Brewing today - have a question

Today I'm working on my 16th brew, but it will be my first AG batch. We're doing an IPA in a 3 Gal Batch (due to my Brew-Pot size) -

Should I expect the sparge to take a long time? What would happen if I pressed down on the wet grains in my MLT to squeeze some of the remaining water out of it? Should I be afraid of adding tannins to the mash if I do that? I'm not sure what to expect in terms of water flow / water retention in the grains.

My MLT http://www.threebunnypress.com/beer/mlt.html

Also, my LHBS recommended a single step mash, and batch sparge, just for simplicity sake - I'm sure this is the simplest method - should I start off easy and work my way up?

Thanks -

kvh

Up to you.

Single infusion and a batch sparge is simple and probably the the quickest way.

No need to squeeze the mash, yes doing that can release unwanted tannins.

Draining the wort with batch sparging only takes a few minutes. The time will depend on you equipment.

Right- batch sparging is quick and easy. Just add your sparge water, stir well, and let it sit for 10 minutes or so. Then, open the drain, vorlauf a bit, then open it all the way. No need to press down on the grains- it it stops flowing, it's done.

And you may never fly sparge unless you are in an expermenting mode.