Help with bean soaking problem

[bigteamug]

I've been running into an issue lately  - when I soak my beans overnight, they are not absorbing the water evenly.  ?!?!?

We start 'em at bedtime-ish, around 8pm or so, and we stir them as soon as we're up in the morning, and several times during the day.  When I go to cook them around 4pm or so the next day, (and dump the water to replace it) there are beans that don't looked soaked - some look almost like they just went in the water, some have some wrinkling like they are starting to soften, and most are ready to go (very swelled, no wrinkles in skin, plump, with the pattern much less distinct if they had one going in).  

Happened again today, with a bag of beans that was fresh from my bulk order.  So they shouldn't be old.  

Possibilities - 

Have they always been this way and I never noticed, maybe they do cook up normally?  (seems unlikely)

Harder water is contributing to the problem?  We had softer water where we lived before, but the water here is only moderately hard.

Maybe I soaked them longer before and forgot?  Seems unlikely as well.

I should get up in the middle of the night to stir them, they are sitting too long without stirring?  (not gonna happen)

I soak 1 scant quart of beans in a decent sized stockpot, with ample water - maybe 3 inches left to the rim of the pot, many inches over the surface of the beans.

I'm at a loss, please help - I end up sorting the hard ones out and it brings all new meaning to the phrase "bean-counter".......

[maciascl]

I've always just soaked mine over night making sure they stay WELL covered with water. I've never paid much attention if they a\look even or not. I'd just try cooking them and see what happens.

[bigteamug]

Now I'm really lost.  I picked just a few out, but I'm sure there were others in there that were looking unsoaked.  

Cooked 'em up with a piece of kombu, first time using that, and a box of chicken broth (sorry, I know it's the veg forum, but I figured y'all had the most bean expertise), and they were the most creamy, wonderful beans I have ever made.  Kombu was the only new thing.  haven't hit a hard bean yet.  I don't know what to think, but the kombu will be a regular addition.

Sadly, I'll stock up now, as I don't know how safe the stuff will be for the next year(s).....it's from Northern Japan.

So maybe the hard beans were always there and I just never noticed before?  weird.