[69franx]

I'm with Denny and Dan here. If you use your strike to pre-heast the tun, are you temping the tun before adding grains? Assuming that it is the temp of your strike water, etc. The one time I tried to pre-heat, I way over shot my intended temp, even though I thought I had accounted for everything properly. I just know where the tun is, and temp strike water to get where I need to be

[denny]

This.  Once you adjust your process to not preheating the mash tun you'll still be able to hit your mash temp rather you put the grains or water in first.  I never really got the pre-heating thing.

You and me both!  It took me 3 brews to dial in how much hotter I needed to make the water to account for not preheating.  That's one less step to deal with on brew day.

[fmader]

I like the Ol' run your water, add a few pounds of grain, stir, add a few pounds of grain, stir, until the process is complete method. I don't worry about preheating the tun either, but I will leave the grain and tun in the house at room temp untul I'm ready to mash in. This keeps the strike temp more consistant.

More geared to the OPs question. I often crush my grains as part as my brew day set up, which is done the evening before brewing. Why not just crush the grains and leave them in a bucket with a lid?

[denny]

FWIW, after my grain is crushed I put it in a paper bag.  It's easy to hold that under my arm and slowly pour it into the water as I stir.

[coolman26]

I put my grains in first and fill the mash tun from the bottom up.  easiest way to prevent dough balls I've found.  Tip I picked up from the brewer at White Flame in Grand Rapids.

+1 to this, works better IMO

[denny]

I put my grains in first and fill the mash tun from the bottom up.  easiest way to prevent dough balls I've found.  Tip I picked up from the brewer at White Flame in Grand Rapids.

+1 to this, works better IMO

I think it kinda depends on your equipment.

[dkfick]

It may.  I'm unsure how well filling from the bottom works with a braid.  With a false bottom though it's the only way to go now imho. Other consideration is if using gravity you have to have a significant height difference

[coolman26]

As long as it gets combined it doesn't make much difference.  My batches are larger and it makes it easier to pump it into the MT.  Plus I'm a manifold user.  When it is pumped it distributes uniformly.  Never had dough balls either way really. 

[denny]

It may.  I'm unsure how well filling from the bottom works with a braid.  With a false bottom though it's the only way to go now imho. Other consideration is if using gravity you have to have a significant height difference

I've tried it a few time with my braid.  It works well, but no better than my usual method.  But I agree about it if you're using a FB.  That was why I said it kinda depends on your system.

[denny]

As long as it gets combined it doesn't make much difference.  My batches are larger and it makes it easier to pump it into the MT.  Plus I'm a manifold user.  When it is pumped it distributes uniformly.  Never had dough balls either way really.

Yep, hence my comment...

[fmader]

It's amazing how the dough balls are always gone when I'm done stirring 

[HoosierBrew]

This.  Once you adjust your process to not preheating the mash tun you'll still be able to hit your mash temp rather you put the grains or water in first.  I never really got the pre-heating thing.

You and me both!  It took me 3 brews to dial in how much hotter I needed to make the water to account for not preheating.  That's one less step to deal with on brew day.

Me either. I adjust my strike temp up or down depending on time of year and use a couple ice cubes, if necessary.

[Black Sands Brewery & Supply]

FWIW - we add enough strike water to the MT to cover the false bottom. Once its covered we start to add grains and water at the same time... at about the same rate with some gentle stirring back and forth.

[S. cerevisiae]

I put my grains in first and fill the mash tun from the bottom up.  easiest way to prevent dough balls I've found.  Tip I picked up from the brewer at White Flame in Grand Rapids.

That's what the British refer to as "underletting the mash."

[S. cerevisiae]

I have mashed-in using many different techniques, but I prefer to add just enough hot liquor to be able float the grist onto the false bottom before adding the entire grist to the tun.  From there, I add hot liquor two quarts at a time until the grist is thoroughly saturated.  I then dump the remaining hot liquor into the tun and stir.  The only time that encounter a dough ball when stirring using this method is when I use Fawcett Pearl as my base malt.