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Mexican Cerveza - STUCK
Posted: Wednesday Nov 01, 2006 9:20 am
by atropine
Hi Homebrew experts.
I put down a Coopers Mexican Cerveza on Saturday night, the next morning it was bubbling away furiously but it had got very slow by Tuesday morning. I gave it a bit of a shake, and it came to life again but by today Wednesday it's looking dead again. Temperatures have been between 20 - 24 degrees.
The SG is 1.011, I used 22.5 litres, coopers BE2 and I boiled the BE2 up in 12.5grams of cascade hops. Could someone tell me what the end specific gravity should be using BE2 (dextrose500grams, light malt 250grams, maltodextrin 250grams) and what's the best way of getting the thing active again?
Posted: Wednesday Nov 01, 2006 9:25 am
by Aussie Claret
Sounds about right to me, looks like she's finished. Just to be sure check again tomorrow, if the same bottle, or leave for a few extra days to help clear.
AC
Posted: Wednesday Nov 01, 2006 9:27 am
by vitalogy
Most of the fermentation is probably complete by the sounds of it. Even though the airlock has stopped bubbling, the SG will still probably drop a bit more if you give it a few more days. If you take readings that are the same on two consecutive days then it's ready to bottle.
Posted: Wednesday Nov 01, 2006 9:49 am
by atropine
ok cool thanks guys.
I did a tooheys dark ales before this one and used 500grams dark liquid malt with 750grams of Ultra Brew(50% light malt 25% dextrose 25% maltodextrin) and that went down to 1.010 so I thought a light bodied beer like this would have to be lower.
I"ll watch it for another 24 hours
Posted: Wednesday Nov 01, 2006 10:05 am
by Pale_Ale
I'm doing the Cerveza at the moment with a BE2 and FG was 1011.
At 24 degrees it will reach this very quickly - my batch is in the primary currently but has finished fermentation and finished in 4 days using kit yeast.
Given that you've shaken it up I'd rack or leave it for a while before bottling.
Posted: Wednesday Nov 01, 2006 10:14 am
by atropine
Oh that's great news. I had no idea those yeasts worked that fast. Yes I"ll let it sit for a while then bottle.
Thanks!
Posted: Wednesday Nov 01, 2006 11:20 am
by scblack
atropine wrote:Oh that's great news. I had no idea those yeasts worked that fast. Yes I"ll let it sit for a while then bottle.
Thanks!
At those temperatures (circa 24degreesC), yeast will work very fast.
Drop temperatures to ideal of 10-12 for Lagers, and 18 or so for Ales, and fermentation will take comfortably longer, up to even four weeks depending on conditions, but usually 2-3 weeks max.
Posted: Wednesday Nov 01, 2006 3:00 pm
by beerman
i did the cooper's mexican cerveza with BE2 earlier in the year and the final gravity was 1011. i didnt have any exploding bottles so it sounds right to me

Posted: Wednesday Nov 01, 2006 3:45 pm
by Biggles
My Mex Cervesa with BE2, stopped at 1010, after 2 days, I bottled (2 x coopers carb drops) on the 4th day according to my records.
Its just becoming drinkable, at very cold temps, at almost 6 weeks in bottle, otherwise its fizzy, watery, pale yellow liquid, that just passes as beer in my books. Great for those pisshead mates.
Posted: Wednesday Nov 01, 2006 3:57 pm
by melbourne man
what type of yeast did you use atropine
Posted: Wednesday Nov 01, 2006 4:55 pm
by atropine
I used the ale/Lager combination yeast that comes with it. I put it in 150ml of oxygenated 32 degree water for 30mins then fed it some Ultra Brew and let it eat that for 30mins by which time the yeast was frothing and I poured it in.
Hey Atropine
Posted: Wednesday Nov 01, 2006 8:39 pm
by 501
Hi all,
Firstly I believe that coopers BE2 is actually
50% LDM and 25/25 of the others (you can see the malt in it).
Though this seems like more body I reckon the coopers kits it
goes with are lighter as well.
All things being equal this a nice kit brew though bland without
cascade or super alpha at least.
My book says 1010 - 1012 so she should be good mate.
Cheers All
501
Re: Hey Atropine
Posted: Wednesday Nov 01, 2006 10:20 pm
by atropine
Well with the BE2 Australian food regulations state they must list the ingredients from Highest percentage to lowest percentage. BE2 list their ingredients as being dextrose, light malt, malotdrexin. It doesn't say percentages but if we kept to 1/4's then that would indicate 50% dextrose, and 25% for the others.
Ultra brew is definitely 50% malt and it's listed as the first ingredient on the pack. Ultra is also $2 or so more expensive than BE2 so I always figured BE2 to only have 25% malt but not sure.
I made this beer as a contrast to the dark ale I just put down. I figured during a long hot qld summer drinking a heavy full bodied rich beer might get a little overwhelming after a while so good to contrast it with some tasteless fizzy water

with a nice aroma
Re: BE2
Posted: Saturday Nov 04, 2006 11:24 am
by 501
Oops Sorry mate,
I read a couple of places on the forum (obviously wrong) about the composition.
The friendly Cooper's rep emailed me back to say it was
50/25/25 dex/malt/maltodetrin.
How's it going anyways did you bottle it ?
Cheers
and

Mexican cerveza _ stuck.
Posted: Saturday Nov 04, 2006 7:26 pm
by mark68
I did a black rock mexican cerveza around 3 months ago,and it finished at 1002 fg.I used the dry enzyme that came with the brew and saflager s23,which was brewed at 15 degrees.It stopped bubbling after 8 days and i bottled it on day 10.
Posted: Monday Nov 06, 2006 10:34 pm
by pure_stoke
I just brewed a coopers mex cerverza. 1kg be2, 500g dex. og 1044. fg 1010. approx 5.1%. i racked and left for 2 weeks. it turned out absolutely beutiful. will make a good summer beer as it is light but still has plenty of flavour. very good sessional beer.
Re: Mexican cerveza _ stuck.
Posted: Tuesday Nov 07, 2006 8:42 am
by 501
mark68 wrote:I did a black rock mexican cerveza around 3 months ago,and it finished at 1002 fg.
I found mine have finished at or below 1000.
Extra time is definitely needed for the dry enzyme and even at that fg,
they were overcarbed.