I am going to crush some grains tonight for tomorrows brew and I was curious if you can add crushed grains to the MT prior to adding the strike water. I was just going to store the crushed grains here overnight and figured I’d ask since I’ve always seen adding the water first before grains.
I pour the water into the mash tun first letting it sit for a few minutes to heat up the tun. Then, I add the grains slowly stirring them in as I pour. Not sure if there is any difference to be found if one were to do it the other way around.
^as I think most people do. Pre-heating the mash tun aside, is there any other reason for this order?
found it much easier to prevent and eliminate dough balls by water first, grain second.
+1. If not, stir like crazy, Justin.
I put my grains in first and fill the mash tun from the bottom up. easiest way to prevent dough balls I’ve found. Tip I picked up from the brewer at White Flame in Grand Rapids.
bottom up? pumping it in through valve?
Well generally I don’t bother pumping as my burner is high enough I can use gravity. But yes filing through the valve beneath the false bottom.
I pumped in once from the bottom valve and also had no doughballs. The problem I encountered was not hitting my desired temp as the mash tun wasn’t as preheated as it is when I fill with water first and let sit. Since I’m not using a recirculating mash (yet) I had to fiddle with boiling water and what not. When I add the water first I’m almost always dead on and the temp stays put.
I will be going back to bottom filling once I pick up a RIMS Rocket and another kettle.
OK, thanks everyone.
That’s why I do it. I don’t worry about preheating the tun. I’ve adjusted my mash temp to take care of the difference. But I’ve found that it mixes much better to add the water first.
I usually add water first because I can more easily measure the water in the tun. I am also thinking of going the other way and doing a calc to estimate the combined volume of the grains and water.
I like to add water first for both the pre-heat and easier to mix reasons. I know plenty that add the grains first. Both paths get you to the same destination.
This. Once you adjust your process to not preheating the mash tun you’ll still be able to hit your mash temp rather you put the grains or water in first. I never really got the pre-heating thing.
only one reason i do it-plastic cooler so i’m just reducing the thermal shock to keep my lovely mash tun around for many years to come.
I’m with Denny and Dan here. If you use your strike to pre-heast the tun, are you temping the tun before adding grains? Assuming that it is the temp of your strike water, etc. The one time I tried to pre-heat, I way over shot my intended temp, even though I thought I had accounted for everything properly. I just know where the tun is, and temp strike water to get where I need to be
You and me both! It took me 3 brews to dial in how much hotter I needed to make the water to account for not preheating. That’s one less step to deal with on brew day.
I like the Ol’ run your water, add a few pounds of grain, stir, add a few pounds of grain, stir, until the process is complete method. I don’t worry about preheating the tun either, but I will leave the grain and tun in the house at room temp untul I’m ready to mash in. This keeps the strike temp more consistant.
More geared to the OPs question. I often crush my grains as part as my brew day set up, which is done the evening before brewing. Why not just crush the grains and leave them in a bucket with a lid?
FWIW, after my grain is crushed I put it in a paper bag. It’s easy to hold that under my arm and slowly pour it into the water as I stir.
+1 to this, works better IMO