First brew on beer Advise - Mexican Cerveza

[tommyvb]

Evening all.

Hope all are well

Well this is my first beer kit brew
It's a coopers Mexican Cerveza

I've got this because I like Corona and I've read so many good reviews on this kit

I've researched all things needed and gone and bourght

I am a newby to brewing but have brewed before

I have logged everything thing I've done

Well what I'm asking is for advise and hopefully get a nice brew

First all I sanitized all equipment - was all brand new so gave it a soak and rinse using VWP

Then I boiled 4 litres of water and added to FV
Then I added 1kg Cooper brew enchancer 2 and quick stir
Then next I added 200g of dextrose (brewing sugar)
Gave all this a massive stir
Then I added the tin of Coopers brew mix (the big tin)
Rinsed out tin with water but was very sticky so didn't manage to get every drop out but did my best.
Then have another massive stir and got a very strong aroma coming coming from FV - malty smell

I then realized I didn't have a glass thermometer but all I had was a stick on LCD thermometer so I stuck that in the side

Temp went to over 32 degree ... I let settle for 5 an let the foam sink a little
Then I knew I had to get temp down so I added 5 litres of cold water for kitchen tap and then let the thermometer settle

I then watched the thermometer drop to 28 degrees

I then added more and and more cold water - topped upto the 21 litre mark an left it there

Now there was a thick foam on top for stirring all together

Temp had now dropped to 24/26 degrees on lcd thermometer

I then let settle

Now temp had stuck at around 24/25 degrees
I opened supplied yeast packet and sprinkled on top of brew an onto all foam

I then give a stir (originally my stirring spoon was sterilized before all the process and I had used to stir all together then I rinsed under tap) I now used again to stir in yeast, would that be a problem... I should of restirlised but just panicking and rushing but all I had done is rinse under cold tap but was sterilized at start of brewing...

Now I've done all that I've added lid and airlock and sat to settle and hopefully start

Just before I added yeast I took at reading of 1050 - ?? Any good


Just gone to check brew after 1 and half hours and all the foam has gone now and can see the yeast floating about on top but no bubbles passing airlock yet
Still warm and lcd thermometer sat at about 25 degrees ...

Now am I to just leave alone now

I'm currently brewing in my garage sat in a worktop

I've got some turbo cider brewing next to this and that's brewed great an temp in that is 22 degrees

So hopefully beer will take

Can any one advise on anything I can do -

I will buy my self a Proper glass thermometer


Also another issue - after primary fermantation - I'll leave a day or 2 am then syphon into second FV an give chance to settle or a week ??? (Any one else think this ok)
Then after this time I'll look to bottle - another thing what stumps me - will there be still enough yeast in the brew to cause secondary carbonation fermantation
- I know I need to add more sugar to carb up... Just hit nit if will need more yeast as I'll be moving from the sediment in primary FV...

Well hope all works out and looking forward to all people info and advise

Thank you all and any advice will be appreciated

Thank you

 

[IainM]

First, with the spoon, sanitation is one of those things we do because if we didn't then we would eventually get an infection at some point, it doesn't mean that one little slip up on a small part of the process will result in an infection, so you should be fine. 1.050 is a good OG for your fermentables - I got 1.048 when I did the Cerveza. Don't worry about bubbles in the airlock, as often the CO2 can escape from the lid. No bubbles doesn't mean no fermentation. The only advice I can give you now is leave it alone! Seriously, leave the lid on and come back to do a hydrometer reading in a couple of weeks. Also, don't worry about there not being enough yeast after racking off. There will be plenty.

 

[tommyvb]

Hello again

Thanks for reply

Ahh thank you for clearing up the spoon issue

Thank you again for advise

Ok I'll leave well alone - you recon 10 days fermenting and check reading again - I've read again on this forum at the Cerveza kits that at about 1006 is ok to Syphon into bottles or onto secondary FV for letting settle

Hope you understand

Just you can get mind swept with all people different post and reviews and panic I case you do it wrong and ruin your brew

Well hopefully all goes well

Thank you again

 

[Watchman]

Hi tommy, sounds like you're doing it well at the moment. As previous post, cleanliness is next to good beer! I have done a few Cerveza brews and had good results all times.
Let the brew alone for 10 days, then test with hydrometer.
I prefer bottling in glass, especially for cerveza, as the taste is cleaner, but plastic will do at a pinch. Any questions....

 

[tommyvb]

Evening all

Thank you for all advice..

I've just got home and checked brew out in the garage

Been a warm day today so temp in garage has been good

LCD strip is showing 22degrees

We now have move,net on airlock an looking through the FV You can see a foam on top of brew now so fermintation has taken now so in happy

I went to buy a glass thermometer today and one I picked up was snapped in half and had no more on the shelf still go else where tomorrow

Yeah i will be bottling into glass bottle I've been saving

Again will strip lables off and give a good wash and sanitize first

Thanks for all advise


Will keep update

Tommy

 

[IainM]

Evening all

Thank you for all advice..

I've just got home and checked brew out in the garage

Been a warm day today so temp in garage has been good

LCD strip is showing 22degrees

We now have move,net on airlock an looking through the FV You can see a foam on top of brew now so fermintation has taken now so in happy

I went to buy a glass thermometer today and one I picked up was snapped in half and had no more on the shelf still go else where tomorrow

Yeah i will be bottling into glass bottle I've been saving

Again will strip lables off and give a good wash and sanitize first

Thanks for all advise


Will keep update

Tommy

Ah yes, stripping labels. The joy. Almost as fun a bottling.

 

[tommyvb]

Evening again

Yeah stripping the labels nice job

I know I'm no where near ready yet but Come to carbonation of beer ?

What's the measurements of sugar needed
I can use dextrose or general household sugar

I've read places 1 teaspoon to one bottle
I will be using 500ml glass bottles

Just thought I'd ask and get the ideas in and ready

Like,I said previously I have some turbo cider ready to bottle at weekend so I'll want to prime that so any advice appreciated

Thanks all

 

[chub1]

If you have a spare FV you can rack the beer into that and batch prime. Add the amount of sugar(as per calculator) to a small amount of water and bring to the boil,cool and add to FV, rack beer onto it and bottle.It's so much easier than faffing around with spoons of sugar.
Here-
Beer Priming Calculator - Brewer's Friend

 

[chewie]

A full heaped teaspoon of granulated table sugar is 6g, use the priming calculator to workout how much you need for each beer type you make, a half full teaspoon is usually about the max for a British Ale.

http://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

 

[tommyvb]

hi all,

Thanks for advice again

all taken on board
----------------------------

Just a quick update on the Cerveza brew

Day 5 of the brew ..
Air bung has stopped passing now

Ive left well along right from starting the kit and all ive done it just inspect the airlock every day an thats it

Left it alone in natural heart in the garage - ive not added any additional heat source

Temp has been showing 22/24 !!!

This morning as of no passing on air lock and no froth on the top of brew

I decided to lift the lid and have a quick peak - no signs of infection so thats good :)

I took a small sample and put in a trail jar and took a reading of 1012

Is that near on done??

i put lid back on and now left alone

5 days to ferment is that ok??

I had a sample of the taste test out of the trail jar and first impressions!! Pissy,weak, flat taste and a bit of a Twang

At first i thought "oh its **** and ive ruined it"

then thinking well 5 days brewing, The brew is warm and no gas in the brew so basically its like stale flat warm lager whats been left out

So would you think the flavour will get better etc.. Looks clear in the trail jar and not foggy/cloudy so could be something

Well ill leave along now until this Saturday and i maybe bottle - that will be 10 days in FV


What you all think??
Thanks once again

 

[IainM]

Hi Tommy,
Five days to reach FG is fine, but also no signs of fermentation doesn't mean is has stopped necessarily. It might still go down a point or two. I'd certainly leave it in there for another 5 days or so for the yeast to finish up, and for the sediment to settle down a bit more. It isn't going to taste great at this point so don't worry, it will improve.

 

[mutznutz]

Let me know how you get on, i had a problem (carbonation) with mine and still not fixed so thinking of giving it up as a messed up batch

Your doing it slightly different than mine so if yours works i'll give it a try your way (temps and times).

 

[chewie]

Most kits seem to improve with age, wait until its been refrigerated and carbed for a month or two and then see how the flavour/taste is.

 

[tommyvb]

hi again all, Thanks for info

I will leave again for another 5 days...

Carbonation i will just add 1.5 tspoons of sugar to each bottle and leave for a week then leave in the fridge..

Well thanks again all and ill keep updated plus add some pics

 

[Bar-Steward]

As a lazy person, I can't be doing with all that sugar spoon business for secondary. I buy Coopers carbonation drops and just put one in each 500ml bottle. There are normally about 80 in a £2.95 bag, not cheap possibly but they work just fine for me.

I think we are all rather impatient with the fermentation process when new to beer brewing, but I find that around 10 days is an average time for the fermentation to have stopped. My brews tend to take 24-36 hours before the yeast really gets going, and 14 days in the fv would be possible, but at this time of year I get fruit flies showing an interest, so I prefer to bottle the beer asap after 10 and then I can relax knowing the flies are no longer a spoiling threat.

 

[chewie]

1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar seems a bit much for a 500ml bottle, I'd be inclined to go with 1 teaspoon at the most for a lager.

 

[tommyvb]

Hi all again
Thanks for advise

Just a update on Cerveza - day 7

No activity from airlock

Taken a sample and placed in trail jar - reading of 1012 still

I poured this into a glass and had a look at it

Looks a bit murky and not ultra clear

Was only a small amount - mouth full
Gave it a try

Tasted a bit better than the other day but again it's not chilled down to 1-2 degrees

Temp set at about 18 degree
Shall I wait till day 10'to bottle ?

I'll attach photos later