[jeffy]

I do grain into water because I direct fire my mash tun.

Me too.  I get the water to the correct temp and dump all the grain in and stir.

[Jimmy K]

To be honest I've always thougth that grain into water would be better because it would prevent doughballs, and the temperature checking sounds like a good idea. But I mash in a cooler and heat water in a pot next to it, so I always end up putting the grain into the mash tun while waiting for water to heat because I'm impatient. I have had some times where I had to do a mass panic temp correction with mashed grains.

[denny]

Now that you've heard arguments for both ways, it seems that it really depends upon your particular brewery and the type of beer you are making.  How are you mashing and how big is the beer?

I don't think the type if beer has any bearing on it.  It's pretty much about what your system likes.

[Slowbrew]

I have done both.  I used to do grain into water but then I got lazy.

I preheat my cooler with hot water from the sink, while heating my mash water.  I drain off the preheating water and use it for washing stuff later.  Then I dump in all the grain and start adding my mash water.  I pour the water in with a 1 gallon pitcher.  I add most of the water by pouring from fairly high up along each side and then down the middle which forces the water down into the grain.  Then I stir, working down from the surface to avoid dough balls.  Once it's all mixed in I take temp readings and adjust with the remaining mash water to hit the correct temp.

This takes about the same amount of time but I don't have to hold a bucket and stir at the same time (see lazy comment above). 

It works for me.

Paul

[Delo]

I've done both without any problems.

I used to do water into grain until fairly recently when I switched from using a cooler to a pot. A mix of being able to add heat to the tun and kind of the whole hot water/plastic BPA thing. Now I do grains into water and I dont see much of a difference.

Two tips I wish I knew before I started all grain was to heat the mash tun first(if using water into grains method) and make sure the grains are room temperature. Its amazing how much that can affect the temp and playing catch up in a cooler is not fun.

[bo]

Grain into water forms more dough balls, in my opinion.