Water To Grain Or Grain To Water

[Kai]

Filling it from the bottom up, basically. I don't fill via the mash tun tap, I just push a length of hose to the bottom of the mash.

 

[berapnopod]

I add grains to the heated water. Makes it easier to calculate strike temp with promash.

I have seen a few commercial breweries that will have the grains pouring in from the mill above the mash tun and hot water *sprayed* onto the grains before they reach the bottom. The reason for doing this is to reduce hot side aeration. Doesn't make sense, right? Well, apparently this method greatly reduces the contact of the grains with the air (particularly the powdery stuff).

I have also heard of homebrewers who add a cup of water to their grains before crushing and then mix well. The idea here is that when you crush the slightly damp grains, there will be less of the powder stuff floating around, which makes a mess, is potentially explosive, and again, may contribute to HSA.

Berp.

 

[Ross]

I add grain to the water, very rarely get any doughballs, as long as you get a bit of momentum going as you pour the grain in. - but once I get a sightglass for my HLT I guess I'll switch to under letting, as this seems the easiest way...

Adding water to the surface of the grain, is asking for dough balls...

cheers Ross

 

[Screwtop]

underletting. Its nicer to the enzymes

[post="108532"][/post]​

How come?

 

[warrenlw63]

Something I wanted to know too Screwtop.

One way or another the grain spends time in contact with water that's about 8 degrees higher than the mash temps. Doesn't matter what end of the grain dips its toes in first. :lol:

Your question and Darren's rationale are an old chestnut.

Warren -

 

[Lindsay Dive]

I add the grain to the water as quickly as possible and then stir with a paint stirrer & drill @ 300 rpm.
I've adopted this method since having huge problems with the Thomas Fawcett Maris Otter forming dough balls.
No problems now and no more dough balls.

Edit...Don't worry I'll get it right. 3000 rpm....holy dooley!

 

[Aaron]

I add both while mixing. I haven't had any troubles with dough balls or anything else.

 

[Gough]

Stephen,

I just run a short length of hose from my HLT tap to my mash tun tap and underlet that way. Works very well for me and has drastically reduced doughballs and sped up the time of my mash in. Like Lindsay has noted though, I still have the occasional doughball issue with Maris Otter for some reason, although less when underletting than previously.

Shawn.

 

[Josh]

I add grain to water. Use an online calculator to work out the temps.
http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml

Might give this underletting a go, just to try something different.

 

[JaCk_SpArRoW]

This is gonna sound like a really dumb question to all the experienced brewers out there but what is 'unerletting'??

Im in the process of getting my AG gear setup & was wondering what the significant difference of water to grain is vs. Grain to Water apart from the posts that have been made.

 

[bindi]

I add grain to water. Use an online calculator to work out the temps.
http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml

Might give this underletting a go, just to try something different.

[post="108670"][/post]​

Thanks for that link Josh
I also now add the grains to the water but like others will try underletting [love these new words ] now that my HLT now has a hot water element in it, thanks to Screwtop wiring it in for me and testing it :beer: we had to test my latest AG as well.

 

[tangent]

c'mon Darren, fill us in. Why is it nicer to the enzymes?
Jack, read Kai's post above re: underletting.

 

[warrenlw63]

Bring back the old Darren.

He's gone all Alex de Large on us!! :lol:

He's not responding to the taunts of the Droogs.

Warren -

 

[Ross]

Bring back the old Darren.

He's gone all Alex de Large on us!! :lol:

He's not responding to the taunts of the Droogs.

Warren -

[post="108683"][/post]​

Give him a break, he's too busy bagging hops ...

 

[AndrewQLD]

I did underlet, but with my new system I just add the water to the grains and stir like mad. And the only reason I changed is I can't be bothered disconnecting and reconnecting hoses.
Cheers
Andrew

 

[Screwtop]

Underletting water into the mash tun: All of the poor little broken grains realising that water is flooding up from below turn so their heads remain above water until the last possible moment (poor things). Then as they are all nicely aligned like some crystal lattice the enzymes squeeze them all together gently and the sugar flows from their fundamental orifice (which is now pointing downward) much kinder to the grain and enzymes and much better mash efficiency. True, plenty too mus

 

[Screwtop]

I add grain to water. Use an online calculator to work out the temps.
http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml

Might give this underletting a go, just to try something different.

[post="108670"][/post]​

Thanks for that link Josh
I also now add the grains to the water but like others will try underletting [love these new words ] now that my HLT is now has a hot water element in it, thanks to Screwtop wiring it in for me and testing it :beer: we had to test my latest AG as well.

[post="108681"][/post]​

Was that your Dicky Beach Red, that was a great beer! and i mean A GREAT BEER!

 

[Tony]

Ahhhhh UNDERLETTING.

The new tight ares stir plate

everyone will be trying it now, i know i will when i get the rig up and running.

Till then i will have to let it run into the grain from the top and give it a mix.

I checked the poll and water to grain and grain to water are neck and neck, not much in it at all.

cheers all

 

[Ross]

Till then i will have to let it run into the grain from the top and give it a mix.

I checked the poll and water to grain and grain to water are neck and neck, not much in it at all.

cheers all

[post="108715"][/post]​

Tony,

I think you'll find most of those adding water second, are underletting & not adding from the top & mixing - that's just asking for doughballs...

cheers Ross...

 

[Peter Wadey]

Colin wrote:

"I ........started doing an incremental mash-in (a bit of water, a bit of grain)
and we got a drastic reduction in the amount of dough ball formation
and the time it took to get a well mixed mash."

Well Col, I'll stand up and be counted as part of your minority.
I add proportionate amounts of water & grain into the (pre-heated) tun.

The only time I underlet is when I'm cooling down one batch
and mashing in nearby and I want to keep the flour down.

Gough,
Re balling with MO. My guess is you're getting more flour - yes?

Rgds,
Peter