[oscarvan]

I've done the "add too hot-water to tun until it hits strike temperature" technique, which works well, but sometimes wastes a lot of time waiting for the temperature to come down.

I've heard of people having a bucket of ice for tweaking.

[maxieboy]

Cold water also. Instead of waiting an inordinate amount of time for strike/preheat water to hit target temp, ice or cold water will quickly drop the temp. Much easier to drop temp than to add heat w/ a cooler MT.

[denny]

sounds like a lot of good methods here.  i'm too nervous about adding all the hot liquor to a mash tun full of grain or just dumping all the grain at once into a mash tun full of hot liquor.  i might be overanalyzing it, but i cringe at the thought of dough-balls in my mash.

i guess i'm looking for a better way to pour my grain into the mash tun - a more controlled pour.  thinking of a way to not be hugging a grain bucket with one arm and stirring in with another.  using a scoop isn't a bad idea, i've got a 2Qt pitcher kickin around here... somewhere.

THANKS FOR THE INPUT, Y'ALL!   

I put my grain into a paper bag after it's crushed.  Then I hold the bag under my left arm and pour slowly while stirring with my right.  Virtually no doughballs and since you're going fairly slowly you can see them and break them up as they happen.  Also, the slow stirring allows plenty of time to get the tempo equilibriated in all parts of the cooler.

[denny]

I've done the "add too hot-water to tun until it hits strike temperature" technique, which works well, but sometimes wastes a lot of time waiting for the temperature to come down.

I've heard of people having a bucket of ice for tweaking.

That's what I do, although it's a bowl, not a bucket.  I can also use the bowl of ice for quick cooling a hydrometer sample that I put in a metal cocktail shaker.

[Will's Swill]

I put my grain into a paper bag after it's crushed.  Then I hold the bag under my left arm and pour slowly while stirring with my right.

And this technique infuses that nice musky flavor, too.  

That's what I do, although it's a bowl, not a bucket.  I can also use the bowl of ice for quick cooling a hydrometer sample that I put in a metal cocktail shaker.

Huh?!  Where are you keeping your Bloody Mary's while the shaker is occupied?  

I also underlet the tun.  As the water comes up over my false bottom or manifold (depending on which tun I'm using) I start doughing in.  Keeps the water to grain ratio pretty constant as I slowly stir in the grist while the tun fills.  Then I hit it with hot or cold brewing water to adjust if necessary.

[ajk]

By the way, when I use the fill-from-the-bottom method, I have to resist the urge to start stirring before all the water's in.  Tried it once and got many doughballs.  Seems better to let the water wet as much of the grain as possible on its own before stirring.

[weazletoe]

I add about one third my grist to the strike water. Stir it in, and bust any dough balls, and repeat. As far as preheating, I never do. I my basement brewery, I used to heat my strike water 2* horgher than what Mashwater told me, and would be spot on each time. Today, my first brew outdorrs in Idaho, on a whim, I went 4* over, and was dead on.