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Author Topic: Does it matter?  (Read 9488 times)

Offline gmac

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Re: Does it matter?
« Reply #15 on: July 12, 2012, 07:38:32 am »
So to summarize:  Do what works for you.

Offline micsager

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Re: Does it matter?
« Reply #16 on: July 12, 2012, 08:28:43 am »
I let my strike water run freely then after it is above my false bottom I start scouping in my grain and stiring along the way.
+1

Offline Slowbrew

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Re: Does it matter?
« Reply #17 on: July 12, 2012, 09:38:57 am »
I've done both.  I really haven't seen any difference in dust or dough balls. 

When adding water into grain, I have learned to add the grain, then add almost all my strike water and let it all sit for a couple of minutes.  This seems to give the grain time to absorb the water before I start stirring.  This is kind of like adding water from the bottom and produces fewer dough balls.

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Offline jmcamerlengo

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Re: Does it matter?
« Reply #18 on: July 12, 2012, 09:42:52 am »
Im a grain to water guy. I brew on a Brutus system and found that adding my water to my mash tun, starting the re-circ process with jsut water and adding the grain slowly from there not only cuts down on doughballs, but since doing things this way, I haven't experienced any pump clogs since I re-circ for the duration of the mash.
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Offline ajk

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Does it matter?
« Reply #19 on: July 12, 2012, 09:50:39 am »
When adding water into grain, I have learned to add the grain, then add almost all my strike water and let it all sit for a couple of minutes.  This seems to give the grain time to absorb the water before I start stirring.

Good point.  Even when underletting, I wait until all the water is in the tun to start stirring.  Stirring early equals doughballs.

Offline tcanova

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Re: Does it matter?
« Reply #20 on: July 12, 2012, 08:28:54 pm »
I've always added grain to water, may have to give the other way around a shot.
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Offline dbarber

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Re: Does it matter?
« Reply #21 on: July 13, 2012, 06:41:58 am »
I've always added water to grain.  Why, I'm not sure, it's just the way I learned. I just make sure I break up all the dough balls.
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Offline mmitchem

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Re: Does it matter?
« Reply #22 on: July 13, 2012, 07:05:16 am »
I add grain to water as well. When you add the water first into the vessel, I assume a cooler mash tun, you can use that water to heat the entire mash tun. Any temperature swings will have taken place before you add grain, so there aren't any surprises.
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Offline DrewG

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Re: Does it matter?
« Reply #23 on: July 13, 2012, 07:41:47 am »
I open the ball valve on my HLT and stir while she pours the grain in.

So I guess we add it all at the same time  :o
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Re: Does it matter?
« Reply #24 on: July 22, 2012, 10:36:34 pm »
If you do water to grain make sure the mash tun is heated.   I started off mashing in a cooler(blue of course) and I did water to grain.  The first few times I did it without warming the cooler and I had to play catchup to get it to mash temp. Warming the cooler first made a big difference.

Depending on a couple factors, I add ~4 degrees to the strike water and I hit the temp I need without the cooler warm-up.  Orange also helps...  ;)

Offline punatic

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Re: Does it matter?
« Reply #25 on: July 23, 2012, 01:14:59 am »
My favorite way is to "underlet" the grain bed—put the grain in the cooler first, then pump- or gravity-feed water in from the spigot.  Never had a doughball that way!

+1 on that.  "A rising tide lifts all ships."

I open the ball valve on my HLT and stir while she pours the grain in.

So I guess we add it all at the same time  :o

Yeah baby!  I like the sound of that!!   ;)
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Offline Pi

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Re: Does it matter?
« Reply #26 on: July 23, 2012, 01:10:10 pm »
I was wondering if you are adding grain to hot water (or hot water to grain) will the all that hot water initially coming in contact with a small amount of grain be denatured? or is the amount trivial?
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Offline gmac

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Re: Does it matter?
« Reply #27 on: July 23, 2012, 03:23:11 pm »
Here's an old Canadian song that just sort of seems applicable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4SOnBDe7qs

Offline denny

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Re: Does it matter?
« Reply #28 on: July 23, 2012, 03:57:00 pm »
I was wondering if you are adding grain to hot water (or hot water to grain) will the all that hot water initially coming in contact with a small amount of grain be denatured? or is the amount trivial?

Not on;ly is it a trivial amount, it takes time to denature enzymes.  It doesn't happen instantly.
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