Does anyone have a good recipe for Mexican Cervesa. I am looking for something like dos equis, corona, and so forth.
I am looking to make this style for the summer.
Thanks
Is that really that different than just an American standard lager? 70-80% of two-row and/or pils (I like a mix) with the rest corn and/or rice (again, I like a mix). Step mash for attenuation, hop to 15-20 IBUs, use a clean lager yeast.
Edit: removed uncalled for wisecrack
Yes.
Take keg and fill with urine. Force-carbonate. Voila! Cervesa! ;D
The Corona Familiar in my fridge tastes exactly like they barely used just enough malt to convert the corn and rice. IBU’s? Have to be less than 10.
I assume you’re looking for an extract or partial mash recipe? Do you have the temperature control needed to make a lager?
Man, the guys very first post and you’re hacking on his choice of styles… :) Shouldn’t we be nurturing him and slowly guiding him to new styles that build on this and expand his beer horizons…
If you don’t have temperature control for a lager, maybe you could do a “mock” cerveza. There is a thread going already about mock pilsener that might work for you.
Aye…
This is true. It’s one of the goals of the forum per the rules IIRC.
I think the OP can make a better beer than most Mexican lagers out there. Have to say though the OP picked a hell of a style to want to brew at home. I don’t know how they brew Corona but suspect it’s much like Budweiser, and involves blending AFAIK.
How about a nice kolsch or blonde ale? Maybe even a cream ale.
I actually think Bohemia and the light colored version from Negro Modelo quite drinkable on a hot summer day. Not a fan of Corona and I think Tecate is clean but, on the bland side. Are you referring to a particular Mexican beer that you like? Maybe there’s a clone out there somewhere. I know you can get the Mexican Lager yeast from White Labs but, like the other posters mentioned, fermentation temp control would be in order.
Ah, missed that this was an extract forum. That’s what I get for reading via ‘unread’ not browsing.
So get two cans (6.6 lbs) of the lightest malt extract you can find. “Extra light” is probably how it will be labelled. Get a pound or so of rice syrup. A decent homebrew shop should carry that. Boil that for an hour with an ounce and a half of 4% alpha German hops like hallertauer or tettnanger. Put a quarter ounce of hops in at 15 minutes and a quarter ounce in at 5 minutes. I’m assuming you’re doing a concentrated boil, so just follow your normal method.
If you are able to lager, ferment it with a clean lager yeast. If you aren’t able to lager use either Wyeast 1056 or WLP001 fermented below 65F, or use the California lager yeast (Wyeast 2112 or WLP810) fermented as cold as you can. Use plenty of yeast since you want it to ferment fully. When it’s done, age it at 40F or less for a month.
Something fun I have been meaning to try, but never have.
Get some agave nectar and use it for about 5% of the total fermentables. Add another 5% of flaked maize (if you are doing extract you will need to mash this with some two row). The rest of the 90% go with pils or two row, aiming for about a 1.048-1.054 beer. Use some magnum or other clean bittering hoops and aim for about 20-24 IBUs and then add a half oz of a lemony hop such as Sorachi Ace at flame out (or last 2 min. of boil) and add the zest of 3-5 key limes.
If you don’t have the ability to maintain lager fermentation temps a clean fermenting ale yeast like US-05 or a German or Kolsch Ale yeast fermented at cool (low 60s) temps will get you close enough. Lager for 2-4 weeks.
You may need to adjust agave (or might want to leave it out entirely, I dunno) and spices but I think it would make an interesting take on “mexican beer”.
Anybody see a problem here? That’s the same issue I’ve been wranglin’ with for a bit now. Don’t yet have lager temp control so will do “mock” lagers with 1007 but then, you still want to “cold condition” or lager or whatever you want to call it after fermentation is done.
ps. that “55” for the agave is probably supposed to be “5%”
Well, fermenting a lager is at around 50F but lagering a lager is around 32-35F. Not everyone has something at 50F, but you’ve got to have something between 32F and 40F. It’s where you put your milk. 
Yeah, SWMBO would love me taking shelves out of the fridge so I could fit my carboy in for 3-4 weeks.
The tough love advice is that if you want to brew lagers regularly, you need dedicated refrigeration and a temp controller.
However, there are always workarounds. A recent BYO or Zymurgy (can’t recall which) had an entire article on making lagers without dedicated equipment.
No, I don’t see the problem. As Gordon mentioned not everyone has the ability to maintain 48 degree fermentation temps. But I guess I assume most people have a spare refrigerator or whatnot to actually lager.
Well technically lagering just means “storage”, not cold storage.
Pehaps I’m a bit out of touch, but when I learned Spanish cerveza meant beer. Does Mexican Cervesa have some kind of negative connotation to it?
IMHO Negra Modelo is a pretty decent Vienna style cerveza.
I think the best are Negra Modelo and Bohemia. Modelo Especial is OK followed by Tecate. It all goes downhill rapidly after that. There is a new one I’m seeing on the shelves everywhere now. It’s called “Victoria”.
The problem that I see is that Mexican Cervezas tend to be ultra-pale insipid lagers at a premium price. One has to be extremely thirsty (parched) and/or add lime to the beer to make them palatable. To me that’s a sign of bad beer.