Which First, Grain or Water?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Drunkagain

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 20, 2007
Messages
107
Reaction score
0
Location
Pacific Northwest
Which do I add first, the grain or the hot water? Seems like I've read about people doing both adn was wondering what the benefit was of going one way over the other.

Thanks.
 
I add a bit of both, stir and then more of both until everything is in. I find if you add everything at once its hard to get all the dough balls out.
 
Water first at least a few gallons. It helps to prime the false bottom in hopes of preventing stuck sparges. I also run the water through the ball valve for a second.
 
I heat my strike water to 175-180 and then put it in the MLT. I then let it cool down to my strike temp which is usually around 167-169.

So water first.
 
I do water first. I have a direct fired MLT though, so I just heat my water in it then add the grains when I hit my strike temp.
 
I preheat the MLT with some hot water, and then open the ball valve to prime with some water. This helps so I don't have a vacuum and it's only maybe a gallon or two, to cover the false bottom. Then I add a little grain, and more water at my strike temp, and then more grain. I've never had a problem doing it this way.
 
I mill all my malt directly into my mash tun, and then add the water at whatever the strike temp is that I'm using for that specific recipe. YMMV.
 
PseudoChef said:
I heat my strike water to 175-180 and then put it in the MLT. I then let it cool down to my strike temp which is usually around 167-169.

So water first.

I do the same.
 
I'm another of the old fashioned type that adds water to the grain. I bring my water up to the strike temp and add half or so of it to the MLT. After stirring a bit, I add more and stir some more. After that, I tend to add the rest and stir it all in. Sometimes, if the mash looks right before I add all the water, I hold some water back.


TL
 
If you do water then grain, you have the luxury of adjusting the water (temp, volume) before adding the grain should it not be spot on. If you add the water to the grain then, unless you're doing direct heat, your situation may be a little more difficult.
 
DaleJ said:
If you do water then grain, you have the luxury of adjusting the water (temp, volume) before adding the grain should it not be spot on. If you add the water to the grain then, unless you're doing direct heat, your situation may be a little more difficult.

+1, this is what I have done for years because you can adjust the strike temp and the mash tun is already at the same temp. Any other way and you are guessing.
 
PseudoChef said:
I heat my strike water to 175-180 and then put it in the MLT. I then let it cool down to my strike temp which is usually around 167-169.

So water first.

+2. This way I can preheat my mash tun without having to take the water out. I've never had much of an issue with dough balls.

EDIT: Mods, any way to convert this to a poll?
 
I prefer to mill my grains outside to avoid spreading lacto hitchhikers all over my apartment. Likewise I dump the the grain into my MLT outside. Being that I live a short and curly away from the arctic circle, I prefer mashing in my kitchen. Therefore, ergo, ipsofacto, etc... I add grains first, bring the whole dealio inside, add strike water and take a nap.

Side bar: I use beersmith to calc strike volume/temp, adjusting for equipment/grain temps, and have been on +/- ~1 F so far.
 
BierMuncher said:
The few times I added grains first (thinking the splashing water would mix everything, I got a bunch of doughballs and had to stir like crazy to break them up.

I've done both(usually water first), but either way when I first mix them together I stir for 15-30 seconds, close the cooler for 3 minutes to let the water re-hydrate the grain(every baker would understand), then stir and there are no doughballs:ban:
 
Back
Top