Coopers Mexican Cerveza

[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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

+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]

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]

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 ****' 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.