NB instructions are to put the bag of grains in the cold water and then begin heating. 20 minutes or until 170° is reached. Steeping and mashing require attention. It is not a walk away activity. You need to stir the grains to prevent dough balls and evening out the temperature throughout.
I follow the logic that Flars mentioned above. Heat to 165 F, kill the heat, add grain bag, stir it around to get all the grains wet (so you don’t end up w/ any dough balls in the bag), put the kettle lid on, set timer for 20 mins. It usually drops to 155-158 in the kettle by the end of 20 mins. Never had a problem. Ended up with great beer doing it that way.
