Award Winning All Grain Recipe Kit

Brew a crisp, refreshing and highly drinkable Mexican-style lager with the award-winning Border Cerveza All Grain Recipe Kit from Border Brewing Supplies.

Border Cerveza combines clean Pilsner malt with malted corn for a light golden colour, delicate grain character and dry, refreshing finish. Chit malt supports body and head retention while keeping the finished lager light and easy drinking.

Cashmere hops provide mild, smooth bitterness with subtle citrus, melon and lightly herbal flavours, while Lallemand NovaLager yeast produces a clean lager profile at a practical fermentation temperature.

This proven Border Brewing Supplies recipe achieved a highest competition score of 45.5/50 in 2024.

At approximately 4.2% ABV and 16 IBU, Border Cerveza is crisp, balanced and refreshing without becoming thin or flavourless.

Each recipe makes 23 litres of beer and is packed to order by Border Brewing Supplies. Choose milled grain, freshly crushed for your brewing system, or unmilled grain for crushing at home.

Why You'll Love This Kit

• Award-winning recipe with a highest competition score of 45.5/50

• Crisp and refreshing Mexican-style lager

• Light malt character with delicate corn flavour

• Mild, smooth bitterness from Cashmere hops

• Subtle citrus, melon and herbal hop notes

• Clean fermentation with Lallemand NovaLager

• Highly sessionable at approximately 4.2% ABV

• Complete 25g packet of Cashmere hops used

• Makes approximately 23 litres

• Choice of freshly milled or unmilled grain

• Complete Brewfather recipe supplied

Flavour Profile

Border Cerveza pours pale gold with brilliant clarity and a persistent white head.

Pilsner malt provides a clean grain foundation, while malted corn lightens the overall malt profile and contributes the delicate corn character associated with refreshing Mexican-style lagers.

Chit malt improves body and head retention without adding excessive sweetness or colour.

Cashmere hops contribute mild, smooth bitterness with restrained citrus, melon and herbal flavours. The hop character remains subtle, allowing the delicate malt and clean fermentation profile to remain the focus.

Lallemand NovaLager produces a clean lager character with a crisp, dry finish.

The result is a light, balanced and refreshing lager that remains flavoursome and satisfying.

Style: Mexican-Style Lager

Appearance: Pale gold with brilliant clarity and a persistent white head

Aroma: Clean grain, delicate corn and subtle citrus

Flavour: Light Pilsner malt, gentle corn and restrained Cashmere hop character

Body: Light and refreshing

Bitterness: Mild, smooth and balanced

Finish: Crisp, clean and dry

What's Included

Your Border Cerveza recipe kit includes the grain, hops and yeast required to brew the recipe.

Included:

• 4.7kg premium brewing grain

• 25g Cashmere hops

• 1 × Lallemand NovaLager yeast

• Complete Brewfather recipe

• Full brewing specifications

Choose to have your grain freshly milled and packed to order or supplied unmilled for crushing at home.

The complete 25g packet of Cashmere hops is used:

• 12g at 60 minutes

• 13g at 10 minutes

Additional products such as Whirlfloc, Servomyces Yeast Nutrient and brewing-water additions are available separately if required.

Recipe Specifications

Grain Bill

• 3.3kg Pilsner malt

• 1kg malted corn

• 250g Chit malt

• 150g Acidulated malt

Pilsner malt provides the clean grain foundation, while malted corn helps create the light colour, delicate flavour and refreshing drinkability expected from a Mexican-style lager.

Chit malt supports body and head retention without making the beer heavy or sweet. Acidulated malt assists with achieving the recommended mash pH when brewing with suitably soft water.

Hop Schedule

The complete 25g packet of Cashmere hops is used across two additions:

Cashmere provides mild, smooth bitterness with subtle citrus, melon and herbal flavours that complement the beer without overpowering its delicate malt character.

Mash Profile

Mash in with approximately 18.6 litres of water at 65°C.

The 65°C mash produces a highly fermentable wort, helping Border Cerveza finish crisp and dry while retaining enough body for a balanced drinking experience.

Fermentation Profile

• Pitch and ferment at 15°C

• Hold at 15°C for approximately five days

• Raise to 18°C for approximately five days

• Confirm fermentation is complete with stable gravity readings

• Gradually chill and cold-condition

• Carbonate to approximately 2.5 volumes of CO₂

Cold-conditioning will improve clarity and help produce a smoother, cleaner lager character.

Recommended Water Profile

The supplied Brewfather recipe includes a recommended water profile designed for reverse osmosis or suitably soft brewing water.

This balanced profile supports a crisp lager finish while maintaining sufficient softness and malt character.

Complete Brewfather Recipe

Your complete Brewfather recipe includes:

• Full grain bill

• Mash temperature and duration

• Mash and sparge water volumes

• Recommended water profile

• Hop quantities and addition times

• Yeast details

• Fermentation schedule

• Brewing notes

• Complete recipe specifications

View the complete Border Cerveza recipe in Brewfather.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Border Cerveza an award-winning recipe?

Yes. Border Cerveza achieved a highest competition score of 45.5/50 in 2024.

What style of beer is Border Cerveza?

Border Cerveza is a Mexican-style pale lager designed to be crisp, light and refreshing while retaining sufficient malt and hop flavour.

It is inspired by easy-drinking Mexican lagers but uses carefully selected brewing ingredients and a complete all grain process.

What does Border Cerveza taste like?

Expect clean Pilsner malt, delicate corn character, mild bitterness and subtle citrus, melon and herbal notes from Cashmere hops.

The finished beer is light-bodied, clean and dry with a refreshing lager finish.

Why is malted corn used?

Malted corn lightens the malt profile while contributing delicate corn flavour and highly fermentable extract.

It helps create the pale colour, dry finish and refreshing drinkability associated with Mexican-style lager.

What are Cashmere hops?

Cashmere is an American hop variety that can contribute citrus, melon and lightly herbal flavours.

In Border Cerveza it is used at restrained quantities to provide smooth bitterness and subtle flavour without making the beer strongly hop-forward.

Do I use the complete 25g packet of hops?

Yes. The entire 25g packet of Cashmere hops is used:

• 12g at 60 minutes

• 13g at 10 minutes

Follow the supplied Brewfather recipe for the correct addition times.

Can I choose whether my grain is milled or unmilled?

Yes. Choose milled grain, freshly crushed and packed to order by Border Brewing Supplies, or unmilled grain if you prefer to crush it yourself.

Which brewing systems can I use?

This recipe is suitable for most all grain brewing systems, including:

• Grainfather

• BrewZilla

• Guten

• RoboBrew

• Brew in a Bag systems

• Traditional three-vessel systems

The recipe is calculated at 70% brewhouse efficiency and can be adjusted in Brewfather to suit your equipment.

Why is NovaLager yeast used?

Lallemand NovaLager produces a clean lager profile with reliable fermentation performance at warmer temperatures than many traditional lager strains.

This makes it well suited to producing a crisp Mexican-style lager at approximately 15°C.

What fermentation temperature should I use?

Begin fermentation at approximately 15°C for five days before raising the temperature to 18°C for approximately five days.

Always confirm fermentation is complete with stable gravity readings before cold crashing or packaging.

Does Border Cerveza need to be lagered?

Cold-conditioning is recommended. It improves clarity while smoothing the beer’s malt, hop and fermentation character.

Is this recipe suitable for beginners?

Border Cerveza is suitable for brewers who have completed at least one all grain batch and have suitable fermentation temperature control.

The single-temperature mash and straightforward hop schedule make it one of the more approachable lager recipes to brew.

Are Whirlfloc and Servomyces included?

No. Whirlfloc, Servomyces Yeast Nutrient and brewing-water additions are shown in the recipe but are available separately.

Why Buy from Border Brewing Supplies?

Border Brewing Supplies packs every all grain recipe kit to order at our Tweed Heads South home brew shop. Choose freshly milled grain or unmilled grain to suit your brewing equipment and preferred crush.

We supply home brewers throughout Tweed Heads, the Gold Coast, Northern Rivers, Brisbane and the wider Queensland-New South Wales border region, with Australia-wide shipping also available.

Every kit is prepared using carefully selected brewing ingredients and includes a complete recipe to help you achieve consistent results from mash through to fermentation and packaging.

Recommended Products

For the best brewing results, consider adding:

• Whirlfloc Tablets

• Servomyces Yeast Nutrient

• Brewing Water Salts

• Digital Brewing Thermometer

• Sodium Percarbonate or PBW Cleaner

• No-Rinse Sanitiser