Name: DRAFT + TABLEs Del Ray Mexican Lager Recipe
Cook time: 24 h
Total time: 24 h
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 5 lbs Pilsner malt (base); 0.5 lbs Pale Munich malt; 0.75 lbs Flaked maize (corn); 0.25 lbs Light Carapils/Dextrine (for head retention); 0.4 oz Magnum (bittering, 14% AA); 0.5 oz Saaz (aroma, low AA); 1 packet Clean lager yeast (liquid or dry, e.g., Wyeast 2124/White Labs WLP830 or Saflager S-23); 1 each Irish/Whirlfloc tablet (optional, for clarity); 1 tbsp Lemon zest (fresh, finely grated); 3 tsp Corn sugar (priming for bottling) or carbonation per krausen / CO2; 5 gal Water (brewing liquor); 0.25 each Campden tablet (optional, to remove chlorine/chloramine); 50 ppm Calcium (Ca) target; 2 ratio Sulfate to Chloride ratio (crisp profile)

Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

Crisp + clean, with a hint of lemon zest + incredibly refreshing.

Heat 3.5 gallons (13.2 L) of brewing water to about 165°F (74°C) to account for grain temperature and target mash around 152°F (67°C). If using Campden, dissolve 1/4 tablet per 5 gallons into the water and let sit 15 minutes before heating.

Heat strike water

Add crushed grains (Pilsner malt, Munich, flaked maize, Carapils) to the strike water and stir to eliminate dry pockets. Target mash temperature: 150–152°F (65–67°C). Hold for 60 minutes for a slightly fermentable wort that yields a crisp profile with some body.

Mash in

After 60 minutes, optionally raise mash to 168°F (76°C) for 10 minutes (mash out) to stop enzymatic activity and make lautering easier.

Mash rest and mash out

Drain wort into your kettle and sparge with enough water at 170°F (77°C) to collect approximately 5.5–6.0 gallons (20.8–22.7 L) of wort pre-boil depending on system losses. Aim for roughly 5.25 gallons post-boil for a 5 gallon batch (adjust to your system).

Bring the collected wort to a vigorous boil. Watch carefully for boil-overs.

Bring to boil

At the start of the 60 minute boil, add Magnum hops (0.4 oz) for bittering. Boil for 60 minutes total.

Bittering addition

With 10–15 minutes left in the boil, add 1 Irish or Whirlfloc tablet to improve clarity.

Irish/Whirlfloc (optional)

At flameout (end of boil), add Saaz hops (0.5 oz). Do not whirlpool too long; for a clean, delicate hop character, allow a 5–10 minute steep at ~170°F (77°C) then chill.

Aroma hops

Add the tablespoon of fresh finely grated lemon zest at flameout along with the Saaz hops. This provides a subtle bright lemon note rather than overt citrus oils. Do not add peels earlier to avoid harsh pith flavors.

Lemon zest addition

Chill the wort quickly to yeast-pitching temperature. For lager yeast, target 50°F (10°C) (see yeast manufacturer recommendations). Use an immersion, counterflow, or plate chiller to reduce oxygen pickup. Transfer chilled wort to a sanitized fermenter.

Aerate or oxygenate the wort thoroughly — lagers benefit from a healthy oxygenation for clean attenuation. Aim for ~8–10 ppm dissolved oxygen if using pure O2, or vigorously shake/splash if no O2 stone.

Pitch the clean lager yeast at ~50°F (10°C). If using liquid yeast, make a properly sized starter. Ensure good sanitation when opening yeast packages and handling.

Pitch yeast

Hold at 50–55°F (10–13°C) for 7–10 days or until activity slows and terminal gravity is near expected. The cooler, steady temp encourages clean esters.

Primary fermentation

Raise temperature to 60–65°F (15–18°C) for 2–3 days to encourage yeast to clean up any diacetyl and finish fermentation.

Diacetyl rest

After the diacetyl rest and final gravity is stable, gradually rack and lower temperature to 35–40°F (2–4°C) and lager for 2–4 weeks. This cold conditioning clarifies the beer and produces the crisp, clean finish characteristic of a Mexican-style lager.

Lagering

If bottling: prepare and sanitize bottles. Add 3 teaspoons (approx. 12–14 g) corn sugar dissolved in a small amount of boiling water per 5-gallon batch (adjust per kit/system) to prime. Bottle and cap, then condition at room temperature for 2 weeks before chilling and serving.

If kegging: carbonate to 2.5–2.8 volumes CO2 (typical for Mexican lagers) by force-carbonation or natural krausen, then cold-condition for a few days under pressure before serving.

Before serving, chill beer thoroughly and serve very cold in a clean glass. For extra brightness, garnish with a very light twist of lemon peel on the rim or a small wedge (optional).

Pilsner malt (base)

Pale Munich malt

Flaked maize (corn)

Light Carapils/Dextrine (for head retention)

Magnum (bittering, 14% AA)

Saaz (aroma, low AA)

Clean lager yeast (liquid or dry, e.g., Wyeast 2124/White Labs WLP830 or Saflager S-23)

Irish/Whirlfloc tablet (optional, for clarity)

Lemon zest (fresh, finely grated)

Corn sugar (priming for bottling) or carbonation per krausen / CO2

Water (brewing liquor)

Campden tablet (optional, to remove chlorine/chloramine)

Calcium (Ca) target

Sulfate to Chloride ratio (crisp profile)

Del Ray Mexican Lager

Make Del Ray Mexican Lager Recipe in just 24h . Crisp + clean, with a hint of lemon zest + incredibly refreshing.

Del Ray Mexican Lager

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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