Do you add water to the grain or grain to the water?

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Water to grain or grain to water?

  • Water to grain

  • Grain to water

  • Both

Results are only viewable after voting.
Q

Q2XL

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Palmer says to always add water to the grain, but I have seen some guys adding grain to the water. It seems to me that Palmer is right. I would think that you would have less of a chance of some dry spots by adding water to the grain.

What do you think?
 
Sorry, that is hooey.

Most people I know add grain to water... mainly because the strike water is heating thier MLT before they mash in.

Just because it is in print, doesnt mean it is right.

Ever read a brewing book from the 70's? WOW!

Add half your grain, mix well, then add the other half, mix well.

I love some of the silly stuff that is in print... immortalized.
 
If I add water to the grain, I can get a stuck sparge because there is nothing to support the grain lying on the false bottom.
If I add grain to the water, I can get a stuck sparge because grain can get underneath the false bottom (if I use the plastic one).
If I add a bit of water, a bit of grain, more water, more grain etc. everything works just right, and it's a lot more difficult to get dough balls.

-a.
 
Grain to water mixing with my big stirring spoon as I pour it in slowly.
 
I'm in the "grain to water" boat. It just makes more sense. I add the malt while stirring (usually assisted by SWMBO, but sometimes by myself), and that keeps the dough balls at bay. They usually don't start forming until the mash thickens, about 3/4 of the way through adding the grist.

The problem with adding water is that it will channel through the grist, and actually form MORE doughballs. Starting out with a high grain to water ratio almost guarantees dough ball formation.
 
I place the grain in one individual piece at a time, moistening each one with an eye dropper of brewing water. It takes more time, but brewing is an ART. :D
 
I pre-heat my tun by adding boiling water. Once the tun is hot I adjust to strike temperature and add the grain. I also mash on the thin side (3:1 or more), so doughballs and dry spots are never a problem.
 
david_42 said:
I pre-heat my tun by adding boiling water. Once the tun is hot I adjust to strike temperature and add the grain. I also mash on the thin side (3:1 or more), so doughballs and dry spots are never a problem.
Click to expand...

I mash at 2:1 and yeah, no fear of doughballs there. PLUS the uptick in conversion efficiency.
 
I voted both. I put about 2 or 3 inches of water in the bottom of my mash tun and then add the grain to that. Then I keep the water flowing from the HLT while I slowly add grain and stir. I suppose that's more "grain to water" than anything else.
 
Grain to Water.

Have you ever tried mixing thinset by putting water on top of thinset (or even grout for that matter). It's a ***** to get it mixed well. That, and it's easier for me to put the water in first.

In the grand scheme of things, it probably doesn't matter if you stir well enough.
 
I mash at 2:1 and yeah, no fear of doughballs there. PLUS the uptick in conversion efficiency.
Click to expand...

Yeah I started mashing thinner (only 1.5:1 or so) and my efficiency jumped a few points despite the smaller sparges. It's soooo much easier to mash in now.
 
I add my hot water to the preheated mash tun then dump all the grain on top. Then just stir it in.
 
My few steps for the gas fired Mash/Lauter tun combination.
I add the foundation water and mash water first.
Turn on the grain mixer
Open the grain hopper dump valve to a constant flow rate.
No doughball problems.


Cheers,
ClaudiusB
 
Nothing dramatically new here. I heat my mash tun by heating water in it to strike temp. Then I add the grain and mix well for fewer doughballs.

Obviously if I am step mashing I will then be adding water to the mash...
 
I do six of one and a half dozen of the other. In other words, I don't think it matters unless as noted above you are doing a step mash.

I've never agreed with the "do it this way to avoid shocking the grain" theory. The hot water meets the grain no matter which one goes in the tun first. This is just something else that got printed and gave new brewers something to worry about.
 
I did a brew day at a microbrewery (I think they have a 15bbl system, maybe 20) and they add grain to water. They get the mash tun partially full, and while it is still filling, they start the grain auger. Water is still going in while the grain is, but you're still mixing grain into water that is there. Oh, and they use a garden rake as a mash paddle :D
 
I voted both because I like to do a step mash....I start off adding some hot water, add in my grains....mix, adjust temp by adding more hot or cold water....and make sure the grains are well and damp for the protein rest. Then after 30 mins, I add boiling water and maybe some cold....stirring and making sure I like that consistancy. Seems to be the best approach for not getting stuck sparges or having any dough balls.
 
I think the OP is only referring to the initial mash in. Of course if you step mash with infusions, you have no choice but to add water to grain.

He is referring to Palmers approach to mash in.
 
I had water to grain with my SS braid mash tun and have never had any problems so I think it depends a lot on your equipment
 
I dont think people have a problem either way. The point is, Palmers rule, is really baseless.

Most people do the grain to water thing because they are efficient.

They heat thier strike water a little hotter than needed
They let that water sit in and heat the MLT
Then they mash in

They dont need to boil a special batch of water to heat the MLT
They also get a good preheat on thier MLT
 
Always added grain to water but since the great dow ball debacle of the last couple of mashes im now putting some water in to cover my false bottom and then helf the grain, stir, more water and the rest of the grain, stir

Goddamn dow balls
 
I add water to my grain - not based on Palmer though. Just easier for me - I always hit my temps (as long as I use the same equipment). I have done both in the past, no real reason I ended up with this method.
 
brrman said:
I add water to my grain - not based on Palmer though. Just easier for me - I always hit my temps (as long as I use the same equipment). I have done both in the past, no real reason I ended up with this method.
Click to expand...

When you come over Saturday, you will see me do it water first, and you will see why I have to.

#1 preheat
#2 sight gauge measures the water transfer to the MLT
 
A little of both, somewhat.

On my system I add foundation water, then grain, then backfill with water. All cold!

I stir with a drill powered mud mixer to break up dough balls and release any air pockets and then let it all rest for about 5 minutes.

Then, I start my pump slowly and open it up gradually until it's running full bore. Then I start the heat cycle using flame until I get 5 degrees past my target temp. By then my RIMS has started self-regulating. I shut down the flame and the hotter mash at the bottom of the vessel blends with the cooler stuff over top and I hit my target rest temp every time, perfectly.
 
I add water to the grain...because I'm lazy, that's all. I don't think there is any other notable difference except that I don't want to add grain twice. Just dump all the grain in, dump all the water in, then stir well.
 
when I am maxing out my mash tun,I add grain first.then as much of the water as I can. just to make sure I get it all in.
For the normal brew its water first.
 
The Pol said:
When you come over Saturday, you will see me do it water first, and you will see why I have to.

#1 preheat
#2 sight gauge measures the water transfer to the MLT
Click to expand...

Yeah I was pretty sure I would have to go to water first when I move up to 10 gal batches. Right now I can lift the HLT/pot and dump the water in - won't be able to do that after I graduate (I don;t work out... LOL).
 
I had dough balls once. My doctor prescribed 22oz of homebrew, three times daily.

I love my doctor.
 
Dump grains into preheated mlt and -oh- it's a 48q like in the US....the only thing we have in commone here with the US are Coleman's coolers....
 
Denny said:
Wow, that was quick, Dan!
Click to expand...

Brewed Sunday, April 19th. Bottled on Saturday, May 9th after 20 days in primary, skipped the secondary. Final Gravity .010. Two pics attached.

Kinda pretty eh? Oh, and the beer looks good too.

IMG_1503.jpg


IMG_1506.jpg
 

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