Only Eat Bats in Helles

Dough in at 131° F with 1.5 qt/lb of pre-treated water (including sufficient lactic acid to bring mash pH to 5.2. I used 3.5 mL), rest for 15 minutes (I recirculate and regulate temperature with a HERMS system). Raise temperature to 148° F and rest 30 minutes. Raise temperature to 160° F and rest 30 minutes. Raise temperature to 168° F and rest 10 minutes. Fly sparge with 170° F water, with FWH addition in kettle as you run off. Boil 90 minutes, adding whirlfloc 15 minutes prior to knockout and yeast nutrient 10 minutes prior to knockout. Chill as cold as you can, as quickly as you can. Rack into a sanitized carboy, cover the neck with foil, and allow the cold break to settle. After 30 minutes or so, rack the clear wort off the trub into your fermenter. If it is not 50° F at this time, chill it to 50° F. Pitch yeast, then force pure oxygen into solution through a sintered stone for 2 minutes. The convection from the oxygen helps distribute the yeast into the beer. Allow the beer temperature to rise to 52° F and hold until gravity falls to ~1.030. Raise the beer temperature to 57° F and hold until gravity falls to ~1.016. Raise the beer temperature to 62° F and hold until fully attenuated and then start pulling samples and testing for VDK reduction. Once you get a negative VDK result, perform a closed transfer to a keg. Begin dropping the keg temperature a few degrees every 12 hours, with low CO2 pressure on the keg to prevent air ingress through the lid. Once the beer has reached 32 °F, fine with gelatin and lager for 4 weeks. Force carbonate to 2.7 volumes.