Mexican cerveza (cinco de mayo ale)

[Pyg]

One of my subordinates invited me to Their hours those weekend for sushi.
I brought some homemade triple berry wine and hard cider, which went over well.
I was told that they hold a Cinco de Mayo party in may.
I thought this provide me an opportunity to make a festive ale which I could bring as a gift for the host.
Since the host is Mexican I am looking for a more Mexican ale (I have never lagered).

I have seen amber recipes with minimal hops and a late lime zest addition,
But I am looking for a recommendation that will satisfy the non-IPA beer drinker!

What recommendations ya got?

 

[Yooper]

I like Mexican lagers, but I don't know how the ones I make would be if made into an ale. What sort of temperature range to you have for fermentation? If you could hold a fairly low temperature, we could help you with a yeast strain and recipe that might come close.

I had a very nice Mexican lager yesterday in Goliad, TX at the Goliad Brewery. Something like that would be great- approachable for macro beer drinkers but still with flavor for craft beer lovers.

 

[Pyg]

I like Mexican lagers, but I don't know how the ones I make would be if made into an ale. What sort of temperature range to you have for fermentation? If you could hold a fairly low temperature, we could help you with a yeast strain and recipe that might come close.



I had a very nice Mexican lager yesterday in Goliad, TX at the Goliad Brewery. Something like that would be great- approachable for macro beer drinkers but still with flavor for craft beer lovers.

Right now in the great north east of upstate Ny my basement is at a high of 62, 58 on the cement floor(however I just put the thermometer strip there and it is dropping)
I have coolers and could add ice packs to keep a lower temp.
My un insulated garage is about 40 ish.
I have the ability to control warmer temps than colder, which is why I have avoided lagers.

With that being said I am always up for a challenge.

If you have a recipe and you think I can lager utilizing a cold ice bath I am down for it.

 

[mj1angier]

How about a Negra Modelo?

http://beersmithrecipes.com/viewrecipe/6503/negra-modelo-clone

 

[Oldforester]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=449595

 

[Pyg]

How about a Negra Modelo?

http://beersmithrecipes.com/viewrecipe/6503/negra-modelo-clone

Thanks for advice, but I think most people I know will be turned off by any shade caused by the chocolate malt.
Unfortunately most people I know (myself excluded) only drink pale/yellow liquid

 

[hockeybrewer]

Look up summer citra cerzesa in the recipe section. I made it last summer and it was amazing, like a corona with flavor. I am currently fermenting another batch as we speak but I replaced the citra with Amarillo hop. I'll be bottling this weekend or if I have time to set it up might be my first kegged batch.

 

[Pyg]

Look up summer citra cerzesa in the recipe section. I made it last summer and it was amazing, like a corona with flavor. I am currently fermenting another batch as we speak but I replaced the citra with Amarillo hop. I'll be bottling this weekend or if I have time to set it up might be my first kegged batch.

How did the Amarillo works as a replacement for citra?

Also I think I would replace the barley with carapils.

What yeast did you use?

 

[ericbw]

Thanks for advice, but I think most people I know will be turned off by any shade caused by the chocolate malt.
Unfortunately most people I know (myself excluded) only drink pale/yellow liquid

Negra looks dark but tastes light

 

[jtfarabee]

I just brewed a great Mexican Lager that has been incredibly popular with everyone that has tried it. I originally brewed it as a boat beer for non-craft drinkers, but even my beer nerd friends are raving about it. Here's the general recipe (4.25 gal):

76% 2-Row
24% Flaked Corn
0.5oz Magnum @60 mins
0.25 oz Tettnang @5 mins
American Lager water profile from Bru'n Water
WLP940 in a 2L starter
I used Brülosohpy's fast lager method, then fined and kegged.

 

[Jim311]

Look up summer citra cerzesa in the recipe section. I made it last summer and it was amazing, like a corona with flavor. I am currently fermenting another batch as we speak but I replaced the citra with Amarillo hop. I'll be bottling this weekend or if I have time to set it up might be my first kegged batch.

I looked it up out of curiosity, and here it is:

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Nottingham dry
Yeast Starter: None
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter: None
Batch Size (Gallons): 5
Original Gravity: 1.040
Final Gravity: 1.008
IBU: 24
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 3 SRM
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7 days at 60f then 7 days at 68f
Additional Fermentation: Cold crash 2 days 40f
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): None
Tasting Notes: Refreshing, strong citrus aroma, smooth, lager like cream ale lawnmower beer.

Ingredients:

5 lbs 2 Row
3 lbs Flaked Corn
1 lbs Flaked Barley (fluffy white head)

Mash at 149f for 60 minutes, 68% efficiency

1 tsp Irish Moss 15 min of boil

0.5 oz Cascade pellets 60 min of boil
0.5 oz Centennial pellets 20 min of boil
1.5 oz of Citra pellets at 150f of whirlpool

Procedure:
pre-heated mash tun with 5 gallons of hot tap water, drained
4 gallons of strike water at 159f
Mashed for 60 minutes at 149f, drained
Batch sparge 2 gallons at 180f, stirred, waited 10 minutes, drained
Batch sparge 2 gallons at 170, stirred, waited 10 minutes, drained

 

[Pyg]

I looked it up out of curiosity, and here it is:

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Nottingham dry
Yeast Starter: None
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter: None
Batch Size (Gallons): 5
Original Gravity: 1.040
Final Gravity: 1.008
IBU: 24
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 3 SRM
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7 days at 60f then 7 days at 68f
Additional Fermentation: Cold crash 2 days 40f
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): None
Tasting Notes: Refreshing, strong citrus aroma, smooth, lager like cream ale lawnmower beer.

Ingredients:

5 lbs 2 Row
3 lbs Flaked Corn
1 lbs Flaked Barley (fluffy white head)

Mash at 149f for 60 minutes, 68% efficiency

1 tsp Irish Moss 15 min of boil

0.5 oz Cascade pellets 60 min of boil
0.5 oz Centennial pellets 20 min of boil
1.5 oz of Citra pellets at 150f of whirlpool

Procedure:
pre-heated mash tun with 5 gallons of hot tap water, drained
4 gallons of strike water at 159f
Mashed for 60 minutes at 149f, drained
Batch sparge 2 gallons at 180f, stirred, waited 10 minutes, drained
Batch sparge 2 gallons at 170, stirred, waited 10 minutes, drained

I saw this and I am giving serious consideration to giving this a try. However I was considering tweaking as I already make a cream ale, with corn and 60 minute cascade additons, in fact all 3 hop additions are cascade.
I saw a variant of the citra cerveza with 1 oz of
cascade 25 min
centennial 5 min
1 citra @ 170F

I am curious to give this a try since I have never made a brew with out a 60 minute hop addition. I have never made a brew that only relied on a flavor/aroma addition.
wondering if this brew with only late additions will still be a decent lawn mower ale, that will cover both craft and macro drinkers?
Also maybe upping to citra whirlpool to 2 oz.

 

[Jim311]

You will be getting little bitterness at all from a 150 degree hop stand. The recipe I posted only uses half an ounce of Cascade anyway for the majority of the bittering, which isn't much. Even with the 20 minute addition it's going to be low on the bitterness.

 

[Timberline]

This may be simpler and more basic than what the OP is looking for, but I'm planning the same sort of brew and Adventures in Homebrewing has clone kits for XX, Pacifico, and Sol. I'm going to use the XX as a starting point and add fresh green chile to it. That and a blackberry wheat will cover my non-IPA guests through summer.

 

[Pyg]

This may be simpler and more basic than what the OP is looking for, but I'm planning the same sort of brew and Adventures in Homebrewing has clone kits for XX, Pacifico, and Sol. I'm going to use the XX as a starting point and add fresh green chile to it. That and a blackberry wheat will cover my non-IPA guests through summer.

I think I might keep it simple and less bitter , .5 oz @ 60 and .5 at 5,
Maybe a another .5 at 20.

I have a centennial/Columbus pale ale on deck, that I am going to do a lot of late additions and dry hop the hell out of.

 

[hockeybrewer]

[Q=Pyg;7931112]How did the Amarillo works as a replacement for citra?

Also I think I would replace the barley with carapils.

What yeast did you use?[/QUOTE]
I wont be bottling it the weekend so I'm not sure and if you read the thread some did replace the barley but I used it cuz I had some left over from a Guinness clone. I used notty cuz its my go to yeast...love that stuff. Good luck what ever you do and keep us updated, I'll let you know when I try my Amarillo version.