[Beer Monger]

I put the grains in and THEN the water...... 1.5-1.8 qts/pound which is thin enough for a good stir to get any lumps out, then close the lid and have a home brew.....

Same - mostly.   I add half/most of the grains and then add the rest just after turning on the line from the hot liquor tank. 

Basically, very little water is in by the time all my grains are in - then I add the water & stir w/ a mash paddle a few times like you to ensure no lumps/dry spots. 

[beersk]

I do the same of the OP.  I dump my mash water in to the cooler, making sure it's a few degrees higher than what my strike temp is, then add my grains fairly slowly whilst stirring.  Seems to work pretty well.  I used to scoop the grain in with a 2 cup measuring cup and stir each scoop in.  I was having troubles hitting mash temps (too low) so I started adding the grain a little quicker.  I tried heating my strike water higher, but still seemed to hit a low mash temp. 

[euge]

Add the water to preheat tun. Dump in half the grist in if it is more than #10. Stir. Add the rest. Stir.  Often, with thick or big mashes the grist will float. I scrape the top and then come from underneath the mass to lift the grain and break it up. If one pushes the floating grain down it will certainly form dough-balls.

My second/third sparges I break the compacted grain-bed up before adding more water. Mixes easier that way.

[beer_crafter]

I put in maybe 1/4 of my water.  Then I put in like 1/3 of my grain and mix it up until it is good and thick.  Then I add probably 1/2 of the remaining water and mix.  Then 1/2 of the remaining grain and mix.  more grain to get it thick.  Then the rest of the grain and then the rest of the water. 

[denny]

I used to preheat but I decided it was one extra step that I didn't need to do.  I just took about 3 batches to experiment and find out how much hotter my water had to be if I didn't.  I hit my mash temps within a degree.

[tschmidlin]

My mash tun is direct fired, so I heat my water to strike temp, dump in the grain and stir.  How fast I dump it in depends on the grist, sometimes I add some, stir, add more, stir, etc.  Sometimes I just dump it all in and then stir.

[maxieboy]

I used to preheat but I decided it was one extra step that I didn't need to do.  I just took about 3 batches to experiment and find out how much hotter my water had to be if I didn't.  I hit my mash temps within a degree.

My MT temp can vary from the teens to 90*(70 qt. Extreme w/copper manifold, stored in unheated garage) so I preheat. Otherwise I would use your SOP.

[kgs]

I used to preheat but I decided it was one extra step that I didn't need to do.  I just took about 3 batches to experiment and find out how much hotter my water had to be if I didn't.  I hit my mash temps within a degree.

I mash in the kitchen (fairly constant temp) so I have found this also to be the case. I use Beersmith's strike water guidelines for my equipment setup, and that works great. I add grain to water in a slow steady stream, stirring gently with a 22" whisk. I tried water to grain... once once enough.

[oscarvan]

I LIKE the valve to valve hose on a gravity setup.....filll from below.....hmmmm. Gotta try that.

[denny]

I used to preheat but I decided it was one extra step that I didn't need to do.  I just took about 3 batches to experiment and find out how much hotter my water had to be if I didn't.  I hit my mash temps within a degree.

My MT temp can vary from the teens to 90*(70 qt. Extreme w/copper manifold, stored in unheated garage) so I preheat. Otherwise I would use your SOP.

Interesting.  Mine stays in the garage, which can be anywhere from 35-90F and it doesn't seem to have much effect.

[maxieboy]

I haven't tested to see if there is an appreciable difference, just assumed(I know, I know) there could be some variance. I'll probably stick with preheating and mashing in a degree or two high, stirring til I hit my mash temp. The steady stirring helps ensure uniform temp throughout the mash.
I've come up below desired mash temp at mash in a few times not preheating and had to scramble to bring the mash temp up.

[violaleebrews]

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!   

[kgs]

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.

Gently, grasshopper! Pour slowly, stirring all the while. 1,000 one, 1,000 two...

[violaleebrews]

Gently, grasshopper! Pour slowly, stirring all the while. 1,000 one, 1,000 two...

i'd rather do it that way and take my time doing it to make sure it's done the best way i know how. 

i love brewing and enjoy every process.  doughing in, i think, is a little more cumbersome than it needs to be.  i might have an idea or two.  i'll send pics when i get things worked out.

thanks for the encouragement, kgs!

[malzig]

I used to preheat but I decided it was one extra step that I didn't need to do.  I just took about 3 batches to experiment and find out how much hotter my water had to be if I didn't.  I hit my mash temps within a degree.

My MT temp can vary from the teens to 90*(70 qt. Extreme w/copper manifold, stored in unheated garage) so I preheat. Otherwise I would use your SOP.

Interesting.  Mine stays in the garage, which can be anywhere from 35-90F and it doesn't seem to have much effect.

My grain and tun temperature can vary from 45-70°F and I can miss my strike temperature by a few degrees if I don't try to account for these.  Occasionally even when I do account for them I'll miss by a couple degrees.

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. 

The technique I've been using most recently, that allows me to quickly hit temperature every time, is to crush the grain into the tun, add all but the last half gallon of the strike water and stir.  Once it's stirred in, I take the temperature, which should be about 2°F low.  If so, adding the rest of my mash water should hit my mash temperature.  If I'm already at mash temperature, I save the remaining water for the sparge.  If the temperature is more than 2°F low, adding the remaining water at Strike Temperature won't hit my mash target, so I heat that last half gallon to the higher temperature that will.

I never have problems with dough-balls unless I use Oatmeal.  If the grain is being a little temperamental about wetting thoroughly and quickly, I close the tun and stir again in 5 minutes, at which point it's usually not a problem.