Who adds the grain to the water?

[kujo]

I saw a video on youtube and this guy was brewing a 10-gallon batch of chocolate stout, and he heated up his water in his mash tun and then dumped in all of his grain.

??!?!!!?

I have *never* done this, and *never* seen it done this way. The way I do it is I add the water to the waiting grains. I can't think of a reason to do it the other way 'round, and in fact the other way looks a whole lot messier.

Does anyone else do this? Why?

[BrewDog]

I do it that way.

The water heats up the mash tun that way. I NEVER miss my strike temp doing it that way.

I use Promash to calc dough-in temp.
Then I heat my strike water up to a few degrees above that temp to pre-heat the tun. Depending on the temp outside, it will settle in 1 or 2 degrees above my strike temp. I'll then let it either naturally cool down to the strike water temp or add a little bit of cold water to get it exact.

Then, when I dough in, it is exactly at my desired dough in temp, with no adjustments needed.

[barleyburps]

I always do it that way also, for the same reason as brewdog gave. I get an amount of powder dusting from the grind around the rim of the mashtun, but I just rinse that down into the pot with preheated water.

[PCaravan]

I do it that way too... mainly because I find it easier to stir it in together and avoid any doughballs. I can't actually heat my water in my mash tun (cooler) and I used to preheat it by adding hot water and draining, then adding all the preheated mashwater. Lately, I've taken to just adding all the mash water at a higher temperature than I need and just letting it cool down to the temperature I need in the mash tun and then adding the grain. I've found I hit my targeted temperatures much better that way.

I slowly pour in about half the grain and give it a stir and then I slowly pour in the rest and stir some more. The slow pour makes sure all the grain gets water contact before I even start stiring.

[nwcw2001]

Originally posted by PCaravan
I do it that way too... mainly because I find it easier to stir it in together and avoid any doughballs. .

That is why I do it! Every grain gets completely hydrated--no dough balls.



John

[vw addict]

Originally posted by nwcw2001
That is why I do it! Every grain gets completely hydrated--no dough balls.

this is why I just stir. I add the water to the grain, and then stir. Gives me something to do during brewing.:D

[dparsons]

Originally posted by vw addict
this is why I just stir. I add the water to the grain, and then stir. Gives me something to do during brewing.:D

Its a bit easier if you add the grain to the water.

Hitting mash temp and zero dough balls. 2 reasons.

[MichaelM]

yea I have done it both ways now and did hit my temps both times BUT adding water to the grain = a ton if stirring to get out doughballs.... the other way I just dumped grains (about half gave a quick stirr then dumped the other half and a quick stir.... no doughballs and i seemed the get an even temp easier

[Tom C]

I do this in the winter to avoid thermal mass temp loss from the empty mash tun and to more closely hit temps. In the summer though I add water to the grains and stir the grains.

Tom C

[larin1477]

Since my next batch will only be my second all-grain I am not biased either way...1st time i added the water to the grain...this time I'll try it the other way!

[corkybstewart]

I use a converted keg for a mash tun so I heat the water andadd the grain.

[toneyc]

I slowly add the grain to the hot water while stirring. No doughballs.

:)
Toney.

[Red T]

I too add grain to preheated water. I hit the strike temp pretty close that way.

[HogieWan]

I also add grain to the water.

[danno]

me too, strike water is heated while I mill my grain, then into the hot water it goes...

[HarkJohnny]

not sure where to place my vote on this one...

I heat the strike water and then transfer the water to the mash tun about the same time I add the grain and stir it all up real good. I've been having good results with hitting temps the last 3 or so brews.

[B_rad1969]

I heat my water then add the grain.

[chapesh]

grains to h2o. no air pockets and no doughballs, and even temps.

[Jared]

I keggle mash, So Grain into water it goes.

[Otis_The_Drunk]

I've done it both ways and it really didn't seem to make a difference.

[dparsons]

Originally posted by Otis_The_Drunk
I've done it both ways and it really didn't seem to make a difference.

Trouble-maker! :D