Self taught newbie AGer

[brick_haus]

WOW I've got a lot to learn. Sounds like I've been doing several things wrong... Been making good beer though!
I have 3 60 qt. pots. Two lids are modified with a sparge "ring"(3/8 copper ring with several holes drilled in it to sprinkle the sparge water). 3 burners. Mash tun has a false bottom that covers the entire area and is 2" above the bottom. I have two pumps, one to circulate the mash the other I use to sparge. During (fly) sparge I keep the water level about an inch above the grain bed and slowly transfer the wort to the boil kettle by simply putting the lid from the mash tun on the BK and the lid from the HLT onto the mash tun. Kind of Brutus style I guess. I then stop sparging when I only need whats left in the MT to fill the BK to volume. The MT is usually completely drained when I'm finished. I always overshoot my OG by about 010...

Sounds like I should keep the water above the grain and finish with it there? Do not completely drain?


What else am I doing wrong?

 

[BobbiLynn]

If it's working for you, you are doing it right!! Great looking setup you got there.

 

[HungerJack]

That's one ballin set up for a newbie all grain brewer. I'm jealous. If you keep overshooting your OG, maybe you can adjust your recipes to account for that, and maybe save some dough on grain?

 

[brick_haus]

So, should I drain the mash tun into the BK or leave it full?
Does draining it extract tannins or some other boogies or just more fermentables?