Mixing grains for the bag.

[Greendan]

What's the usual approach to mixing grains. Do you stir your speciality malts into your base malt and mix it all together before adding to the bag? Or do you add the speciality malts first (so the flavour really comes through)? Or do you add them last so the base malt filters them?

[bigchris]

I don't mix before putting into the bag. Once the grains are in the bag, in the water, I stir for a good five, perhaps ten, minutes to make sure they're all mixed up and no clumps of dry grain and to get the water temperature as even as possible all around. During that time I'm taking in the aroma and imagining the finished beer, then I go and get a beer

Chris

[Greendan]

Wow, I'd be concerned about temperature loss during 10 mins of stirring. Do you keep the heat on?

[Fil]

only a few biabs under my belt before i went 2 vessel, but i would mix the grains well in a fermentor bucket befoer adding to the bag, and do the same now before adding to the tun. your specialty grains will have no active enzymes in them so to convert any sugars in em you want contact with the base malts..

[rpt]

I've never thought to mix dry grains because I can't see it making any difference. I stir after they are in the water but not for 5 minutes!