Going from BIAB to MLT brewing tomorrow- last minute questions

[linusstick]

I've done 9 BIAB beers now with only one of them drain pours. I decided to get back to using my traditional equipment (I brewed 8 years ago before I knew what BIAB was) and I have a few basic questions:
1 when batch sparging, I am going to go 1.5q/lb to begin with. I never worried about this ratio before. I used a BIAB water calculator and didn't deviate from that. I am doing a 1.5 gallon batch using 5.94lb of grain this time around. Beersmith is telling me to mash with 2.64 gallons of water and sparge with 1.55 gallons. Does it really matter how much sparge water you use? If you use a little too much can't you just stop collecting wort when you get to the desired volume?
2 when I last brewed non BIAB I dont remember seeing anything about hot side aeration occurring when lautering. I use a cooler and used to put the kettle as close to the tun as possible and just drain it. There was a considerable bit of distance between the two and it would splash. Other than putting some beer line on the spigot from the cooler, I can't see how you would eliminate splashing while the tun empties. That being said I don't really notice and documentation saying you should have beer line or some kind of tubing going from the tun to the kettle (or maybe I just haven't paid attention to that detail)

 

[madscientist451]

I Does it really matter how much sparge water you use? If you use a little too much can't you just stop collecting wort when you get to the desired volume?

I think that's a good question. I always use a measured amount of water, but does it make a difference if you 1/2 a gallon or a gallon more?
I'm going to say at the small batch level with 6 lbs of grain you, using a little extra sparge water won't matter.
I use a piece of hose from my cooler to the kettle to avoid splashing.
With that much grain for a 1.5 gallon batch, you could probably add even more water when you are done and make a second, lower ABV beer. I run experiments like that from time to time and its a cheap way to build up a yeast starter, try some different hops
basically play around with new ideas.