Add grain to strike water or vice versa? Also, preheat question

[beertastic]

Question(s):
1) For single temp infusion, are you guys adding the grains to the mash tun first, then pouring the strike water on top of the grains? Or are you adding the water first, with grains to follow?

2) What's the best way to pre-heat? I came up a little short on temp (and I malformed my cooler a little by adding 1 gallon of boiling water).


Details if you want them:

OK, so yesterday I brewed my first all grain batch and now I'm coming away with a couple questions.

My grain bill was pretty much Palmer's Lady Liberty Ale (the online version, not the book which I realized was different when I got back from the shop).

7 lbs American 2 Row
.25 lbs Crystal 40
.25 lbs Crystal 80

Mash @ 154F

My 0mash tun is the 10 gallon HD beverage cooler.

I went for 1.5 quarts/lb (2.8 gallons of strike water). I figured/averaged my grains to be 69.6F, and came up with 165.3 for the strike temp. But then I added 3 degrees for good measure at 168.

To preheat the mash tun, I boiled 1 gallon of water and dumped it in and swirled around a little. This malformed the plastic a little inside the mash tun. I let that sit for about 3 mins. Then I dumped it and poured the grains in. I added the strike water in 3 stages, stirring in-between. The temp was somewhere around 150, so I added about 1/2 gallon of the pre-heat water to the mash which brought it up to 152.6F. I figured that was close enough and closed it. I stirred 3 times during the hour, and ended up at 147F at the lowest, but it was kind of uneven in spots, some spots 149F. I batch sparged with 3.5 gals @ 170F. I ended up somewhere around 4.75 gals after the boil @ 1.040 on the nose (I started with 5.75, my kettle is a tad too small).






It seems like it would be easier to just add hotter strike water to the mash tun, then when the water cools enough, dump the grains in. This would pre-heat the mash tun, and I could just add the grains when it cools down to strike temp.

But Palmer says do it the other way around. How are you guys doing it?

 

[Double_D]

I mash by heating the water in my mlt then add the grains.

 

[beertastic]

I mash by heating the water in my mlt then add the grains.

I probably dumped too much info, but I'm using a cooler. Palmer says to add the water to the grain (pg 201). He also says not to add all the water all at once "You don't want to thermally shock the enzymes". Just wondering if this has any merit.

 

[sheeshomatic]

I use the same cooler as you. I do not preheat, but I use BrewSmith and I measure the temp of my cooler and of my grains before I heat my strike. I fill the cooler with the strike water, add all the grain at once and stir very, very thoroughly. I check the temp while stirring to make sure I'm getting an average reading. I usually nail the temp to the degree - all credit to beersmith. I then close it up, and wrap the whole thing in a down comforter. I go do other things for the remainder of the mash. I just brewed yesterday - My mash temp was 152, which I hit. I took the mash temp after the hour was up and it was 151.6. To me, it's like a crock pot or a smoker or a souffle in the oven - leave it alone. Opening the lid 3 times over the hour lets out all the heat that has insulated the air space in the cooler and the temp will drop quick.

As for the enzyme shock.... sounds a little ridiculous.

 

[H-ost]

I preheat my cooler MLT with about a gallon or 2 of 140* water then dump that right before I add my strike water. Let the strike water sit with the lid on for just a minute if it is too hot then I dough in my grains.

I think Palmer says to add the water to the grains to aid with thorough mixing but I could be wrong.

FWIW, my mash temps always seem just a few degrees low but nothing I worry about.

 

[beertastic]

I use the same cooler as you. I do not preheat, but I use BrewSmith and I measure the temp of my cooler and of my grains before I heat my strike. I fill the cooler with the strike water, add all the grain at once and stir very, very thoroughly. I check the temp while stirring to make sure I'm getting an average reading. I usually nail the temp to the degree - all credit to beersmith. I then close it up, and wrap the whole thing in a down comforter. I go do other things for the remainder of the mash. I just brewed yesterday - My mash temp was 152, which I hit. I took the mash temp after the hour was up and it was 151.6. To me, it's like a crock pot or a smoker or a souffle in the oven - leave it alone. Opening the lid 3 times over the hour lets out all the heat that has insulated the air space in the cooler and the temp will drop quick.

As for the enzyme shock.... sounds a little ridiculous.

This sounds more like what I would like to do. I'll probably go ahead and download beersmith since I am long overdue. And I think I'll at least wrap the lid up with a blanket, etc. since I know it is not airtight (water can get through if I were to tip it over).

This may sound like a stupid question, but how to you measure the temp of the cooler? Just the ambient air temp? Or do you somehow measure the temp of the plastic?

 

[sheeshomatic]

This sounds more like what I would like to do. I'll probably go ahead and download beersmith since I am long overdue. And I think I'll at least wrap the lid up with a blanket, etc. since I know it is not airtight (water can get through if I were to tip it over).

This may sound like a stupid question, but how to you measure the temp of the cooler? Just the ambient air temp? Or do you somehow measure the temp of the plastic?

I lay my thermometer in the bottom of it while I'm prepping for a few minutes. Since it's at floor level, it is usually a couple of degrees cooler than 'room' temp.

 

[Ravenshead]

I heat my water a little higher than Beersmith wants me to and pour it into the MLT. Then I stir it until the temp gets down to the target temp Beersmith gave me. At that point I add the grains all at once and stir, cover and forget for an hour. I get within a degree of my target temps every time.

I used to add the water to my grains but it was too hard to hit my temps consistently that way.

 

[cravej]

It seems like it would be easier to just add hotter strike water to the mash tun, then when the water cools enough, dump the grains in. This would pre-heat the mash tun, and I could just add the grains when it cools down to strike temp.

But Palmer says do it the other way around. How are you guys doing it?

I've been doing it the way you just described. I don't notice much of a temperature loss after pumping from the HLT to the mash tun cooler. Then I'll stir it until I'm happy with the strike temperature.

 

[Double_D]

I probably dumped too much info, but I'm using a cooler. Palmer says to add the water to the grain (pg 201). He also says not to add all the water all at once "You don't want to thermally shock the enzymes". Just wondering if this has any merit.

I realized you're using a cooler and just didn't answer thoroughly. Sorry.

 

[sagnew440]

I heat my strike water up to around 175-180 then let it preheat for around 5-10 min. If the water is to high for the strike i just keep the lid off and stir til it is. Then I dump in some grains, stir, repeat. I take my time when adding the grains to avoid dough balls. Then I wait about 5 min to let the temp equilize and check.