Coopers Mexican Cerveza Lager Kit

Yesterday I started a new 40 pint batch of lager. This one is by Coopers and it is their Mexican Cerveza. I have heard good things about this lager so I'm hoping it will turn out good. One difference I've made is to use golden syrup instead of sugar as, again, I've been told this makes a nicer end product. I also used 200g of sugar as the golden syrup doesn't quite have enough sugar contents to complete the fermentation. When I checked on it this morning I could see that fermentation has started. I do intend on using a slightly different method to prime the lager when bottling but I will mention that when I bottle the lager in just over a week!

The beer kit - Enough for 40 pints!

The home brew kit and the golden syrup.

200g of sugar weighed out

Home Made Lager and Other Homebrew

This is my first post of the new year as I have been too busy to write up what I've been up to. You may (or may not) remember that I started a batch of home brewed lager in my last post. Since then I have bottled and started drinking it. I didn't get any pictures of the bottling process as it was a little tricky to keep control of the siphoning tube while getting the next bottle ready and making sure the bottle I was working on didn't overflow! The process was fairly simple and at the end of it I had about 20 bottles with a litre of lager in them. Prior to bottling I had added a teaspoon of sugar to each one to allow it to ferment a slight bit more; this is what gives it bubbles. After that I put the bottles in a box and placed them next to a radiator for a few days then moved them somewhere cooler and like magic a couple of weeks later I had a lager that was not only drinkable but also quite nice!

A box of litre bottles

Bottles after being sterilized

The lids being sterilized

The finished product (and I was worried it wouldn't have enough fizz!)

I have also racked a demijohn of wine and a couple of meads. As it would be a little repetitive posting pictures of it I haven't done so. The wine I racked was my second batch of raspberry. I had a sneaky taste while I was racking and I believe this will be a strong tasting wine, my partner didn't approve too much of it. The meads I racked were a JAO mead and the ginger mead I started in late February last year! The ginger mead is tasting nice but will be better when it has aged a few more months, I intend on bottling it fairly soon. The JAO is looking like the best I have made so far. It is very clear and has a lovely golden colour to it, I didn't taste this one as I have a good idea what it tastes like already. This will be bottled soon also and possibly 1 bottle will be hidden away for 17 years as a birthday present for my daughters 18th!

Homebrew Lager Kit

As mentioned in a very recent post, I got a lager making kit for Christmas. Yesterday I went to see my sister and brother-in-law and he has recently made the same kit so I had a chance to taste it before actually making it. I must say I was impressed with the flavour and decided to waste as little time as possible starting my own brew. I couldn't start it the same day so as soon as I'd let the chickens out this morning I got started.

The process was really easy as it was from an all in one kit. All I had to do was sterilize the brewing bucket and provide 1kg of sugar then make up with water to 23l.

1kg of sugar

The contents of the tin of lager mix.

Pour the contents into the bucket

Once sugar and mix are added put some water in to dissolve sugar.

When all is dissolved add water to make to 23l then sprinkle the sachet of yeast into the brew.  I then took a gravity reading of 1.034 at this point so will know the strength of the lager.

The whole process was really easy and I would encourage people to have a go themselves. The next thing to do is wait 4-8 days until fermentation has finished and then bottle it, then leave a further week or 2 for flavour to develop. I'll let you know how it goes. At some point in the future I will aim to make beer or lager without the aid of a kit but this will suffice for now.