I just put my kolsh in the second fermenter. The hydrometer read between 1.120 -.125. As I am getting ready for the transfer, I think I figured out why I have an issue with my #. I always have #'s lower than what the receipt calls for. I do sparge with the wort by bringing up the temp of the wort. What I think I need to do is, mash out with 170 water not the wort. The beer I have made always has been good, but I think it will be better rinsing the grains at 170. I think that my #'s might improve. I am brewing in a couple of weeks (my brown ale receipt). I think that I am going to try this method.
Bringing up the temp of the mash is not really a sparge. Sparging as you say, rinsing, will increase your fermentable sugars but it may not bring down your final gravity. You might want to instead mash at a lower temperature. What is your typical mash temperature now?
I wouldn’t “rinse” your mash with 170* water unless you are doing water corrections for pH… If you don’t know what your mash/sparge water pH is, towards the end of “rinsing” your mash, you will start picking up proteins that will leave your brews cloudy. Also, you will start pulling tannins into your brew… That lends a a little bit harsher flavors… Not like too much bittering hops… If you have a refractometer, watch your runnings sparge, not collecting any more after 1.007. Sneezles61
If you batch sparge as I do, you should use near-boiling water at 190-200 F if you want to mash out at 170 F. Even doing that I don’t think I have ever seen 170 F in the sparge but rather only 160s.
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“The water should be no more than 170°F, as husk tannins become more soluble above this temperature, depending on wort pH. This could lead to astringency in the beer.”
http://www.howtobrew.com/book/section-3/getting-the-wort-out-lautering/aspects-of-lautering
In his older “How to brew” book Palmer follows the above quote with…
“But it shouldn’t be much less than 170F either (i.e. 165F or 74C). You want good fluidity”
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All these rules and regulations… 
Sneezles61
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I follow the recipe. I rest at 150 and mash out at 170.
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Me mash out at 164. Seems to work perfect
I heat up my batch sparge water to 185 typically, have never measured the temp of the grain after adding the sparge to the cooler.
Rad
That old Palmer stuff just isn’t true. Perpetuated myths.
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I think that’s why it’s not the same text in my book vs the newer version. But still that’s the source of the OPs 170F I suppose
Remember… this stuff has evolved from the days when when measuring and dabble checking wasn’t even an option . I would have to believe back then… there was horrible brews to drink along side some of the best you could put past your lips… How far do you want to go? Sneezles61
Well there’s an exbeeriment for this as well…
There was a difference in gravity with cool vs hot. But I bet a few degrees here or there aren’t going to matter.
I think I will try a cool sparge next time. It would make the BIAB final squeeze less painful
