Mash Consistency

CudjoeFlats

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I just finished brewing my first all grain. I added 4 gallons of strike water to 13 pounds of grain, as calculated. The grains were "wet" but appeared to absorb all of the water. Making it very difficult to mix. I am concerned that me false bottom is too large. Do you add water to grains or grains to water? Is a "thick" mash the ideal consistency? Thank you!
 
That's pretty minimum at less than 1.25 quarts per pound. If you have a lot of dead space so that a couple of quarts are below the grain bed, you'd probably be losing mash efficiency. Ideally you'd have a t least a little liquid on top of the grain bed when it's fully mashed in.
Calculate your dead space and figure on a mash thickness of at least 1.25 to 1.5 qts/lb and add your dead space volume. Then adding infusions and/or mash-out volume could put you at up to 2 quarts per pound, depending on your mash schedule.
Adding water to the dry malt is harder. I like to add the malt to the strike water. Now I have a set-up that allows milling directly into the recirculating strike water in the tun and can stir it in as it mills. I can start with a very thick dough-in that way (.8 qts/lb or so) and get the beta glucan/protein rest done before adding more water to get up to conversion temperature.
 
I added 4 gallons of strike water to 13 pounds of grain, as calculated.
That's thick.....really thick!
As JA mentioned, somewhat thinner than that is better. Not only will your efficiency will be better, but the chances of a stuck sparge are greatly reduced.
 
Yeah jesus, the lowest I generally go is 2.5L/KG and that's when I don't have room for more water cause I'm trying to make an Imperial Stout or something Otherwise it's 3L/kg for everything or no sparge.
 

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