Mexican lager help

[JONNYROTTEN]

I'm going to try a Mexican lager for the first time. Looking to make a Modello Especial or Dos Equis (light lager)
Looking around it seems many are just using 2 row with rice or corn and WLP940 Mexican lager yeast. I tried making a Bud clone once using nothing but 2 row and rice and WLP840 (Budweiser yeast) It wasn't very good. This would be the same with a different yeast. Do you think the yeast alone will change it from a lackluster beer to a real Mexican tasting beer? I don't want another flavorless beer after weeks of waiting
I was thinking of using Saaz or Tetnang but I thought those are more for German Lager?

Any advise?
Any tried and proven recipes?

 

[SanPancho]

Two row and corn. No rice. That’s bud or Japanese.

940, good aeration and cool to start. Hops don’t really matter as much as you think as they rarely come through unless you heavily dry hop. But nobles are fine. 30-40 calculated ibus is decent target as they fade with age. Tett is good. Saaz, hallertau, etc.

Aging or finings for crisp finish. Or both.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Two row and corn. No rice. That’s bud or Japanese.

940, good aeration and cool to start. Hops don’t really matter as much as you think as they rarely come through unless you heavily dry hop. But nobles are fine. 30-40 calculated ibus is decent target as they fade with age. Tett is good. Saaz, hallertau, etc.

Aging or finings for crisp finish. Or both.

With a name like SanPancho I'll take your Advise What % 2 row to corn? 90/10 ??

 

[shelly_belly]

Use pilsner and vienna. 2-row and vienna if you must. And a bit of flaked maize to dry it out.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Use pilsner and vienna. 2-row and vienna if you must. And a bit of flaked maize to dry it out.

I used Vienna and still have a ton of it. I didn't care for the flavor muc. Looking up Mexican lagers I read Modello uses no Vienna?

 

[SanPancho]

Pils or two. Not a huge difference in my opinion.

In real commercial mex beer the corn is typically up to 30-40%. If you dont want it super sweet maybe try 15-20. I think the yeast is the main driver here so i typically go with base and 10% or so munich. Then bit of cara pils or foam. Although im usually hopping the crap out of it so im not exactly trying to nail the style either.

 

[Brickman]

You can also add dextrose to dry it out and bump up the ABV. A brewery in Colorado uses it for that reason with a very good Mexican lager they produce.
They use:
80% 2 row
10% dextrose
4% Victory
4% Vienna
2% Carapils
17 IBU's

Mark

 

[Yooper]

I had a lovely Mexican lager last spring in Texas from Goliad Brewing. You can't get it mostly likely, but I think that would be the beer that would hit the mark perfectly. It was crisp and flavorful, and very drinkable. I think it had a bit of Vienna malt in it.

What don't you like about the flavor of Vienna malt? Too sweet or malt forward? Just wondering because that toasty flavor to me is what screams "Mexican lager".

Still, you could make a great one with pilsner malt and flaked maize (20% maize), and noble hops.

 

[SanPancho]

Dextrose is a bit redundant if you are going with corn, if not it can help dry it out. Although just a low/148 and long/90m mash will do the same.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

What don't you like about the flavor of Vienna malt? Too sweet or malt forward? Just wondering because that toasty flavor to me is what screams "Mexican lager".

It was to much of something. Like a malty maybe bready overload. It stood out to much for my taste. I only used it twice. A Vienna smash that was obviously in your face and another beer in a malt blend. After the Smash I know the flavor and could pick it out in the other beer.
Still have like 20 pounds from a year or two ago. Time to toss them I suppose