Unfortunately I'm going to have to drop out this round - just found out today I'll be travelling for work end of January and a couple of weeks into February. I hope to get involved in a future swap though!
Look into trying out the batch sparge method. It will definitely save you time and will probably bump up your efficiency. I dump my full sparge volume in after I drain the mash, give it a stir and let it rest for 10 minutes, then drain again.
I also don't think it hurts to stir the mash...
I don't see any problem with dumping your next batch on the yeast cake. You'll still get good Belgian character out of the yeast especially if you keep it relatively warm.
It definitely won't be a Saison though. Maybe a Belgian Blonde or Pale Ale?
I just brewed my first beer with Voss, a NEIPA. For as quickly as it fermented (Brewed 5 days ago, kegging today) I was surprised at how "calm" it was. I used a blowoff as I was expecting a violent ferment but the krausen never reached the neck of my carboy despite leaving not a ton of head space.
Was the wort still warm when you took your OG reading? Warm/hot liquids will have a lower OG compared to the 66ish F that your hydrometer is calibrated to. There are calculators out there that will correct it down for you.
So, I kegged one of my first beers this weekend. And put together my first lines etc. etc. Yesterday I had a couple pints - a blonde ale - and it was fantastic. Kegged beer is just a thing of beauty.
Then I went to pull a pint tonight. About 3 ounces came out before it started spitting CO2...
Always always always always always make sure your kettle valves are closed. I've spilled water and wort on more than one occasion...most notably a nice sticky imperial stout wort all over our apartment kitchen floor and under the stove.
Just this week I was pushing Starsan from keg to keg to...