My first AG - Live and learn

I am currently working on my first all-grain brew, the pumpkin ale from The Homebrewer's Companion, and while I think it'll still turn out okay, here are the many ways things went wrong:

1.) My brew kettle is 30 qt. (7.5 gal)
2.) My MLT is 5 gal.
3.) The recipe called for 11 lb of grain, plus 7-9 lb. pumpkin.

Add all that up, and needless to say, I just didn't have the capacity. So I had to fill my MLT to the top, leaving some grist and wort in the kettle, got a stuck sparge (grain bed was WAAAAYYYYY too deep), transferred to a grain bucket lined with a grain bag, strained that, put the grain bag in the MLT and sparged the grain, filled my 30 qt. brew kettle to the brim, so naturally I had a nice big overflow.

4.) I used my last hop sacks on my bittering hops. Now I'm waiting to add my aroma hops, spices, and Irish moss, and of course so I'm going to have to just let them loose.

I will say this has been a real learning experience, and honestly, I think it'll still turn out okay. It smells great thus far, and I think the hard part is over.

It's a perilous task, but fun to learn what not to do next time. A 5-gal MLT is a bit wee, might think about upgrading to 10-12gal for super mashing fun. I hit a small boil over myself yesterday. Happens to the best of us

5.) Ran out of propane. So close to the end, too! So I had to switch to my 70's era stovetop...wretched! It still hasn't come up to a boil yet.

And yeah, a 10 gallon cooler and a larger brew kettle are on my Christmas list.

I did 12lbs of grain in a 5gallon cooler MLT. it worked, but I had to combo batch/fly sparge.
I had no issues with a stuck sparge using a SS braid, but then again I wasn't added all that pumpkin either, which I think was the true source. slow draining a sparge helps prevent compaction even with a deep bed, in my limited experience at least.