Mash tun: water or grain 1st?

For the mash: do you add your grain or strike water first, and for what reason(s)?

I put water in first, and let mashtun adjust and settle temp .. then, when I knaow I am where I want to be in temp (usually 164), I add the grains ...


stir stir stir

I think it's down to personal preference.

I think it's easier to stir the grain up into the water than the grain down into the water.
Does that make sense?

I put the grain in and then the water.

I heat the water to STRIKE + 10F... then pump it over into my MLT. I let it sit in there a few minutes to heat the MLT, it then cools to my strike temp, so when the thermometer shows the proper temp, I dump in half my grain bill.... stir well, breaking up dough balls. Then I dump in the second half of the grain bill, again mixing well. Tighten the lid on the cooler, crack the valve on the MLT and start to recirculate through the HERMS.

____________________________________
Primary- Orange Cascade APA
Secondary- AIR
Keg1- Centennial Blonde
Keg2- Oktoberfest
Keg3- Christmas Spice
Keg4- Fire In The Hole
Keg5- AIR
Keg6- AIR
Keg7- AIR
Keg8- AIR

Water first, grain second.

I add the strike water plus 10 degrees and let it sit for 10 minutes to preheat the MLT. I don't lose any heat through a 60 minute mash using a 10 gallon Rubbermaid cooler.....

orfy said:

I think it's down to personal preference.

Click to expand...

+1.

I used to add the grist to the water. Now I just dump it in the mash tun and pump the strike water over to the mash tun, stirring and breaking up any dough balls (usually none).

I put the grain in first then add the water mixing well. I used to add grain to water but when I started adding water to grain my efficiency went up from 65-70 to 85%.

TeleTwanger said:

I put the grain in first then add the water mixing well. I used to add grain to water but when I started adding water to grain my efficiency went up from 65-70 to 85%.

Click to expand...

I dont understand how either method would result in a difference in eff. Did you change anything else? Water to grain, or grain to water, should not affect your eff. in the very least.

____________________________________
Primary- Orange Cascade APA
Secondary- AIR
Keg1- Centennial Blonde
Keg2- Oktoberfest
Keg3- Christmas Spice
Keg4- Fire In The Hole
Keg5- AIR
Keg6- AIR
Keg7- AIR
Keg8- AIR

I put in about 1/2-1 gallon of the hot water in the bottom, then put the grain in on top of that, and then pour the rest of the water in over the grain. The reason I do it that way, is since I started doing that I haven't had stuck or slow sparges, it drains nice and quickly. If I just put the grain in first and then the water then I end up having to stick sticks in the spout or blow air up the spout to get it unstuck so it drains.

Grain first then pump in through the valve so the water rises into the grain. It loosens the grain as it fills for less compaction on the FB and if dough balls form they are near the top and easier to break up.
I don't see any difference in efficiency doing it either way as the grist needs to mixed throughly anyway.

I'm sure it matters very little. Here's what I do:

Water to just above the level of the false bottom, then grain, then the rest of the water.

The Pol said:

I dont understand how either method would result in a difference in eff. Did you change anything else? Water to grain, or grain to water, should not affect your eff. in the very least.

____________________________________
Primary- Orange Cascade APA
Secondary- AIR
Keg1- Centennial Blonde
Keg2- Oktoberfest
Keg3- Christmas Spice
Keg4- Fire In The Hole
Keg5- AIR
Keg6- AIR
Keg7- AIR
Keg8- AIR

Click to expand...

Yeah I don't know either...I was stuck with 70% and just figured I'd live with it until I started adding water first on a whim and now all else equal my efficiency is 85% so I'm staying with the process....
I try to tell people to try this if they get low efficiency because I never had a reason to think it would help but apparently it did for me at least. Who knows what wierd happenings going on affects what, I guess a butterfly in China could affect my efficiency too.

water first at a higher temp than strike to preheat the cooler. let sit until everything is at the desired temp then pour and stir. Because of the preheating i recently only lost 2 degrees over my 60min mash.

Personal preference, or whatever works best on your system. I pimp the 10 gallon rubbermaid and go grain, then water.

However, I do 'preheat' the MLT by putting hot tap water in it and letting it sit for awhile, while I mess around with other stuff.