I have found that heating the strike water to about 200 degrees is necessary before adding that to the mash tun. I heat my water in a keggle prior to transferring it to the mash tun because I dont have a burner under my mash tun. Doing it that way, I seem to lose about 30 degrees just in the transfer of water from the first keggle to the mash tun. Then, adding the grains makes me lose another 15 or so degrees, so I end up around 155 degrees for the mash.
Not sure why Beersmith tells me to prepare 163.5 degree water thinking that adding the grains will drop it to the proper mash temp? I need 200 degrees, not 163.5. Beersmith is way off it seems.