How Do You Mash Your Grains?

[DarkFaerytale]

just a poll as i was wondering how most people add there mashing water, i add water to the grist but sometimes i think it's wrong and should be doing it the other way, i might try it over the long weekend. so how do you do it? and any coments as to why you do it that way?

-Phill

 

[DJR]

Grist to water - less doughballs that way i found. If i was adding water to grist i'd underlet, never got around to doing that on my system so far.

 

[Bobby]

i underlet and never have any problems with dough balls

 

[Stuster]

Another underletter here. Definitely fewer dough balls and so less stirring needed. :super:

 

[warrenlw63]

Age old argument and doesn't really matter which way you do it. I add grains to water. Underletting sounds good but I don't 100% trust my strike water temps going from HLT to the tun.

BTW Doughballs don't happen that often for me and if they do they're very easy to break up with the paddle.

Warren -

 

[Voosher]

Underletting is the best method I've used but I'm not set up to do it at home.
Best I've found at home is grains to water.

 

[GMK]

I underlet as well.

Never ever seen a dough ball this way....

Just last brew ESB that had 1.9kg of coarse ground Polenta/Maize with 8.7kg Marris Otter and some crystal - Underlet - i had the whole grain bed rise up and would have been pushed out of the mash tun - had to poke it down and mix it up.

Never ever had to do that before!

 

[crozdog]

I also underlet, it's just too easy ;-)

 

[craig maher]

Grist to water for me

 

[Paul H]

I add water to grist in three equal additions, however I do stir thoroughly & touch wood, haven't had any dramas yet!

Cheers
Paul

 

[KillerRx4]

For a while there I was adding grain to the water 1 scoop at at time & constatntly stirring. It was a real PITA.

I did a search on here after id had enough of it for the last time & discovered underletting. So much easier now. I can even mill the grain directly into mash tun & save having to clean another piece of gear. At mash in time its now as easy as cracking 2 valves open & watching HLT sight gauge.

 

[Duff]

I tried underletting but the whole grain bed just rose. Now I add enough water to cover the false bottom, dump in the grain then use my racking hose to add the strike water by just hosing over the top. Quick stir and I'm done.

Cheers.

 

[kook]

I also underlet. It's quicker, easier and in my experience has less chance of dough balls.

 

[tangent]

It's all here (again) : http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...?showtopic=8953
Try the search function.

 

[Fents]

I add grain to water.

Someone wanna quickly explain underlet cause im too lazy to search?

 

[Aussie Claret]

I used to underlet all the time, but it is slower than just Dumping the grain straight into the mash tun with water already in.
The underletting used to take about 10minutes for me and because my mash water was usually around 74-75c; in theory the grain that first came into contact with the mash water ran the risk of denaturing the enzymes (at the bottom of the mash tun) due to thermal mass temp.

I simply now heat my mash water to 74-75c, transfer to the mash tun then feed the grain into the mash tun usually around the edge first and slowly mix. The whole process takes about 30secs; I do stir until all the grain is soaked and mixed up and haven't had any dough balling. A couple of minutes and all done. I then stir every 20minutes or so to aid conversion.

Simple!
AC

 

[Jye]

I tried underletting but the whole grain bed just rose. Now I add enough water to cover the false bottom, dump in the grain then use my racking hose to add the strike water by just hosing over the top. Quick stir and I'm done.

Cheers.

Same deal here, but I still underlet because of how Im setup and then stir to get rid of the balls.

The underletting used to take about 10minutes for me and because my mash water was usually around 74-75c; in theory the grain that first came into contact with the mash water ran the risk of denaturing the enzymes (at the bottom of the mash tun) due to thermal mass temp.

I was also a little concerned about this so I mash in for a p-rest (this also helps with haze) and then add boiling water slowly after about 20min (over 5-10min). This raises the mash temp for the sac-rest and my temps are always spot on and the water ratio between 2.5-3.

 

[Lukes]

A mix of both as mentioned above to stop the grist floating in the tun.
:super:

 

[SJW]

I figure that I need to dump the grain into the tun anyway so why not do it after the water is in. That way there is no chance of enzyme damage while underletting the strike water. I know that all the guys that underlet dont have a problem but for me I like to add the grain to the water then I hit it with my industrial size paint stirer on the drill. No dough balls here.

Steve

 

[domonsura]

Underlet here, never had an issue with the grain rising.