool in help you create a good extract beers

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/29655-kit-and-extract-beer-spreadsheet/

I hope this helps Axl100


----------



## Axl100

Thank you Burrster for the helpful info. Im looking into it now...


----------



## fuseo

So I have my second batch of this done currently and it is looking great after 4 days. I had a bit of Krausen so thankfully I used the collar. 

I wanted to know your thoughts about leaving my batch to clear out in the primary fermenter. Last batch I had left alone in the tub for 28 days at around 21 degrees and it was delish (IMO anyway) so I am trying to replicate this in the best way.

I have been speaking with 'Burrster' and he suggested to rack off the batch but seeing as though leaving it last time worked I am just hoping it will be the same second time around.

Thoughts?


----------



## yum beer

No need to rack off the yeast, leave it as cool as you can for 10 days or so before bottling certainly helps.


----------



## yum beer

Axl100 said:


> Thank you Burrster for the helpful info. Im looking into it now...


Hey axl, if you want to keep it simple yet add some flavour,
1kg LDM
300gm Dextrose
is all you need to do to get a little extra depth into the cerveza.
Too much dex thins out the profile, which you want to a degree but it also adds flavours you don't want,so this mix works well.
If using the kit yeast ferment slow and cool around 15c or get some store bought lager yeast and pitch a larger amount...2 packs of kit yeast or 1 pack of store bought...at least.


----------



## fuseo

yum beer said:


> No need to rack off the yeast, leave it as cool as you can for 10 days or so before bottling certainly helps.


28 days from go to o is too long you reckon?


----------



## Axl100

yum beer said:


> Hey axl, if you want to keep it simple yet add some flavour,
> 1kg LDM
> 300gm Dextrose
> is all you need to do to get a little extra depth into the cerveza.
> Too much dex thins out the profile, which you want to a degree but it also adds flavours you don't want,so this mix works well.
> If using the kit yeast ferment slow and cool around 15c or get some store bought lager yeast and pitch a larger amount...2 packs of kit yeast or 1 pack of store bought...at least.


Cheers Yum Beer


----------



## yum beer

fuseo said:


> 28 days from go to o is too long you reckon?


Not saying that, reality is; slow ferment and cold conditioning is going to add up to somewhere in that range anyway, likely not less than 21 days thats for sure.

Leaving it too long on the yeast can be counter productive and start to create off flavours off its own.

My own experience with Cerveza says 3 weeks is good in the fermenter then start trying bottles from 3 weeks on. 4 or 5 days in the fridge before drinking also helps. Don't throw 'em in the fridge in the morning and drink in the arvo.


----------



## fuseo

I can do that. I will just keep an eye on it for the next couple of weeks and sample it every now and then. Thanks for your advice


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## wynnum1

The last bottle is always the best.


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## fuseo

Okay so bottled it today and tried some before finishing the last bottle. It had a vinegar taste and smelt a bit like it also. Will longer bottling help fix that or is it too late and i ship tip it down the drain?


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## wogdog

Hey there... Vinegar taste..? I not sure about that as I ain't had that before but I'm sure someone here can explain that.. What hops did u use..? I use that kit alot wit 1kg of full light malt an 15g of amirillo hops kinda clone of James squire 150 lashes big fav wit friends.. An that's about 7 days in primary fermant at 20-22deg than rack for 3 days an keg tho if u are bottling than I use to bottle after 7 days sits for 3 weeks anyways an is great.. It's a great kit to work wit good for a corona clone or even a miller chill if you like the infused lime twist.


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## fuseo

Thanks wogdog. I just use kit and kilo. That's it.


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## wogdog

Yeh so do I that's all I do also.. Just a little extra here an there goes along way in the end product.. I only just got off the bottles but process/ferment is still the same.


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## burrster

Hey Fuseo. The vinegar taste doesn't sound promising. I'm always, 'the glass is half full' sort of guy, so I'd ride it out for a while, if for nothing else, but the experience of finding out what went wrong and why. For your sake I hope some one can say I'm wrong, but it should taste some what good straight out of the fermenter.


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## fuseo

That was my assumption... *sigh*


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## fuseo

I will wait it out and see what it's like in 4 weeks or so.


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## wynnum1

If it turns to vinegar then use it as vinegar have read that vinegar can be concentrated by freezing .


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## fuseo

Had a second whiff of the bottled stuff and nearly spewed. All bottles tipped out and already and put down another batch after a thorough wash and sanitizer that I started last night with leaving "pink stuff" in the fermenter along with all the gear I used. 

Fingers crossed the new batch goes way better!

So kit and kilo of Morgans Cerveza due the local not having the Coopers brand. Pitched yeast at 26 degrees and OG was at 1.032.


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## chemfish

Just bottled a basic Coopers cerveza, 23 litre brew, cerveza tin, 750g dex, 250g of LDM and fermented at 17 degrees with Nottingham yeast. Hopefully it turns out nice and lightly flavoured as it is for my significant other who refuses anything with flavour. Just put on a "plain Jane" Canadian blonde as well, same recipe only with a blonde tin instead. When I brew my next cerveza I will try it with 750g LDM and 250 dex, will be interesting to see the difference.


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## menoetes

Vinegar? Sounds like an infection dude, it sucks but it has happened to almost all of us at some point. Take it as a learning experience and jump back on that horse and start brewing again. After this scare you'll probably be so careful with your next beer that it will turn it perfectly!


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## wereprawn

fuseo said:


> Had a second whiff of the bottled stuff and nearly spewed. All bottles tipped out and already and put down another batch after a thorough wash and sanitizer that I started last night with leaving "pink stuff" in the fermenter along with all the gear I used.
> 
> Fingers crossed the new batch goes way better!
> 
> So kit and kilo of Morgans Cerveza due the local not having the Coopers brand. Pitched yeast at 26 degrees and OG was at 1.032.


Never used it, but..... "that pink stuff" sounds suspiciously like a cleaner I have read about ( Could be wrong but don't think it sanitises ). For a a good sanitiser try sodium percarbonate . There are obviously many types of sanitiser and they have there place but the S P cleans and sanitises.


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## yum beer

No good fuseo....vinegar certainly sounds like an infection...aceto bacter beer fucker, or some such thing.........the pink wash may not be enough to sanitize on its own.
I like to soak all my gear in the fermenter filled with nappy san (no name nappy treatment to be exact)and hot water for at least 12 hours, rinse with hot tap water then spray with Iodophor and allow to drain dry for 15 minutes before using. If you cant get Iodophor or Starsan, the nappy san will do the job on its own, spray is just for extra's.
Don't touch your brew with anything that hasn't been thoroughly cleaned and sanitised.
Boiling water works well too.

Better luck with this batch. It happens to all of us....I lost 6 batches in a row early last year with mice everywhere, hard to get through and a little heartbreaking but be a little anal...its worth it in the end..no pun..


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## Bribie G

They make a brilliant partial with about 3 kg of base grain, 20g of something American like Chinook and an American ale yeast such as BRY-97.

I made my run-up to going AG on similar brews and you can usually do it with equipment you already have knocking around like a BIG W stockpot, esky and some voile.

Edit: sodium percarbonate is the active ingredient in napisan type powders. Give a good soaking and don't spare the napisan, then a supermarket dishwashing detergent with a new yellow cloth, rinse well with hottest possible water and apply Starsan solution liberally and leave overnight before draining. Don't forget to remove tap and thoroughly clean and sanitise tap recess and thread as well.

I'd disagree that SP is a sanitiser - I wouldn't ever trust it on its own.


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## wogdog

The pink stain u are talking about is excellent... I use it for everything eats everything away.. Hot water an soak let dry an rinse stinks if u inhale it tho but works incredible... Will remove everything I even soak my glasses in it in kitchen sink they come out sparkling.. If u have glass bottles will eat all sticky residue away from labels etc.. Get stuff I don't use anything else. An when brew day is I rinse everything off with it few scoops of it shake an rinse. Hope that helps.


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## fuseo

Thanks for the replies. I obviously left out the fact that after using the pink stuff I used idaphor for sanitising. So yeah all good with cleaning.


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## fuseo

Any recommendations on a yeast substitute for this kit?

If so what would be the overall outcome?

Just saw the same question posted in another thread and was curious myself as to what my options would be seeing as though this is by far my favorite brew at the moment.


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## Bribie G

BRY-97 is good. I've done a few partials over the summer with this kit and would recommend.


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## fuseo

Does it come in a packet like the kit yeast? Is it pitched the same way? Any info would be great...


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## Bribie G

In a sachet, but better than the kit yeast as you get a decent amount. If you can't get it then US-05 is a close brother. Rehydrate in sterile water (from cooled electric kettle is good) and pitch. Does well around 17 degrees in a fake lager or blonde ale.

edit: you shouldn't need to "proof" the yeast by adding sugar, just cream it up for a while then pitch as in the photos.


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## fuseo

Absolute champion effort for the help Bribie! Thanks mate


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## Bribie G

Happy brewing .. :super:


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## burrster

As an alternative option, I'm currently using Nottingham. I chose it for its clean ferment, adding very little in the way of flavours, to the brew, allowing me to experiment with different hops and the difference between them. its good for doing fake lagers at 15ish degrees without having to go through the efforts of lagering. For now it's my yeast of choice while I experiment with other aspects of beer brewing!


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## Bribie G

I'd also second Nottingham as a good choice. If you are looking for a lager style and have temperature control it's a good yeast, and a bit of a rottweiler when it comes to chewing through the fermentables. Rehydrating instructions as per above.

I once accidentally let a brew on Notto go down to 13 degrees which is definitely in lager territory and it was still popping away happily. It is known to strip hop flavours but for a lighter brew such as a Cerveza it works fine.


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## fuseo

Awesome info.


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## chemfish

Well, I think my cerveza is going to have issues and maybe try to kill me. I popped a bottle today and.... it's fairly sweet and fairly heavily carbonated. I cold crashed it when it had reached and seemingly stopped at 1.009 but testing what was in the bottles shows 1.005... guess I should have left it a bit longer after all. My canadian blonde ended up dropping to 1.006 so hopefully it will be better.


----------



## Amph

I've got an old coopers cerveza can and a BE2 kicking around and thought I'd give it a try with a 500g tub of rice malt..

I'm thinking of doing a 5L boil and maybe adding some Citra (all I have) and some nutrient.. Should I do the boil with the rice malt, or half of the BE2?


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## burrster

As far as I understand it doesn't really matter, Amph.


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## menoetes

Personally I would use the rice malt in the hop boil, 100ml per liter (the full 500mls for your 5lt boil). It just makes judging the OG of the boil easier. I'm not sure that 500g of BE2 would give you the 1.040 you ideally want in your hop boil and this just saves you from having to use your hydrometer and make the temp adjustment calculations etc.


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## Eagleburger

Last night I did a can of cerveza, 2 kg pale malt and 1/2 a lunch box of cooked jasmine rice. I just checked OG and it was only 1.038. Is that too low?

I pitched two packets of coopers lager yeast at 11 deg C and will raise it to 13 degC in the mornng.


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## wereprawn

A bit low. Because the rice was not mashed with another grain containing enzymes no conversion has happened.



Eagleburger said:


> Last night I did a can of cerveza, 2 kg pale malt and 1/2 a lunch box of cooked jasmine rice. I just checked OG and it was only 1.038. Is that too low?
> 
> I pitched two packets of coopers lager yeast at 11 deg C and will raise it to 13 degC in the mornng.


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## wynnum1

Eagleburger said:


> Last night I did a can of cerveza, 2 kg pale malt and 1/2 a lunch box of cooked jasmine rice. I just checked OG and it was only 1.038. Is that too low?
> 
> I pitched two packets of coopers lager yeast at 11 deg C and will raise it to 13 degC in the mornng.


Mashed 1.25 BB pale malt and 1/2 kilo jasmine rice. Used a thermal cooker from aldi holds 6 liters .Put the grain and rice through a large coffee grinder .Poured 2 liters of boiling water over rice and left to cook for a couple of hours and then mixed more water and pale malt on stove top till reached 55 Celsius and let soak for half hour in thermal cooker .Put on stove again and then up to 66 Celsius and 1 hour in thermal cooker then heat again and repeat.Used 10 grams German magnum hops and coopers lager yeast .Jasmine rice gives a nice dry taste drinking after 2 weeks in the bottle not going to be able to let mature too easy to drink.


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## mattyg8

Hi looking to improve after making a cerveza (First ever brew) I used coopers cerveza tin, Coopers BE2 and kit yeast.

It tasted good but I didn't leave it long enough or take any readings (yes I know rookie mistake)

I was hoping to get it around 5%, I keg my beer


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## Eagleburger

Kegged my batch last night. Tastes a bit weird, but quite fruity.

The pale malt doesn't have enzymes?

The euro lager I did the same, except I used bohemian lager strain tastes brill and it just attenuated.


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## Bribie G

Pale malt as in grain malt has heaps of enzymes, particularly the Aussie varieties. If mashing with rice or maize, best to do that above 70 degrees for the alpha amylase to nuke the starch in the rice.

Confusion can arise with newer brewers as sometimes on the forums "pale malt" is incorrectly used to describe light dried malt extract. Many LHBS of the essences and distillation type also tend to bag their LDME as "Pale Malt" that doesn't help newbies.


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## Nizmoose

Hey guys if I can tune in here I have been reading through this thread a bit after wanting to produce something that would be enjoyable in summer, that I could make a fair volume of for summer, and that my brothers and their mates (typical 18 year old megaswill drinkers) would be able to enjoy in the warmer months. I've come up with a draft recipe and would absolutely LOVE some feedback 

*Ingredients:*
1 x Coopers Mexican Cerveza Can (1.7kg)
Briess Pilsen Malt LME (1.5kg)
Rice Malt LME/syrup (500gm)
Saaz 10g @ 40 mins
Saaz 15g @ 15 mins

*Stats:*
OG: 1.049
FG: 1.011
IBU: 26.7
EBC: 7.4
Volume into fermenter: 23L


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## Bribie G

Should work well. At the risk of being flamed I'd just use the tin yeast as well, I always had good results with that in my KnK days and often found that using so called "better" yeasts often took the kits "off track" from what they were designed to be, and didn't do a great deal for me until I got into AG. 

The trick with the tin yeasts is to use two packets as the supplied packet is really stingy when it comes to yeast count, then to apply temperature control: under 20. This would be a good time to try a couple for the summer.

One suggestion, I don't think the Saaz is going to add a lot to the recipe, the megaswill drinkers aren't used to anything "floral", but a hint of a hop bite would be acceptable, especially if they are used to the likes of VB.

For a good clean bittering I'd go 8g only of Magnum for 40 min, increasing to maybe 10g in subsequent brews if you want to up the bittering.


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## Nizmoose

Bribie G said:


> Should work well. At the risk of being flamed I'd just use the tin yeast as well, I always had good results with that in my KnK days and often found that using so called "better" yeasts often took the kits "off track" from what they were designed to be, and didn't do a great deal for me until I got into AG.
> 
> The trick with the tin yeasts is to use two packets as the supplied packet is really stingy when it comes to yeast count, then to apply temperature control: under 20. This would be a good time to try a couple for the summer.
> 
> One suggestion, I don't think the Saaz is going to add a lot to the recipe, the megaswill drinkers aren't used to anything "floral", but a hint of a hop bite would be acceptable, especially if they are used to the likes of VB.
> 
> For a good clean bittering I'd go 8g only of Magnum for 40 min, increasing to maybe 10g in subsequent brews if you want to up the bittering.


Cheers for the suggestions, I'm not a k&k brewer per se, I brew extract (unhopped) most of the time and US-05 is my go to. Also on the hop front when I say I want my brothers mates to like it I also want to like it too haha  I wanted to produce something light but something with flavour as well, I figured the citrusy floral saaz would give it something I enjoy as well as something megaswill drinkers wouldnt mind?

EDIT: cheers for the suggestion of magnum for bittering I might switch to that for bittering


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## burrster

I'll back you Bribie. The Kit yeast works quite well in the cerveza kit, and using 2 is the solution to gettting the best out of the kit yeast. If not Try Notto for it's high flocculation, but it will drag some of the hops flavout with it.


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## Eagleburger

I am drinking mine now. Would be good summer drop. As close to water as you can get. Imo the eurolager kicks its but. So good I want to clone it using AG.


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## Nizmoose

burrster said:


> I'll back you Bribie. The Kit yeast works quite well in the cerveza kit, and using 2 is the solution to gettting the best out of the kit yeast. If not Try Notto for it's high flocculation, but it will drag some of the hops flavout with it.


Is it okay if I use the sachet in the tin and a sachet that's been sitting in my 'homebrew stuff box'? It's about 3 or so months old and hasn't been refrigerated at all, I'm assuming as long as its not past its use by date then it'll be all good?


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## yum beer

Given the kit yeast has been on a shelf for who knows how long it shouldn't really matter.


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## burrster

It should be ok (not ideal but ok) As Yum mentions, who know how long it was on the shelf before you got it. I'd re hydrate the yeast to give it the best chance of doing it's job.


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## mattyg8

Whats a good hops to add to the coopers cerveza can


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## mattyg8

anyone able to help with a hops for this hoping to make up a kit this weekend


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## burrster

Hi Mattyg8. I've tried this kit with all sorts of hops. I could recommend Galaxy, Centennial, Citra, Amarillo, Cascade, Simcoe, Hallertau. Right Now I'd probably pick Galaxy. you could mix a few together too ( I know none of these are with in the style of a cerveza but this kit is really good for pimping out)

Probably not a huge help with so many options. Like I said I'd probably pick Galaxy at the moment.


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## mattyg8

burrster said:


> Hi Mattyg8. I've tried this kit with all sorts of hops. I could recommend Galaxy, Centennial, Citra, Amarillo, Cascade, Simcoe, Hallertau. Right Now I'd probably pick Galaxy. you could mix a few together too ( I know none of these are with in the style of a cerveza but this kit is really good for pimping out)
> 
> Probably not a huge help with so many options. Like I said I'd probably pick Galaxy at the moment.


Thanks was thinking of grabbing some galaxy so I'll give that a good


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## menoetes

Galaxy is an awesome hop but remember if you are using it, then use it late in the boil - no more than 5 or 10 minutes before the end of the boil. It _can _add a harsh bitterness if used to early.

I like using 30g at 5 minutes myself as I've just done this week with a quick faux lager. Lot of punchy fruit flavour with no harsh bitterness that way.

I've got to admit I'm liking the Mexican Cerveza kit more and more each time I use it. I used to use the lager kit as my go to base but I think you might have converted me Burrster h34r:


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## mattyg8

What do you mean late in the boil? I've only user hops once when I did a pale ale with Amarillo where I boiled in 2L of water with 200g of dme then added 25g of Amarillo for 12 mins then placed in fermenter with rest of the ingredients


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## burrster

12 minutes is considered late( as opposed to 20-60 minutes) but I guess keeping it under 10 minutes is a good idea, regarding the bitterness.


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## mattyg8

sorry Im still confused in regards to late...this is the chart I was show last time when I did it

So I should boil for 8 mins or so? how many g's? and whats a good yeast for this

thanks again and sorry for all the questions


----------



## burrster

Nottingham is a good clean yeast, or US 05 will allows hops flavours to come through a little better(but produce slightly cloudy beer) As for boiling hops, is an experiment that takes time to master. Every hop is different too. Longer boils give more bitterness. If this is not what you are after then late additions are best. As menotes suggested try 30g at 5 minutes. If you like the result stick with it, if not try something different. I'm on my phone so I cannot get to ians spread sheet, but download this and work out how it works. It will help you reproduce consistent beer time and time again. The chart you've got is also a good guide, but like most pieces of info, it's not the whole picture.


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## mattyg8

Ok thanks I will try 30g at 5 minutes on a rolling boil...Should I add 100gm of dme per 1L of water for boiling


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## burrster

Yes. That will help get the most out if your hops.


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## mattyg8

thanks


----------



## antiphile

Ok, from what I read you previously steeped the hops in just boiled water? If you felt comfortable with that method and wanted to repeat it, this should go reasonably close to Burrster's and menoetes suggestion (please correct me if I'm wrong guys):

Bring 2 litres of water to the near boil, add 100 or 200 grams dry malt extract and whisk to dissolve. Continue heating until a rolling boil. Then turn off the heat and immediately put in the 30 g Galaxy hops and occasionally give a gentle stir. Leave for about 6 minutes, then place the saucepan in a sink of cold tap water to cool down. Strain the hop tea into the fermenter with the other ingredients. Cheers.


----------



## mattyg8

antiphile said:


> Ok, from what I read you previously steeped the hops in just boiled water? If you felt comfortable with that method and wanted to repeat it, this should go reasonably close to Burrster's and menoetes suggestion (please correct me if I'm wrong guys):
> 
> Bring 2 litres of water to the near boil, add 100 or 200 grams dry malt extract and whisk to dissolve. Continue heating until a rolling boil. Then turn off the heat and immediately put in the 30 g Galaxy hops and occasionally give a gentle stir. Leave for about 6 minutes, then place the saucepan in a sink of cold tap water to cool down. Strain the hop tea into the fermenter with the other ingredients. Cheers.


Last time I boiled 2L of water, Then added 200 grams of DME and continued heating untill a rolling boil then added the hops and let it continue to rolling boil for 13 mins or so like this video


----------



## mattyg8

antiphile said:


> Ok, from what I read you previously steeped the hops in just boiled water? If you felt comfortable with that method and wanted to repeat it, this should go reasonably close to Burrster's and menoetes suggestion (please correct me if I'm wrong guys):
> 
> Bring 2 litres of water to the near boil, add 100 or 200 grams dry malt extract and whisk to dissolve. Continue heating until a rolling boil. Then turn off the heat and immediately put in the 30 g Galaxy hops and occasionally give a gentle stir. Leave for about 6 minutes, then place the saucepan in a sink of cold tap water to cool down. Strain the hop tea into the fermenter with the other ingredients. Cheers.


Last time I boiled 2L of water, Then added 200 grams of DME and continued heating untill a rolling boil then added the hops and let it continue to rolling boil for 13 mins or so like this video <iframe width="640" height="390" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/s7iqgerF748" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


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## menoetes

There's no problem with your technique Mattyg8, it's solid. Good ol' Cellar Dwellers eh? 

If you wanted to, you could up the boil volume to 4 or 5 liters and squeeze to help get the most out of your hops (kinda like dissolving a cup of sugar in water, the more hot water you have, the easier and more effective it is) otherwise your 2 liter boil is fine.

What you say is right, bring to the roiling boil then add your hops and start your timer. For a 5 minute hop addition you would take it off 5 minutes later and either cool it or add it straight to the fermenter with your kit and other malts/sugar. 

Personally I do a 5 liter boil in a 10 stock liter pot (5 liters of water with 500g of malt) and once the hops have boiled enough (5 minutes in this case) I just take it off the heat, pour the Cerveza kit and extra malt into the pot with the hops. I then stir it all vigorously to dissolve it all together and then pour the lot into the fermenter and top it up with cold water to 23 liters. 

The benefits of this include: getting the most out of my hops with a bigger boil, the ease of dissolving the kit and extra malt in a boiling pot on a hot stovetop, the rapid cooling of the wort & hops when I top up the fermenter with cold water (this stops them cooking and adding more bitterness).

I sometimes find a bigger boil means my final temperature is a bit high at first (anything above 20'c is generally no good for brewers yeast) but I pop the sanitized lid on my fermenter and stick it somewhere cool overnight. If it's all properly sanitized/sealed up it should be fine, having cooled down and be ready to pitch the yeast by morning. 

I 'hop' this has helped :lol:


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## Alex.Tas

menoetes said:


> I 'hop' this has helped :lol:


Nice one Dad.


----------



## menoetes

Alex.Tas said:


> Nice one Dad.


I am shamed... :blush:


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## mattyg8

Thanks


----------



## Nizmoose

Hey guys just a quick question, I've been playing around with a few cerveza recipes because I'm looking for something I can make cheeap for my corona drinking friends (-_-). When it comes to basically trying to replicate a corona would the Coopers Cerveza tin, 500g of Rice Malt Syrup and then say 500g dex cut it for a 21-23L batch? Works out really really cheap. Also with the possibility of magnum bittering or something late-ish to add some flavour?


----------



## mattyg8

I used a Saflager s-23 yeast on my Cerveza and have had it fermenting at 14C for 12 days and its about .1020 and using Ians spreed sheet its should get to about .1014... Should I leave it for a few more days?
Should I drop the temperature down to 10C?

I will be kegging and dont have a free keg atm so would it benefit if I try largering at 2C for a week? is that the right technique


----------



## Stonemull

put one of these down for the missus, she loves beer but doesnt like malt or hops .. women..
so this was a test in making the most vodkaish beer possible.
so instead of using a brew enhancer I only threw in a kg of dextrose, made it up to 21litres i think. OG 1.036 and now its looking pretty clear with an SG of 1.012. no idea how coopers reckon a kg of dextrose makes up 4.9% as this is about 3.2% according to a calculator. she might not like malt or hops but she does like ethanol.
so unless my volume is way out I am not sure how coopers come up with their figures unless the OG I wrote on the fermenter is incorrect, just makes no sense.
its been pretty much stopped for 2 days, so just chucked in 500g of coopers BE1. after mopping up a bit of escaped foam gave it a bit of a stir and back under airlock.


----------



## menoetes

It sounds like a hell of an experiment Stonehull, did you correct your hydrometer reading for temperature? If the wort was warm it will throw out the hydrometer reading ei; if your wort was 40'c then that OG of 1.036 would in fact be closer to 1.041.

I find it strange that a 21lt brew with a coopers ceveza kit and a kilo of dex should only come to a SG of 1.036. I would have thought that it ought to be somewhat higher. With the addition of the BE1 it is going to be a _strong_ beer but very dry and somewhat tasteless...

...which is what you were after, if I understand you correctly. I wouldn't be too keen to drink it but I hope your misses enjoys it.


----------



## TheWiggman

Your OG sounds a bit low Stonemull, and your FG sounds high. These kits (especially with dextrose) should get a long way down, like 1.007 as stated in a post beforehand. What yeast did you use and what temp has it been sitting at? Did you give it a rouse at any stage?

Also, what do you mean by "mopping up a bit of escaped foam"?

Also remember that bottle priming will add 0.4-0.5% ABV, so using your online caluclators you should get an expected percentage of around 4.3%.


----------



## Stonemull

this is going into a keg, bought a flow control tap from ibrew testerday and a 9.5 cornie a fitted it into the fridge, so I thought the little boost of 1kg of dextrose as opposed to the suggested 1kg of BE1 or BE2 would make up for no secondary fermenting.
i pitched yeast at 26C then put it in the pantry, middle of house and dark. it dropped to 22C and has been at 22 since.
I am from the distilling side of the fence and beer is still very very new to me, so I probably am a bit rough with it.
I was going to rack it into a 19l cornie yesterday, carefully put it up on the table, pulled the airlock and measured FG of 1.012, plugged the numbers into an SG calclulator and it came out to 3.1% or so, so I decided to add 500g of BE as my last simple coopers had some head retention issues anyway. I have seen others mention 1.012 as an FG for this kit, thought it was done.
So I tipped in maybe 100g BE1 and it released the CO2 in solution and started foaming up, the BE1 pretty much floating on top capturing everything, it made it to the top of the fermenter and lost a tiny amount due to overflow before it settled down.
After stirring the top few inches gently I could pour more BE1 in without more foam, so added half a box and chucked it back in the pantry. I couldnt measure SG again due to the foam. just measured it then and its back down at 1.012 again (@21.3C) , having only stirred the top though, I assume the BE1 will not be sitting on the bottom. Did not see any airlock activity but my fermenter needs a new seal and I probably did not have it tight enough.
There is quite a strong sulphur smell from the brew now, more potent than yesterday. we are on rainwater only here with an old concrete tank, we are used to hydrogen sulphide gassing off after rains, its the active bacteria in the water tank breaking down sediments in an oxygen free water.
Plan is to leave it in the fermenter for a few more days then rack into a large corny for at least a week or so, then keg transfer to the smaller cornie for carbonation and refridgeration. 

I am now wondering if maybe I never stirred it enough originally to get all the dextrose into solution, water temp was probably only 45C or so when I gave it a good paddling. I reckon dextrose dissolves pretty easily though. Thats the only thing that makes sense, my OG was way out. Going to be a strong brew then I guess. 

this is the old fermenter, I think its around the 21/22litre mark currently.


----------



## menoetes

Well come quick calculations with the help of IanH's spreadsheet would lead me to guess that you're looking at a brew around 6% ABV. That might not seem too bad but as you used sugar instead of malt it will be very dry and the alcohol taste will be quite noticable. Again, from what you said earlier - this seems to have been what you were after?


----------



## Stonemull

sg is a tiny bit under 1.012 today, it was dead on 1.012 yesterday.
it tastes much like beer flavoured water to me (i like dark ales) but forced the missus to take a teaspoonful as I thought it needed some hops added.
she loves it as is.
so into a keg it goes. (with added gelatin) I have warned her it will probably kick like a mule. she said 'cooooool, whens it on tap'


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## PurpleHaze

Alright fellas.

I am nearly 3 weeks into brewing the Mangrove Jacks Mexican Cerveza.

I have kept it simple.

Mangrove Jacks Mexican Cerveza 1.7kg
Mangrove Jacks Beer Yeast Bohemian Lager Yeast M84
Brew Blend Malt Booster #15 1kg


I also used bottled spring water from Aldi (as I dont trust my taps)

Mixed into the vessel and set the fridge via my stc-1000 at 11.5c and it probly varied from 11.5-10.5c for 2 weeks.
Tested the OG levels and the read 1.018 for 3 days straight.

So I finally bottled (glass bottles) it on the 16th day (last sunday) and used Dextrose sugar measures out via the measuring cups I bought from the homebrew shop. 

Was a little confused as to what temp to set the fridge to after bottling.

I did some reading and found once bottling the temp should be 18c + for 2-3 days to allow second fermentation (DONE).

Which is where I am at now.
I have just set the stc-1000 back to 11c. The fridge was currently at 20c.

Just after some thoughts/advice?

Also noticed that it tasted a bit "fruity" like a cider?


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## TheWiggman

Is this your first lager? 1.018 is a bit high. Lagers normally take 2-3 weeks to ferment out and require extra yeast at that temp. It's probable you've underpitched with only one pack of yeast so it may have stopped before your desired FG.

As a general rule lagers at lager temps require double the yeast. Let Mr Malty be your guide http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html

I've found with my lagers (and from good advice) that they tend to taste cidery when they're nearing the end of fermentation, so around the 1.020 mark for an expected FG of 1.010.
Fruitiness is certainly a character of lagers that haven't been lagered. They taste completely different after a few weeks in the fridge.

Re: bottling I'm not sure on best practice, but I've put capped bottles into the fridge the next day, left for 3 weeks, and they were fully carbed and drinkable by that stage (using 2042). The closer they are stored to zero the better. And lager yeast does chew away slowly at fridge temps.


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## superstock

I did a Coopers kit as a lager using 34/70. Left in the fermenter for 5 weeks, with a diacetyl rest, bottled and 6 days later put in the fridge @ 3'. Three weeks later I tried one and it was just barely carbed. Took the remainder out of the fridge, shook up the yeast and left at ambient for 3 weeks giving a shake every week. After that they were fully carbed.


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## yum beer

Leave out of the fridge for 2-3 weeks to carb up but not at too high temp, around 18-24c is ok, then put in fridge as cold and as long as you can.


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## PurpleHaze

No worries Wiggman, ill keep that in mind for the next lager I do.. Just downloaded the Mr Malty app too! And Re bottling.. Say if I drop it down to 5c for 3 weeks they'll be pretty much carbed?

Superstock so if they arent carbed up you suggest shaking the bottles? What do you mean by ambient?

Yum beer, I only did 3 days at 18-24c. They've been at 11c for 1 day now..


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## TheWiggman

No promises they'll be carbed. It's a fickle thing sometimes. Considering you didn't use a lot of yeast, I'd probably leave them at ambient temps (i.e. sitting on a shelf in a room) for a week first to be more confident.


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## superstock

PurpleHaze said:


> And Re bottling.. Say if I drop it down to 5c for 3 weeks they'll be pretty much carbed?
> 
> Superstock so if they arent carbed up you suggest shaking the bottles? What do you mean by ambient?
> 
> Yum beer, I only did 3 days at 18-24c. They've been at 11c for 1 day now..


At 5' they will eventually carb up, but it will take a lot longer than 3 weeks. Reread my previous post.
In my case the yeast had dropped out and gone to sleep. Moving to a warmer enviroment and shaking wakes up the yeast to finish carbing up.
Ambient = the temperature of the day. I usually carb up with the bottles in a cupboard in the house for 2 to 3 weeks then chill.


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## PurpleHaze

Yeah no worries well I might just turn off the Fridge and let it get bacj to about 18-22c give them a shake and let them sit for 2-3 weeks then!

Thanks for ya help boys! Will let ya know how they turn out!


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## jivesucka

i recently did a batch of coopers mexican infused with backhousia citriodora (Citrus-scented Myrtle) leaves steeping for 24hrs in boiling water.
Let it be known that i filled up to the 18 litre mark to give this batch a real kick.
popped 24 leaves in boiling water to sit overnight, strained the liquid and retained approx 6 leaves. Then i chucked in the lot into the secondary and left for 48 hrs.
the result is very a subtle hint of citrus. it has excellent head retention and just the right nip of the lemony taste.
A mate tried it and nearly shat his pants from the sheer awesomeness of the flavour, but reckons i've done better brews, so there you have it folks.


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