Deebee

Recipes 

Hi all.

I have been lucky in having help for 3 of the 4 Ag brews i have made. this has made doughing in really easy as they sprinkled the grain into the mash water whilst i stired.

The one i did myelf was hard going though, so my question is in the case of being alone do you add the grain to the mash water or the mash water to the grain?

IF you add water to grain how do you manage to transfer all the water into the grain fast enough so as not to cause clumping of the grain?

Thanks

DrinksWellWithOthers

Recipes 

I add my strike water to my mash tun first to heat it up and then I add my grain. I use a 1.5qt/lb grist ratio which makes stirring up my mash pretty easy. If I have any dough balls I just use a big spoon, my so called mash paddle, to break them up.

weirdboy

Recipes 

I have done both with the same results. Nowadays I add the strike water first maybe 10 degrees F hotter than called for, and let the water cool to the appropriate temp before adding grain. I just add maybe 1/4 of the grain, stir, add some more, stir, etc. until it's all in there.

niquejim

Recipes 

Since I've got my system figuered out I add my grain to the water, let it sit 5-6 minutes then stir. The wait gives the grain time to re-hydrate the water and there are no dough balls.
I will state that I am confident on my tempertures, so if you are having trouble hitting your mash temps this may not work as well for you

Brewin_CRAZY

Recipes 

I tends to be much much easier to add the grain to the water already in the MLT. First off adding the grain first is just asking for a stuck sparge. Other than that, I like to just add my water a little hot, like 1-2 deg over what I calculate, allow it to settle in the MLT then add a little grain, mix, grain, mix... you get the picture. I normally rock a 1.25 qt/lb grist ratio and have never had an issue. Just add like a quarter of your grain, mix it up dry to avoid dough balls, then add more, just make sure to not get any dough balls and you should be good to go.

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passedpawn

Recipes 

I mill my grain the night before and toss into the mashtun. So, water last for me. Never a stuck sparge, but I use a megabraid.

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Scut_Monkey

Recipes 

I have tried both methods and found it easiest to add the grain to the water. This allows me to overshoot the strike temp of the cooler and preheat the mash tun. I then add some grain and stir and repeat a few times. No doughballs, no stuck sparge.

JoMarky

Recipes 

Powder the water, get yourself a nice mash paddle. If you get dough balls, push them against the side of the tun to break them up.

TeufelBrew

Recipes 

just did a 10# batch of weisenbock in 50qt cooler. With a 31# grain bill, it was a very tight fit at 1.2qt/lb. Yes, I did it on my own, and yes, I ALWAYS go water first. I know it works great for other folks to go grain first, but I have an easier time getting into the corners of my rectangular cooler/tun when I go water first.

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CodeRage

Recipes 

Grain into water for me. I don't get clumps stuck in the corner and all that good stuff.

In the end it is beer either way.

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