My First Brew Up - Coopers Mexican Cerveza

[guyb]

On the carbonation front I have the Cooper's tablet things. Do you remember roughly how long you waited before you bottled?

I had a look back over my brewing log, as the Coopers Cerveza was the first brew I did when I got back into brewing last year, here's the detail:

Date Started: 09/05/2011
Description: Coopers Mexican Cerveza
Ingredients: Coopers Mexican Cerveza + 1kg brew enhancer
Brew Length (L): 23L
Temp @ Pitching: 23
OG: 1.040
Date Finished: 16/05/2011
Fermenting Time: 7days
Secondary: 0days
FG: 1.011

Looking back, and because of experience I would change some things, such as:

Increase the fermenting time to 10days
Let it settle for 7days - following the primary fermentation and prior to bottling
Leave it about 8weeks before trying it - always the hardest part - just as I got to the end of the batch it started to improve :grin:

I used 8g of sugar per litre (as I was using litre bottles (PET bottles) I just added 2 white sugar lumps per bottle) - none of mine were in the slightest bit flat either - I now prefer to use glass bottles.

HTH

 

[guyb]

May not be properly mixed in. Sure it will turn out fine!

+1 for that

 

[Heyzy]

I have just put mine on but i used brewing sugar instead of the enhancer. When u say leave it for an extra 7 days prior to bottling should this be done in a bottling bucket instead of just being left in the FV? Mine has started at 1042. It Smells alot better than the youngs lager kit i did first

 

[guyb]

I have just put mine on but i used brewing sugar instead of the enhancer. When u say leave it for an extra 7 days prior to bottling should this be done in a bottling bucket instead of just being left in the FV? Mine has started at 1042. It Smells alot better than the youngs lager kit i did first

Yes, when the primary fermentation has finished, transfer the beer to a second sterile fermenting vessel (closed fermenter, bucket, whatever you have to hand) and leave it for anything upto about 2-3weeks, I leave mine 7days. My brewing habit is 14days in primary fermentation, 7 days in secondary fermentation, then prime and bottle.

I've noticed a much clearer beer as a result, as the beer is separated from the trub - dead yeast cells etc.


out of interest.. http://www.homebrewing.com/articles/sec ... tation.php

 

[Robo1984]

May not be properly mixed in. Sure it will turn out fine!

+1 for that

The low reading was bugging me, i then looked at the hydrometer i was using and it was a salt water version (highest reading 1030). So i can only assume this is the cause of the low reading.

 

[lovelldr]

I have just put mine on but i used brewing sugar instead of the enhancer. When u say leave it for an extra 7 days prior to bottling should this be done in a bottling bucket instead of just being left in the FV? Mine has started at 1042. It Smells alot better than the youngs lager kit i did first

Yes, when the primary fermentation has finished, transfer the beer to a second sterile fermenting vessel (closed fermenter, bucket, whatever you have to hand) and leave it for anything upto about 2-3weeks, I leave mine 7days. My brewing habit is 14days in primary fermentation, 7 days in secondary fermentation, then prime and bottle.

I've noticed a much clearer beer as a result, as the beer is separated from the trub - dead yeast cells etc.


out of interest.. http://www.homebrewing.com/articles/sec ... tation.php

Sorry for "thread jacking", but hopefully will be useful in thread too

Just wondered about secondary fermentation... If I wanted to batch prime, would I need to transfer again? i.e. Primary fermentation for about 10 days or so, then over to a second FV for secondary. Then, put back in to another FV with priming sugar, then bottle from that FV, and condition for a further week or so in warmth, then out in the cold for a month or more?

 

[pittsy]

yes transfer to a 3rd vessel (1st 1 cleaned etc and sterilized ) as when in 2nd vessel you will get another layer of yeast etc on the bottom and when you add sugar in boiled and cooled water you need to give it a stir and you dont want to mix all that **** from the bottom into your brew again :thumb:

 

[lovelldr]

yes transfer to a 3rd vessel (1st 1 cleaned etc and sterilized ) as when in 2nd vessel you will get another layer of yeast etc on the bottom and when you add sugar in boiled and cooled water you need to give it a stir and you dont want to mix all that **** from the bottom into your brew again :thumb:

Cheers. Thought as much... Do you need to keep it at the same temperature as the primary fermentation? (as I'm using a water bath for this).

I've read that for Belgium beers, they get their best flavour from the bottle and conditioning from there. So, would they also benefit from a secondary fermentation, or best to just bottle straight after primary?

Thanks again

 

[Robo1984]

Well the first brew has slowed right down. so i took the opertunity to take a hydrometer reading tonight and got a result of 1.006. So if the original reading was correct that's ABV 3.5% before adding the sugar to the bottles, so if the Coopers instruction are right that should give a final product of approximately 4%.

Drank some of the sample and was quite chuffed, don't get me wrong it was rough and slightly yeasty but it definitely had Corona qualities. Quite chuffed to be honest, will bottle the weekend now...

I have some beer fineings here, would it be worth adding them to the initial fv? would it affect the priming?

 

[Heyzy]

Thanks for the advice Bitter Lover. Going to check it this morning to see if it has started as i dont have an air lock on it yet.

Does anyone know what size hole the airlock bungs fit into so i can fit an airlock to my FV for next brew?