You have to soak the beans in cold water for 8 - 24 hours prior to cooking them. YOu should change the water at least three times, as they expand and use 2 - 3 times the volume of water compared to the volume of dry beans. The beans will soak the water up and expand. Add some salt to the soaking water. I use a large glass bowl for this purpose and cover it with a heavy kitchen cloth while it is soaking to allow air to disburse. Beans will give off some gas while it is soaking.
The cooking temperature all depends on the size and kind of bean. The beans will continue to expand as they are cooked. I add just enough water in the crockpot to cover and leave about 1/2 an inch of additional water on top. Then, I inspect every couple of hours and see if any water needs adding. If you are going to leave this at home, go to work and come back in 8 hours, its better to add even more water which you can later drain if you do not like so much liquid in the end, at least it will not burn.
