Cooper's Mexican Cerveza Beer Kit

[SteveM]

I'm coming late to this discussion but I figure better late than never. A while ago I stumbled onto a Dos Equis clone recipe that was made with ale yeast, did not require lagering, and came very close to the original. It turns out that Dos Equis is basically a, well, never mind, no sense in repeating what I wrote in the recipe post here:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f59/dos-equis-clone-57169/

 

[jonp9576]

i recently made the ahs gold seal cerveza. i didnt really care for it, but swmbo who likes all of that kind of beer loved it.

 

[APendejo]

Coopers Bavarian Lager kit is about as close as you can get to that skunky swill called Corona.
AP

 

[ianac1]

Currently got this fermenting.

Started it yesterday, just followed the instructions on the packaging and added 1kg beer enhancer.

When i get to the bottling stage i've got the coopers carbonation drops.

I might try half the batch with the drops and half with some sugar to see if it makes any difference, not sure if it will though.

Just finishing off my last few bottles of Coopers australian pale ale which i brewed using the enhancer and the coopers drops and i'd highly recommend this one, it's disappeared and everyone who tried it loved it!

Just to add, i think it's better to ferment for at least a week (i put it in my boiler cupboard at 21-24 degrees C) then after bottling return to secondary for at least another week before conditioning for at least a month.

That part is not following the instructions but i find it turns out better, certainly with the APA.

I've never drank corona before so what to do with the lime as i hear this really adds to the flavour (makes it drinkable is what i actually read)?

Do you just pour it into a glass and let a small slice of lime float around in the glass?

 

[netjunk1e]

For Corona i just shove a lime weeds in the bottle. Its one of the few beers I do not pour.

 

[ianac1]

For Corona i just shove a lime weeds in the bottle. Its one of the few beers I do not pour.

Doesn't all that tipping the bottle kick up all the sediment while your drinking it though?

 

[ianac1]

Just a quick question.

I'm going to add some Williamette and some Glacier hops in an equal ratio to this for dry hopping but don't have a hop bag.

Any suggegtions for doing this without a bag?

It's hop leafs and not pelletes which i've read can leave fibres floating around the beer which wont be good when it comes to bottling.

So any suggestions?

Cheers

Ian

 

[ianac1]

I have this lager already fermenting so would anyone suggest how much of each of the hops i've mentioned would be good, maybe 1/2oz of each, just throw the hop flowers in, then leave to ferment for a few weeks then straight to bottle?

Would this add anything to the lager or would i be better off saving the hops for another brew and add them during the boil?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Ian

 

[Mutilated1]

Coopers Bavarian Lager kit is about as close as you can get to that skunky swill called Corona.
AP

Cooper's Mexican Cerveca is a lot closer.

Why does everyone think Corona has a "skunky" flavor ? It really doesn't have a skunky flavor like say Heinieken for example. If anything Corona barely has a flavor at all, skunky or not skunky. Corona isn't any more skunky than say a Miller High Life for example.

The Bavarian Lager is more like Becks than like Corona.

If you want Corona, Cooper's Mexican kit with a pound of Dextrose and a pound of Light DME, use a Lager Yeast and ferment it cool and there you go.

 

[mr_clean]

If you have a spare tub put the fermenter in the tub and give it an ice bath.Thats what i did the tub held the temp well.Just add a little ice every morning.You can always lager like that.

 

[papajuan]

I've brewed the Coopers Mexican Cerveza kit as per coopers' direction and I and some of my Corona and Dos Equis drinking friend like it. At two weeks of conditioning one said it tasted like Dos Equis Lite. (I'm not sure if that was good or BAD) It does need a month or more to condition in the bottle. It's a good hot weather beer that is also very good in a warm house in Northern Minnesota in January.

 

[JBhimself]

Beer made from kits varies a lot in quality. For lagers, if you just use the standard yeast, Coopers range of lagers are good. They use their own yeast strain, dried for them by Maori. No other beer kit out there contains that strain.

It is generally a very decent strain for lagers, unfortunately they use it across the range and it isn't equally good on the ales.

Muntons use S33 from LeSaffre for their "Standard" kits. This is actually a baking yeast strain which is rebranded as brewing yeast. It works well, never any problems, but it does produce beers that all taste alike because of its rather brutal fermentation. For their Premium Kits, they use SO4 instead, a very good strain particularly for promoting fruitiness.

For really good quality beer kits, it is unfortunately often necessary to exchange the yeast for something else, Nottingham, SO4 etc.



John Bull

 

[HopRodGR]

I've decided to give this kit a try. My time to brew over the next month or so is going to be limited, so this sure beats a long AG brew day, especially since I was going to try the Amigo Lager recipe that is on White Labs website anyway so I'd have a nice light lager for summertime. $30 shipped on Amazon for the Kit, BE2 and Carb drops isn't bad either for 6 gallons.

I haven't found much on the web as it relates to people who have tried to lager this, or at least what the results were. I'm going to give this a shot with WLP830 or Wy2206, since I want to wash the yeast to use in my Marzen I'm brewing in June. If anyone here is interested in how this beer comes out lagered, I'll update with my results when the lagering is done and the beer is carbed and ready to go.

 

[MarcusKillion]

How do you think fermenting in higher temps would affect this beer. I am desperatly looking for a good modelo product clone (either corona or modelo especial) that I can make in my 74 degree home.

Thanks

have you tried Walmart for a cheap fridge about 200 ? that will do a lager I think if turned down all the way a fridge should be the right temp . I looked it up once but forget the exact temp but think it was around 45 degrees .

 

[MarcusKillion]

Beer made from kits varies a lot in quality. For lagers, if you just use the standard yeast, Coopers range of lagers are good. They use their own yeast strain, dried for them by Maori. No other beer kit out there contains that strain.

It is generally a very decent strain for lagers, unfortunately they use it across the range and it isn't equally good on the ales.

Muntons use S33 from LeSaffre for their "Standard" kits. This is actually a baking yeast strain which is rebranded as brewing yeast. It works well, never any problems, but it does produce beers that all taste alike because of its rather brutal fermentation. For their Premium Kits, they use SO4 instead, a very good strain particularly for promoting fruitiness.

For really good quality beer kits, it is unfortunately often necessary to exchange the yeast for something else, Nottingham, SO4 etc.



John Bull

I use a lot of muntons and I always add in a pack of safale 04 along with their yeast and it turns out good but you are right their yeast makes beer all taste the same .

 

[MarcusKillion]

Anyone try this? I really love mexican beer in the summer, and thought I might give one a try. Any suggestions or opinions about this particular kit? Thanks!

I just opened a bottle . After a month in bottle I found that the beer is all flat and has a bitter taste a bit like a dos equis , yuk . So much for my luck . Could be the directions they gave since I used them or perhaps the new capper I bought is not sealing them off well . I will find out if my other batch of export stout comes out flat .
Now off to find a yeast for this mexican beer so I can re bottle it . I think some more yeast and sugar should fix it .



Well I am editing this to report a new finding . Only a few minutes since last post . I opened up another bottle to try and add yeast and sugar . It was carbonated quite nicely . Difference being that the bottles I used that were from retail beer did not have any carbonation as opposed to the bottles I bought from the beer supply store . Only difference from any other brew was I used a different capper . Been using a cheap one , hand squeeze type black beauty i think , with no problems . bought the new bench type and it appears it does not like the retail bottles but worked well on the ones I bought from beer supply store .

I will allow this bottle to get cold as I recapped it and stuck it in fridge . Then I will taste it and re post the results of the flavor . Hot , it seemed to taste okay .

I also put yeast and a 1/4 teaspoon of sugar in a flat one and recapped it . will let you all know what happens .

 

[banoffeecake]

The ingredients and procedure sound fine to me too.

i like to say that

 

[MarcusKillion]

So I tried a ice cold coopers cerveza and found it to be a bit lacking on carbonation and quick to lose what is there . how ever the beer tasted okay . A little bit of bitter taste and more like a light beer perhaps . Not enough alcohol for my taste . About 3.2 beer I think .

My suggestion is to add in another pound or pound and a half of sugar . I would use light malt as sugar will make this too thin . also it would benefit from a bit of malt flavor in my opinion. Perhaps a flavoring of willamette hops ? I would definitely use more priming sugar than called for in instructions .
here is a hint on priming sugar . I used 3/4 teaspoon in my stout and it was heavy on the carbonation . 1/2 might be right for this mexican beer.

 

[MarcusKillion]

Doesn't all that tipping the bottle kick up all the sediment while your drinking it though?

I always drink from the bottle as pouring in a glass makes me guzzle the beer . the sediment is stuck in the bottom fairly well . With partial mashes i get a bit more and when getting to the last swallow must go slow or you can just shake it up a bit and drink it from the start . I like it . Adds a little bitter to the ale .

 

[MarcusKillion]

How do you think fermenting in higher temps would affect this beer. I am desperatly looking for a good modelo product clone (either corona or modelo especial) that I can make in my 74 degree home.

Thanks

I ferment almost all my beers in about that temp and sometimes it gets around 78 . I also bottle condition in same room and try to keep it at 72 or so and then after a few weeks I put it in my front room where it is hot all day around 78 or so and it all comes out great . I even bottle conditioned some at around 80 after the few weeks in 72 to 78 and they are real good .