This is my first batch. I got the kit for Christmas. I followed the instructions to the letter (here's the link: http://brooklynbrewshop.com/directions/Brooklyn_Brew_Shop_Beyond_Blonde_Instructions.pdf). I found it a bit difficult to keep the mash between 144 and 152F on my flat top stove so it fluctuated a bit. Never dropped below 135 or above 160. My impression of the sparg was to drain off the wort, rinse the grain with the extra water, then circulate the wort back through the grain. That's what I did. In the boil, it never got real foamy but according to my wife, I had a nice low boil. i could it below 70 and ran the wort through my strainer into the jug. It took a while because I had a lot of fine solids plugging up the strainer. I added the yeast, shook the shit out of it and put the airlock on. It took about 12 hours before it started to bubble and only bubbled for about 6 hours. It now sits in a dark cabinet and hasn't done anything in 2 days.