Water 1st, or Grain 1st?

[blacklab]

Hey all;

I've seen this documented both ways. Do you add the strike water first, and then the grain, or the grain, then the water? On my first batch I added the water to the grain and everything seemed to work out OK.

Although I can see some benefit to sticking the water in first so you dial in your strike temp exactly.

thanks!

 

[RICLARK]

Hey all;

I've seen this documented both ways. Do you add the strike water first, and then the grain, or the grain, then the water? On my first batch I added the water to the grain and everything seemed to work out OK.

Although I can see some benefit to sticking the water in first so you dial in your strike temp exactly.

thanks!

Everyone Ive seen do it including myself add the water first.

 

[SuperiorBrew]

Water first, you get less clumping that way.

 

[cowgo]

I put down a couple inches of water first and then slowly dough in the grain simultaneously with the rest of the water, stirring all the time.

I've found that it's roughly 1.25 quarts of water per pound of grain when I get to about an inch of water over the grain using this method. That makes it convenient as far as trying to be absolutely precise on the mash water and hasn't effected my efficiencies at all.

 

[abracadabra]

By adding the hot water first you can basically pre-heat the cooler. Letting the hot water sit a few minutes before adding the grain also helps keep the temp steady during the entire mash.

 

[daholl01]

By adding the hot water first you can basically pre-heat the cooler. Letting the hot water sit a few minutes before adding the grain also helps keep the temp steady during the entire mash.

I think this is probably the most advantageous reason for putting the water first. Put in the water a bit hotter than your target mash temp, leave the top off and when you reach the target temp add your grain. Easy to get the right mash temp.

 

[Dr_Deathweed]

+1 on water first. Do we need to tally? It looks pretty unanimous right now

 

[Trappist Artist]

I like to add my grain first that way the highest temperature that the grain sees is the mash temperature. I just make sure to stir well to avoid the clumping situation.

 

[Dr_Deathweed]

ahhhhh, you had to go and mess up the vote....

 

[Trappist Artist]

Somebody has to!

 

[brewnman]

+1 on the water 1st

 

[Seabee John]

+1 on water first as well

 

[Bobby_M]

water first, reasons already mentioned.

 

[TexLaw]

I'm another of the old-fashioned guys that adds the water to the grain.


TL

 

[sause]

I mill my grain directly into my MLT. So I add the water to the grain.

 

[Homebrewjosh]

Little water first, then some grain, Mix then repeat

 

[Jim Karr]

I lay in a small layer of grain over my CPVC manifold........it's not glued together, so I'm concerned that it might move or come apart as I pour in the water.

Then add water and grain together slowly. Sorry about the unanimous vote.

 

[st_stephen]

I always add water to the grain. Simpler process to empty my milling bucket into the cooler, then bring out to brewing area.

John has a calculator on his site that let's you calculate your temps and volumes for perfection every time

http://suburb.semo.net/jthornton/BeerHome.htm

Stephen

 

[DaleWi]

What, there's no one right way to do this brewing thing? Man, this is hard.

I always heard to add grain to the water to keep the grains suspended and avoid a compacted grain bed. But then, if you stir, it shouldn't be an issue, should it?

 

[Sean]

You who add the water to the grains. Do you ever have a problem with stuck sparge?

 

[TexLaw]

No stuck sparge here. I have a good mash paddle, and I stir the bejeebers out of the mash.


TL

 

[scottthorn]

By adding the hot water first you can basically pre-heat the cooler. Letting the hot water sit a few minutes before adding the grain also helps keep the temp steady during the entire mash.

Right on. I add a few inches worth of hot water then put the lid on for a bit to pre-heat the cooler. Add some grain, more water, more grain, more water, etc. and stir.

 

[blacklab]

Right on. I add a few inches worth of hot water then put the lid on for a bit to pre-heat the cooler. Add some grain, more water, more grain, more water, etc. and stir.

so, doesn't the grain get superheated this way, at least for a little while?
since you add a small amount of grain to the hot water, it is absorbing all of the heat, whereas if you add all of the water to the grain at once(or vice versa), the full volume of grain will absorb the heat and distribute it more effectively.

I'm not sure if over heating the grain would produce funky flavors, tannins, etc. ?

 

[Glibbidy]

I always add water to the grain.
Hard to believe there are only like five people on this forum that dough in around here.

Been brewing since 1991, and I have only ever had one stuck mash. I chalk that up to dialing in my barley crusher.

 

[foxtrot]

I add enough water to cover the false bottom, then add about 2 qt water + 2lb of grain, stir, add another 2 qt water + 2 lbs grain, stir, repeat this until all grain is added. I may add more or less water; it's all by feel of the mash. I then give the whole thing a few good turns with my paddle. No dry/hot spots, no stuck sparges. Any left over water goes into my HLT. I also mix up my dry grist prior to adding to the MT for consistency in the bed. I think this is a good idea for us fly-spargers.

 

[FlyGuy]

I am another one in the 'add the water to the MLT first, then the grain' camp. I do so for three reasons:
1. to pre-heat my cooler MLT and then quickly fix water temp BEFORE the grains go in
2. to make sure my braid is fully wetted and not floating up
3. in my experience, it is easier to add the grain to the water if you want it to mix evenly (i.e. avoid doughballs that rob efficiency)

 

[thebull]

Water first into a pre-heated tun.

 

[uglygoat]

i put the water in, then the grain. i pull a bit out through the manifold to prime the set up as well, as has been talked about in the past. i also stir in rather slow, so that i get no dough balls. strike temp is 170-175 this winter, to make up for the heat loss from the grain, and the frikkin cold!!!

edit: glib, i've been reading this history of brews book bill posted about, and the ancients used to make loaves of bread, but not quite fully cooked, then drop them into vessels of water, let them break down, then mix and mash with their hands etc and make some beers. cool stuff, i might try a dough in next batch.

 

[vtchuck]

I follow Palmer's method... a gallon of boiling water to pre-heat the mash turn. Swirl around and empty out.... save for sparge water... and add grain, then water and stir well. Temp seems to stay pretty steady during the mash with preheating.

 

[Onescalerguy]

H2O 1st!
Cheers