Coopers Mexican Cerveza - Help Needed

boxingdaymassacre

Hi all

First time lager brewer

HELPPPPPP

My Cerveza has been on ferment for 9 days. The first reading before the yeast was 1034, there doesnt seem to be any bubbles rising from it so yesterday i took another reading with the hydrometer it is now down to 1010. with the calculations it will have a 3.8 abv.

Should the hydro reading be lower than this or do you think the brew may have become stuck ? if so is there any way of getting it going again

I have brewed this slightly short in volume as reading various forums this was one of the main tips with this kind of brew.

It also seems very dark in appearence in the FV should the brew be as light as say a SOL or corona ?

There is also a lot of gunk around the sides of the tank were the initial fermenting was taking place, should this be left alone or does this need to be scraped into the FV as im worried a lot of the yeast may be in this gunk ?

When bottling should i use 2tsp sugar per 500ml or go with the recommended 1tsp or carbonation drops and if so should i use 2 per bottle, the only reason i ask this is that i have brewed a youngs cider, i did 12 bottles with carbonation drops one in each 500 ml and the rest of the bottles with 1 tsp sugar. i left these at room temperature for around 3 days then moved then to a cool place were they have been for a week, as a first timer its taken all my will power not to try it straight away, but last night i thought i would try one just for research the taste of the cider is very weak and the sparkle is also very very light. can any one tell me ive done anything wrong or does it just need longer to condition ?

 

When doing the initial FV i followed the instruction thoroughly.

 

Thanks for any help in advance

HBO_Staff

With your hydrometer reading the best way to tell if it's finished is to take readings a day apart and if they stay the same for a couple of days in a row then it has stopped fermenting. The lager will increase in strength when the priming sugar is added to the bottles as this will cause secondary fermentation. It will help the fermentation too if the temperature is warm, say early 20 degrees. If you alter the volumes of water or sugar this will affect the readings/alcohol content too. Don't be too worried about the appearance at this stage, as it will change when it clears and conditions in the bottles or keg. The 'gunk' you get around the vessel is quite normal with some brews and is a good sign of fermentation, but it can just be left until finished fermenting and cleaned at the end once empty.

The amount of sugar used to prime the bottles can be varied to suit your preference, if wanting it a bit fizzier, a good heaped teaspoon of sugar per 500ml bottle is usually sufficient. Carbonation drops are priming sugar in a form that is easier to get in to the neck of the bottles without making a mess, and if wanting it a bit fizzier use 2 per 500ml bottle. Any more than that may cause too much pressure to build up. To help the brew it should be stored in bottles in a warm place for around a week, then move them somewhere cooler to clear and condition for a few weeks.

The same with the cider - after only a few days in bottles the taste will be lacking and the carbonation will not be ready, it will no doubt benefit from being left to condition in the bottles for a few weeks which will improve the taste and the fizz too

boxingdaymassacre

Thanks for all the advice and info.

Do you think the cider would benefit being back into a warmer area for a few more days or would you think it's too late ?

HBO_Staff

Moving it somewhere warmer will help it speed up secondary fermentation if you think it is slow. If it is in plastic bottles the advantage is that you can tell how carbonated it is by how firm the bottles feel - if they are soft and can be squeezed it is still in it's early stages as the bottles will feel firm as pressure builds. It will still carbonate in cooler conditions though, but will just take longer, so a week in warm temperatures just helps to be sure it gets going quickly, then moving it somewhere cooler helps it clear. The taste will improve after it has been bottled for a few weeks, many people are impatient and drink their brews quite early, they will be nice, but not at their best so if possible it is good to have one you are drinking, and another batch that is conditioning and will be ready after it - each batch then gets time to condition and improve

rustynuts

how long after bottling my lager do i have to wait before puting it in the fridge to chill thanks

marko

Hi rustynuts. I would wait for at least a couple of weeks myself. Just to make sure everything has settled and I don't get a chill haze. The longer the better in my opinion.