Does mash time include sparge/Vorlauf?

Mashing out, as I define it, is where you add sufficiently hot water to the mash to stop the enzyme activity, and also help with runoff, as hotter mash will drain more readily. I have tried it and have been happy to go back to simply beginning my sparge with 170° water after vorlauf and not mashing out myself. I didn't really notice a difference in the final beer after the extra time and effort.

I believe most recipes refer to the mash time as the rest period, not including mash-out, vorlauf or sparging.

 

Mashing for 60" is not mashing too long...especially if your grain bed temperature is 156°F.
Probably some other reason for its light body.

Can you post the recipe and a brief description of your process?

 

A shorter mash wouldn't produce a thinner bodied beer. Actually a longer mash can produce a more attenuable wort, which in turn can produce a thinner bodied beer. When I'm brewing a style that benefits from finishing very dry / getting super high attenuation, I actually extend my mash time to 90 minutes.

Now by not doing a mash out, one could argue that you are actually extending your mash time beyond your saccrification rest, through the time you start collecting your runnings, and to the time you get them heated up to a temperature capable of denaturing the mash enzymes. That could easily be adding 20+ minutes onto your mash time if you batch sparge or 40+ minutes if you fly sparge! So a mash out could actually help "lock in" your 156F mash profile and your desired mash length. If your final gravity was too low, then perhaps you should try a mash out for that reason or re-examine your grain bill. You should also double check the calibration of your thermometer to ensure you were actually mashing at 156F.

 

^^^
Yep