Eye in the Pyramid Wild Rice Helles Bock

5 gallons/19 L, extract with rice adjunct; OG = 1.059 FG = 1.015 IBU = 29 SRM = 10 ABV = 5.7%

Ingredients:

• 4.0 lbs. (1.8 kg) Laaglander Dutch Light lager kit
• 2.7 lbs. (1.1 kg) Northwestern Gold malt extract
• 1.0 lbs. (0.45 kg) 2-row pale malt
• 0.75 lbs. (0.34 kg) Munich malt
• 0.66 lbs. (0.30 kg) crystal malt (20 °L)
• 0.5 lbs. (0.23 kg) CaraPils malt
• 1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) wild rice
• 8 AAU Hallertau Hersbrücker hops (60 mins) (2.0 oz./57 g of 4% alpha acids)
• 1 tsp. Irish moss
• Wyeast 2206 (Bavarian) or White Labs WLP820 (Octoberfest) yeast
• 0.75 cups corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step:

Boil wild rice and a handful of crushed pale malt for 30 minutes. Stir constantly. Heat 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water to 142 °F (61 °C). When 15 minutes are left in rice boil, place crushed grains in steeping bag and submerge in this water. Hold temperature at 126–131 °F (52–55 °C) for duration of rice boil. Open steeping bag, dump in rice and stir into grains. Add heat, if needed, to bring temperature to 155 °F (68 °C) and hold for 45 minutes.

Remove grain bag, place in colander and rinse with 0.5 gallons (1.9 L) of water at 170 °F (77 °C). Combine “grain tea,” 2.0 lbs. (0.91 kg) of malt extract and water to make 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of wort. Bring this to a boil, adding hops once boil begins. Boil for 60 minutes. Add Irish moss and remaining malt extract with 15 minutes left in the boil. Cool wort to at least 65 °F (18 °C) and transfer to fermenter. Aerate and pitch yeast. Ferment at 55 °F (13 °C) for two weeks, then let temperature raise to 60 °F (16 °C) for two days. Rack to secondary and lager for 4 weeks at 32–40 °F (0–4.4 °C).

All-grain option:

Replace first four ingredients with 9.75 lbs. (4.4 kg) 2-row Pilsner malt and 0.75 lbs. (0.34 kg) Munich malt. Boil wild rice and a handful of crushed pale malt for 30 minutes. Stir constantly. In your kettle, heat 3.6 gallons (14 L) of water to 142 °F (61 °C). When 15 minutes are left in rice boil, mash in grains and hold at 131 °F (55 °C) for duration of rice boil.

Stir rice into grains and add heat to bring temperature to 158 °F (70 °C) and hold for 45 minutes. Add boiling water to mash out to 168 °F (76 °C). Boil wort for 90 minutes, adding hops for final 60 minutes. Add Irish moss with 15 minutes left in the boil. Cool wort to at least 65 °F (18 °C) and transfer to fermenter. Aerate and pitch yeast. Ferment at 55 °F (13 °C) for two weeks, then let temperature raise to 60 °F (16 °C) for two days. Rack to secondary and lager for 4 weeks at 32–40 °F (0–4.4 °C).