BIAB NB Chocolate Milk Stout

Getting ready to brew my first batch ever of a chocolate milk stout and had a couple of questions. For the most part I do BIAB, but this time I’m going to sparge to hopefully increase my efficiency. I’m wondering for this recipe would 2 gallons be about right? Also what temperature would you all recommend for the sparge water? I’m thinking about 170° Also very seldom do I ever use a secondary, so for this recipe, can’t I simply add in the cocoa nibs right to the primary about 2 weeks before kegging?

WOW!!! One awesome brew day…I ended up with 5.5 gallons at 1.064 OG so I added .3 gallons of purified water to bring it down to 1.058. I am assuming the great efficiency is due to sparging. I used 2 gallons at 170°

After using the Bayou Classic pot with the built in thermometer I must say it is a total piece of sh!t. Totally inaccurate and always having to re calibrate. I’m thinking about pulling it out and plugging the hole and buying a basket that will fit in my brew pot. That will make sparging even more efficient and much easier. I may just get a floating thermometer.

Yeah…I wouldn’t bother with an in-kettle thermometer for BIAB anyway…get an accurate digital thermometer to measure your mash temps…need to measure different areas anyway…and definitely don’t need a kettle thermometer for boiling of course!! Got a digital with a 24" probe for my mash.

I’m thinking for double BIAB batches that bag will be pretty heavy and a PITA to sparge. I’m thinking if I can plug the hole where the current thermometer is I can get a basket and put my mesh bag on the basket and do double batches that way. It would make sparging much easier and pulling the spent grain out as well.