Add water to grain, or grain to water?

[QM3K]

Hi everybody,

I have been all grain brewing for quite a few years now, and it just upgraded to a brew stand. I am trying to set it up in the most efficient manner possible, and I'm curious to know how people conduct their mash on a single tier system. More specifically, do you add hot water from your hot liquor tank to grain already in the mash tun, or do you heat the water in the mash run and then add the grain to it?

In the past since I've only had one burner I have always added grain to hot water and gotten fine results with it. However it seems that it might be easier to add hot water from the hot liquor tank to the grain in the mash tun now that I have the ability to do so. My efficiency on my old system was 75%. Does this kind of procedure affect efficiency or is it simply a matter of personal preference?

Thanks.

 

[onthekeg]

I always add grain to water.

 

[TyTanium]

I think doughballs are the main concern. If you're below gelatinization temps (~ <140°F for barley), it doesn't matter. If you're above, add grain to water while stirring well to prevent clumps.

The other advantage to water first is temp adjustments - you can overshoot into the tun, then let it fall to your strike temp, then add the grain....easier to hit your mash temps.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

I think doughballs are the main concern. If you're below gelatinization temps (~ <140°F for barley), it doesn't matter. If you're above, add grain to water while stirring well to prevent clumps.

The other advantage to water first is temp adjustments - you can overshoot into the tun, then let it fall to your strike temp, then add the grain....easier to hit your mash temps.

+1, I add my strike water to the tun 10 degrees higher than I want it and wait for it to drop so it pre-heats my tun. Add the grain and stir like mad, then shut it and let it do it's thing.

 

[cyclogenesis]

Grain to water.. this is a pretty easy one to answer...

 

[kh54s10]

I find grain to water to be way easy, but if you stir, get no dough balls, and get everything mixed well relatively quickly, I would think it makes no difference.

 

[Slowfro]

I do it 2 ways depending on which rig I'm using. If I'm using my 5gallon cooler mash tun I add some strike water, then some grain and stir to prevent the dough balls. Then I add more water and more grain and repeat until I'm all mashed in.

If I'm using my single tier keggle system as soon as the strike water is where I want it I start pumping in through the valve at the bottom of the kettle and slowly mash grain in while stirring. This lets me continually add grains as the pump adds water until everything is in the mash tun. Works pretty well especially since I'm always brewing alone.