[zigs6]

I've been no sparging for a couple of years as well and I love how simple and easy it is. Of course you have to have a big mash tun to handle it. I have a big 30 gallon mash tun so I could do a 10 gallon 9% beer in there to max it out. If I wanted even more ABV I could just use a little bit of DME to get there. On average I've been getting 70-72% efficiency. I'm running some huge water to grist ratio's though. Often 3:1 or even 3.5:1. I've noticed that the mash can take a little longer on some of those bigger ratios, maybe 90 minutes. I have very hard water so it's nice to not have to acidify any sparge water or do any additional calculations. The beers have turned out good and I don't think I will be returning to sparging any time soon. It also helps to have a large kettle. I have a 30 gallon so I can heat my 16-20 gallons of strike water very easily and then transfer it to my mash tun via pump or gravity. I just transfer it right back into the kettle afterwards. A perfect no hassle two vessel system.

[hannabrew]

My only guess as to why are you experienced load efficiency is pH.   Do you use water software like Brun' Water?

Yes I use bru'n water and my pH is generally around 5.3.  I do a single infusion mash.  I stir a decent amount at the beginning and then recirculate the full 60.

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[Lazy Ant Brewing]

     Do you add all the water to the mash tun at once?   Or do you dough in with a lesser amount to keep the ratio reasonable and then add the remainder before recirculating and draining to the kettle?
The recipe I'm looking at if added the total water volume it would be 3.8 quarts per lb. I assumed that would be too high? 8 gallons in 8.3 lbs of grain.

Lower gravity beers are tricky with no-sparge. The concept is as you described though: full volume at mash in.

Some sort of session beer I take it? My SWAG says between 1.028-1.032...

Yes it's a session beer
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/san-diego-dark-session-ale/
I'll probably just do my usual batch sparge.

Regarding" lower-gravity beers being tricky,"how are they problematic for you?  I brew exclusively in the 4.5 ABV to 6.5 ABV range, and all my beers taste good to me and others like them as well.  I do have to admit that I've never entered any competitions with them. 

[Big Monk]

     Do you add all the water to the mash tun at once?   Or do you dough in with a lesser amount to keep the ratio reasonable and then add the remainder before recirculating and draining to the kettle?
The recipe I'm looking at if added the total water volume it would be 3.8 quarts per lb. I assumed that would be too high? 8 gallons in 8.3 lbs of grain.

Lower gravity beers are tricky with no-sparge. The concept is as you described though: full volume at mash in.

Some sort of session beer I take it? My SWAG says between 1.028-1.032...

Yes it's a session beer
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/san-diego-dark-session-ale/
I'll probably just do my usual batch sparge.

Regarding" lower-gravity beers being tricky,"how are they problematic for you?  I brew exclusively in the 4.5 ABV to 6.5 ABV range, and all my beers taste good to me and others like them as well.  I do have to admit that I've never entered any competitions with them.

I font brew many low gravity beers. I was just referring to the fact that WTG ratios go very high the lower the gravity.

[zigs6]

     Do you add all the water to the mash tun at once?   Or do you dough in with a lesser amount to keep the ratio reasonable and then add the remainder before recirculating and draining to the kettle?
The recipe I'm looking at if added the total water volume it would be 3.8 quarts per lb. I assumed that would be too high? 8 gallons in 8.3 lbs of grain.

Lower gravity beers are tricky with no-sparge. The concept is as you described though: full volume at mash in.

Some sort of session beer I take it? My SWAG says between 1.028-1.032...

Yes it's a session beer
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/san-diego-dark-session-ale/
I'll probably just do my usual batch sparge.

Regarding" lower-gravity beers being tricky,"how are they problematic for you?  I brew exclusively in the 4.5 ABV to 6.5 ABV range, and all my beers taste good to me and others like them as well.  I do have to admit that I've never entered any competitions with them.

In fact, we are having a great conversation about this very talk in the other thread that I started "Mash Mystery w/ Vienna Malt". My first low gravity beer using this method did not produce the gravity I was looking for at a 3.3:1 WTG ratio.

[scrap iron]

I am having problems with loss efficiency with no-sparge beers. As a former fly sparger I got an average of 75-78% but now am around 60-67%. I have brewed 8   LO no-sparge beers so far starting at 3 qts per pound grain and have that down to 2.5 qts per pound the last 2 brews. Been trying to get the amount to BK smaller to account for a 60 min and milder boil off. The last beer was an IPA mashed @ 2.5 qts/ pound, water was RO with 250 sulfate and 55 chloride, about 130 calcium total. Also added 1/2 ml Lactic Acid, per Bru-n water ph should be 5.3 and that's what I got. My grain absorption is .55 qts per pound grain and I had 6.5 gals to BK ending with 5.4 gals at end of boil. What are others using for water to grain ratio, do I go lower? Do I need longer mash times or lower yet mash ph, thoughts? I am liking this no-sparge.

[Big Monk]

I am having problems with loss efficiency with no-sparge beers. As a former fly sparger I got an average of 75-78% but now am around 60-67%. I have brewed 8   LO no-sparge beers so far starting at 3 qts per pound grain and have that down to 2.5 qts per pound the last 2 brews. Been trying to get the amount to BK smaller to account for a 60 min and milder boil off. The last beer was an IPA mashed @ 2.5 qts/ pound, water was RO with 250 sulfate and 55 chloride, about 130 calcium total. Also added 1/2 ml Lactic Acid, per Bru-n water ph should be 5.3 and that's what I got. My grain absorption is .55 qts per pound grain and I had 6.5 gals to BK ending with 5.4 gals at end of boil. What are others using for water to grain ratio, do I go lower? Do I need longer mash times or lower yet mash ph, thoughts? I am liking this no-sparge.

What was you strike volume and pre-boil volume?

[scrap iron]

Strike amount was 9.125 gals hard boiled down to 9 gals for 14.5 pounds grain. Pre -boil volume was 6.75 gals to BK.

[Big Monk]

Strike amount was 9.125 gals hard boiled down to 9 gals for 14.5 gals grain. Pre -boil volume was 6.75 gals to BK.

That's a problem right there: 2.25 gallons MLT losses.

[scrap iron]

My grain absorption might be a little higher than .55 qts per pound , maybe .6 qts  per pound or a little more but that adds up to around two gallons with 14.5 pounds grain.

[mainebrewer]

2.25 gal loss is around .155 gal/lb.
That's not much different than my experience which is .14 gal/lb including the dead space in my MT.
I have not seen much difference (just a couple of points) in mash efficiency since going to no sparge.
I was averaging around 75% now its around 72%.

[Big Monk]

My grain absorption might be a little higher than .55 qts per pound , maybe .6 qts  per pound or a little more but that adds up to around two gallons with 14.5 pounds grain.

So let's assume you are achieving 100% conversion:

(6.75/9) * 100 = 75%

So I'm assuming you may be having issues with conversion η. Assuming say 80-90%:

0.75 * 0.80 = 60%
0.75 * 0.90 = 67%

[scrap iron]

 Might be a conversion issue. My brewhouse Efficiency in Brewers Friend for this batch was around 60.5%. 14.5 pounds grain with 9 gallon mash got 5.4 gals of 1.063 wort after boil. I start mash around 145* then direct heat and circulate to around 150* and hold for almost an hour, them up to 162* for 30 mins. maybe I need longer mash times?

[Big Monk]

Might be a conversion issue. My brewhouse Efficiency in Brewers Friend for this batch was around 60.5%. 14.5 pounds grain with 9 gallon mash got 5.4 gals of 1.063 wort after boil. I start mash around 145* then direct heat and circulate to around 150* and hold for almost an hour, them up to 162* for 30 mins. maybe I need longer mash times?

If you can direct heat I would rest at 144 °F for 15-20 minutes then step to 147 °F for 10 minutes. Then step directly up to 162 °F.

By jumping directly to 150 °F you are missing something like 81% of β activity.

You'll get there eventually, but by mashing at target β temps for shorter durations you get more active β activity and ultimately better conversion.

[scrap iron]

When raising temps from 144-5* I raise heat slowly thru the 140* s to 149-150* for IPAs . It may take 20 mins or more to get there. I would think that is enough time in the Beta range. I do start heat and circulate right away at 145* ,maybe I will hold there longer before adding heat and raising to 149-150*. Are you raising heat and circulate to 162* or jumping to it with a water addition? I thought you needed longer times for lower mash temps.