Coopers Mexican Cerveza

[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]

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.

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).

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.

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.

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]

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!

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]

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]

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.