Coopers Mexican Cerveza - Recipe and Method Comparison

[ShetlandBrewer]

Firstly, apologies to Gibbie if it appears his topic is being replicated. I didn't want to hijack his specific issue with this related but different thread.

A few of us have been discussing the cerveza and getting a batch on the go. ExiledBradfordian and Gibbie already have.
Wondered what the differences were in how we all went about this and how the outcomes will differ.

I'm planning on brewing mine with Saflager-23 pitched at around 15 degrees and the fermented at 10-12 degrees in the garage for at least three weeks.
*edit* - I'm going to use 500g Brewing Sugar (dextrose) and 500g Muntons Light Spary Malt (winging its way the the island) - *edit*.
I'm also planning on cutting the volume from 23 litres and to around 20 to try help concentrate some flavour as I have read that this could do with a bit more strength in flavour and ABV, but still trying to keep the "mexican" style.
I plan on 6 to 8 weeks in secondary and will decide on the priming sugar nearer the time.
The plan is to have the first taste test around August when we have family visiting.
I have no ineterst in tequilla additives as it plays havoc with my innards and Lime is a take it or elave it thing so that can be added to tatse when cracked open.

[Exiled Bradfordian]

I'm not much of a lager drinker but doing a lager at the FiL's request. I'm brewing a Wilko Mexican Cervaza kit with 1kg dextrose and 350g T&L 'golden granulated' sugar.

Brewed at whatever temperature the spare room is unless it doesn't unstick this weekend in which case it's getting brewed at whatever temp the front room is.

Sugar adds nothing to body: yes, but we're brewing lager here. Going for dextrose to keep it light and refreshing. The extra 350g? A bit of a boost abv wise. Why not Dextrose? Can't be f*cked sanitising scales then finding the sugar sticks to them cos they're wet and the inevitable hilarity that will ensue. The T&L comes in 350g packs.

Probably will come out sh*t. One way to find out. At least the kit only cost £7.50 and if it's awful I know enough lager drinkers to Palm it off.

[cellone]

Firstly, apologies to Gibbie if it appears his topic is being replicated. I didn't want to hijack his specific issue with this related but different thread.

A few of us have been discussing the cerveza and getting a batch on the go. ExiledBradfordian and Gibbie already have.
Wondered what the differences were in how we all went about this and how the outcomes will differ.

I'm planning on brewing mine with Saflager-23 pitched at around 15 degrees and the fermented at 10-12 degrees in the garage for at least three weeks.
*edit* - I'm going to use 500g Brewing Sugar (dextrose) and 500g Muntons Light Spary Malt (winging its way the the island) - *edit*.
I'm also planning on cutting the volume from 23 litres and to around 20 to try help concentrate some flavour as I have read that this could do with a bit more strength in flavour and ABV, but still trying to keep the "mexican" style.
I plan on 6 to 8 weeks in secondary and will decide on the priming sugar nearer the time.
The plan is to have the first taste test around August when we have family visiting.
I have no ineterst in tequilla additives as it plays havoc with my innards and Lime is a take it or elave it thing so that can be added to tatse when cracked open.

It's a bit of a pita but if you do a boil and add some tettnanger for bittering and saaz for flavour it will still have some flavour when it is ready. The kit bless it's little socks isn't made to be lagered properly and will lose a lot of flavour in the process and as it doesn't have a lot of flavour to throw around it might be worth kicking it's arse into shape at the start, would recommend Wyeast 2035 for this.

For priming bulk prime with 160g of dextrose.

A good beer to have with dinner (what's with the wine ,why is it always wine). Won't overpower the meal.

[ShetlandBrewer]

Sorry for my absence the last few weeks. Another hobby has been my main focus (fishing boat needs re-launching soon), but I did manage to get my cervezza on the go. Here's what I went with. (Thanks to cellone for the suggestions above, I've not been able to get the sazz etc, but I did go with the light spary malt)

Started on 05/05/2014.
20 litre volume.
500g light spray malt + 500g Dextrose brewing sugar
Saflager-23 rehydrated in 70ml of water and pitched at 20 degrees.
FV is in the garage (with a blanket round it at night) and is fermenting at 12 degrees.
Some good activity over the first three days and continuing to produce gas up till day 9.

Day 10 and I feel that things have slowed right up. I took a sample from the FV to measure temp and it was around 10 or 11 degrees. This should still be within the fermenting range for the yeast, but just in case i took it indoors to a room around 14 this morning just to remind it that it's alive and got a job to do. The core temp will not rise by any more than a couple of dgerees and I'll put back out tonight in its warm blanket.
In theory it shouldn't have finnished fermenting but I do wonder.....

[cellone]

Let it be. At those temps it should be fine for a 3 week brew. I'm crap with the science side but letting it brew slowly and letting the yeasties clean up after them selves I get a better beer. Do you have a fridge to lager it in?

Even though I can see where your from the idea of leaving a brew in the garage with a warm blanket Scares the shit out of me If I did that I would end up with a funky bucket of not worth drinking .

Getting the boats ready sounds like more than a hobby. Are they commercial or charter?

[gibbiem]

Hola! I tried a couple of bottles of mine last night. Bit disappointing to be honest. Might just need longer to mature. Trying to stay off beer too as think I might have a gluten issue. Used some clarityfirm in my latest brew so will see how I get on with that. Think that will be better to drink young which will give my cerveza a bit longer. Good luck with yours

[ShetlandBrewer]

Let it be. At those temps it should be fine for a 3 week brew. I'm crap with the science side but letting it brew slowly and letting the yeasties clean up after them selves I get a better beer. Do you have a fridge to lager it in?

Even though I can see where your from the idea of leaving a brew in the garage with a warm blanket Scares the shit out of me If I did that I would end up with a funky bucket of not worth drinking .

Getting the boats ready sounds like more than a hobby. Are they commercial or charter?

The core temp had lifted a little by the evening of day 10 so I put it back out (gravity was 1020 and pretty static. Needs more brewing as that's far too weak) but by morning the ambient temperature was around 8 degrees, the FV therm strip stops at 12 and it was sitting at that. The core temp read about 9 so I brought it back in, and have it in the coldest room in the house to finnish off for the last 15 cdays. Day 13 the ravit way at 1016 so there is still life in it. Maybe too cold in the garage even with the blanket.

I take on bnoard your garage blanket concern, bu it does get prety cold at night even though we've had some cracking days this last few weeks reaching the heady heights of 14 degrees which regard as "tropical". I reckon though that this is my lat chance before sumer to gte away with this. As for lagering, I dont have a fridge large enough but I am hoping (and having read similar) that cold fermenting for this length of time basically does the same lagering process and that that this is the system/theory used in mainstream commercial breweries. The ambient in the garage should allow an element of lagering when I put it out there to settle (no protection).

The fishing boat is a 17 foot mayland. So just for pleasure and local competitions. It's our second season at it so fingers crossed we do well. We'll take plenty of beer to make sure our spirits stay high.

[ShetlandBrewer]

Hola! I tried a couple of bottles of mine last night. Bit disappointing to be honest. Might just need longer to mature. Trying to stay off beer too as think I might have a gluten issue. Used some clarityfirm in my latest brew so will see how I get on with that. Think that will be better to drink young which will give my cerveza a bit longer. Good luck with yours

Buenas dias senor,

I sampled mine when taking the temp and gravity reading on day 11ish. I have to say it felt a bit thin in body, but patience is a virtue so I'll give it every chance to pull together.
I've read that these are best after a month or so in secondary.

[gibbiem]

Hola! I tried a couple of bottles of mine last night. Bit disappointing to be honest. Might just need longer to mature. Trying to stay off beer too as think I might have a gluten issue. Used some clarityfirm in my latest brew so will see how I get on with that. Think that will be better to drink young which will give my cerveza a bit longer. Good luck with yours

Buenas dias senor,

I sampled mine when taking the temp and gravity reading on day 11ish. I have to say it felt a bit thin in body, but patience is a virtue so I'll give it every chance to pull together.
I've read that these are best after a month or so in secondary.

Yeah mine has about as much mouth feel as a pint of water

[cellone]

Hola! I tried a couple of bottles of mine last night. Bit disappointing to be honest. Might just need longer to mature. Trying to stay off beer too as think I might have a gluten issue. Used some clarityfirm in my latest brew so will see how I get on with that. Think that will be better to drink young which will give my cerveza a bit longer. Good luck with yours

Buenas dias senor,

I sampled mine when taking the temp and gravity reading on day 11ish. I have to say it felt a bit thin in body, but patience is a virtue so I'll give it every chance to pull together.
I've read that these are best after a month or so in secondary.

Yeah mine has about as much mouth feel as a pint of water

Stop pissing about and get a Coopers pilsner on. There are many reviews for cerveza on this board with the politest description being light in flavour, aroma and mouth feel. It really annoys me that kit manufacturers con thousands of people into brewing piss weak ale by putting lager on the can. The worst of it is that people think they haven't got the brewing process correct or that conditioning until 2018 will help.

Rant over.

[cellone]

Let it be. At those temps it should be fine for a 3 week brew. I'm crap with the science side but letting it brew slowly and letting the yeasties clean up after them selves I get a better beer. Do you have a fridge to lager it in?

Even though I can see where your from the idea of leaving a brew in the garage with a warm blanket Scares the shit out of me If I did that I would end up with a funky bucket of not worth drinking .

Getting the boats ready sounds like more than a hobby. Are they commercial or charter?

The core temp had lifted a little by the evening of day 10 so I put it back out (gravity was 1020 and pretty static. Needs more brewing as that's far too weak) but by morning the ambient temperature was around 8 degrees, the FV therm strip stops at 12 and it was sitting at that. The core temp read about 9 so I brought it back in, and have it in the coldest room in the house to finnish off for the last 15 cdays. Day 13 the ravit way at 1016 so there is still life in it. Maybe too cold in the garage even with the blanket.

I take on bnoard your garage blanket concern, bu it does get prety cold at night even though we've had some cracking days this last few weeks reaching the heady heights of 14 degrees which regard as "tropical". I reckon though that this is my lat chance before sumer to gte away with this. As for lagering, I dont have a fridge large enough but I am hoping (and having read similar) that cold fermenting for this length of time basically does the same lagering process and that that this is the system/theory used in mainstream commercial breweries. The ambient in the garage should allow an element of lagering when I put it out there to settle (no protection).

The fishing boat is a 17 foot mayland. So just for pleasure and local competitions. It's our second season at it so fingers crossed we do well. We'll take plenty of beer to make sure our spirits stay high.

For me it takes about a month for primary fermentation @ 12c, a month in secondary @ 1c, two weeks to carb the bottles @ 18c and then another month @1c.

Sea angling is my favourite pass time. Good luck with the season and many tight lines.
Nick

[ShetlandBrewer]

Cheers Nick,

I have no great expectations or personal plans for the cervezza. I'm brewing more for friends at the local street party coming up in July or August. It will be what it will be but it's not something I normally go out my way to drink. I prefer a good heavy (or bitter as you call it down south). Everytime I go into the garage I am tempted to pull a St. Peters to see how it's going, but I'm going to be patient as I have high hopes, despite the bungling on he sugar addition.

This is our second season fishing. Getting to grips with bait presentation and lures this summer with the hope of a big cod.

Dave

[gibbiem]

Thought I'd update on my coopers cerveza. Been ages now, lost count how many weeks and it's tasting pretty decent. Only got about 4 bottles left and think I might miss it! Would defo brew again and recommend leaving it at least 6-7 weeks before drinking