Mashing in question

I have always mashed in at 35C and then heated the mash slowly while stirring continuously until I reach mash temperatures. This allows me to do a protein rest if I want, but I stopped doing that a long time ago because I'm lazy.

From reading this forum, it sounds like most people heat the mash water actually hotter than the mash temperature before mash-in, so that it ends up at mashing temperature when they quickly stir in the grain.

Is this the typical way to do it? Anyone suggest a good calculator for calculating the water temp?

I'm thinking about switching to the method described above, to save time. Any drawbacks at all?

For a calculator, see http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml
This calculates your strike temperature. i.e. the temperature of the strike water before adding the grains assuming that the mash tun is pre-heated.
I heat the strike water to 10F greater than the calculated strike temperature, add it to the mash tun, and then wait until the temperature drops to the calculated temperature. By this time the mash tun is preheated, and you should hit your mash temperature exactly.
OK, I use Promash to do the calculations, but the rackers calculator gives the same results.

-a.

I use BeerSmith to help me calculate my mash-in temp, along with all of my other calculations during brewing. It makes brewing so much easier. There are a couple of great simple online calculators out there, though, including this one:

http://www.brewersfriend.com/mash/

Hey BetterSense,

I just finished my third All Grain and hit my temps perfectly. Heated strike water to 183*, poured it into my room temp mash tun (72*) and let sit for 10 mins, now at 170, mashed in and stirred, hit 156*, started mash. It's pretty easy really.

My first AG I preheated the mash tun to 15 mins, however I just found that water was wasted and if i start with strike water a bit hotter, it all falls in line

Good luck
Toy4Rick

I BIAB so I have a directly heated 'mash tun'.

I'm more interested in how my recipes are going to change if I switch to using this method. I have a feeling my beers will end up with more body; in other words, if I switch to the quick mash-in method, it will be like I am mashing at a higher temperature. But I guess I will have to just try it and see.

It seems weird to me to stir grain into water that is near mashout temperature. You would think it would denature the enzymes, but I guess not.