Layering grain - vs. - Mixing Grain - vs. - Just dump it in

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PupThePup

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Normally, before dough in, I pour all of my grain in a bucket and gently mix it with my hands in an attempt to get an even distribution of the different specialty grains with the base malt.

Just the way I always done it... never really even thought about it until last weekend.

My question is, what, if any, are the benefits/pitfalls of

1.) Mix all grain in bucket
2.) Layer grain in mash tun
3.) Just randomly dump it in

What method do you use?

What method do professional breweries use (i'd guess they have an automatic stiring system in their mash tuns... not sure though...)?
 
I place each milled grain one-by-one so that they are all perfectly aligned in the optimal position to achieve the highest conversion. :)

Actually, after i mill, I dump about 1/3 of the grains into the strike water and mix until no dough balls are present and the grains are well saturated. I then do the same with the next 3rd and then the final 3rd. So, in the end, the grains are pretty well dispersed. I have a recirculating HERMS system so as long as i get rid of the dough balls, everything is fine.
 
I place each milled grain one-by-one so that they are all perfectly aligned in the optimal position to achieve the highest conversion. :)

I tried a version of this technique once, looking for higher efficiency. It took a little bit too long placing the flour though. I think the mash went for 12 hours before I decided it was too much work and I dumped the last 8 lbs in. :cross:

So now I just dump it all into the water in one go, and then stir it. I figure stirring the mash will ensure the enzymes are sufficiently distributed for conversion, and conversion and going into solution are pretty much all that matter.
 
You should be stirring the mash thoroughly to make sure the grains are wetted, doughballs eliminated and temps even. That stirring will give you even distribution. You'll get better efficiency if you stir about halfway through the mash as well. You could add and stir your non-diastatic grains first to bring the strike water down to non-enzyme-denaturing temps before adding your base malts, but I don't think it would make a whole lot of difference.
 
Not for me...makes no difference except the heat loss when I open the cooler to stir.

Yes, I've noticed that too. Stir at the very beginning, and stir some more. Make sure there are no doughballs, and check the temperature in several places. If they are the same, cover and walk away. If not, stir some more. Once the temperatures are equalized, then cover and walk away.

I always preheat my MLT, and never lose more than .5 degree or so over an hour. Stirring extremely well at the beginning, and not again, works great for me and I don't lose any heat like I used to.
 
I usually use a pound of quick oats in my ales. I dough in all my grains first and once I'm satisfied it's well mixed I add the oats and stir them into the top 50% or so of the mash. I don't know if it makes sense but I think keeping the "oatmeal" away from the bottom of my mash tun (52 qt cooler) creates less of a chance getting the manifold system clogged.

For the sparge I go a little closer to the bottom when I mix in the water.

OMO

bosco
 
I tried adding the grains in thirds for one batch a year or so ago. It seems like a good idea, but I had a tough time hitting consistent mash temps this way. It just seems to introduce too many variables. I'm a rock-ribbed dump and stir like mad advocate now. Unsophisticated but effective in my workflow.
 
I'm a random dumper.

1. This made me laugh :fro:
It's like using something that's not intended for a bathroom...that's the first thing I thought about.
2. I do the same thing, with good results.
3. I'd like to try going 1/3, 1/3, 1/3. Perhaps I would get fewer dough balls. Those are a PITA to break up in a large cooler style mash tun, mainly because I don't like playing hide and go seek.
 
I dump all the grain into my pre-heated cooler, mix it around, and then add strike water. I add the water slowly, and stir the entire time. I usually measure, find out there's hot spots, stir again, wait, and repeat. Around the 3rd or 4th iteration I realize there's always hot spots, give up, RDWHAHB. Worked so far.
 
After milling my grain and it all ends up in one bucket I'll give it a quick 'hand stir'. I'm mostly checking that the grain looks fairly milled and am less concerned about mixing the grain types. Upon dough-in I used to slowly (15lbs over a minute) while stirring. That got to be a pain in the hinder so now I just dump it all in at once, stir for a few minutes to hit temps and shut the cooler for an hour. Much easier, never had a dough-ball. Kyle
 
I believe most commercial breweries stir continuously. But if Denny & Yooper say stirring does more harm than good, that's good enough for me.

Not most of the commercial breweries I'm familiar with. As a quick example, neither Rogue nor Sierra Nevada do continuous stirring.
 
Not most of the commercial breweries I'm familiar with. As a quick example, neither Rogue nor Sierra Nevada do continuous stirring.

Which brewery it is escapes me now, but I've seen one large-ish brewery with a "mash rake". Other than that, I've never seen continuous stirring.

I didnt' say it was harmful, unless you count losing some heat as "harmful". I just said it wasn't necessary!
 
Thought I'd seen it on the History Channel. Maybe it's just BMC, or just the one they featured. Anyway, thanks for the corrections. Maybe if I spent more time reading and less time typing I'd be better off...
 
kingwood-kid said:
I believe most commercial breweries stir continuously. But if Denny & Yooper say stirring does more harm than good, that's good enough for me.

If commercials are stirring, it's going to be with a closed lid and steam jackets or some type of RIMS/HERMS rig. Heat will not be lost, nor will it rise. Commercial and Homebrew and different worlds.
 
Commercial and Homebrew and different worlds.

applause.gif
 
I'm always worried about dough balls, so I always stir for a couple minutes as I'm pouring water in. so it wouldn't matter in my case. you should be stirring or using something like a RIMS system to move the water around, because you'll have mash temperature stratification if you don't. I've heard of the magical and almost improbable insulating properties of wet mash, and have personally seen eight-degree differences in temperature of unstirred mash.
 
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