Watered down or Over Carbonated

In November I brewed my first beer, it was a brewer's best box set the Holiday Ale. I used only the ingredients included in the box, no fancy liquid yeast for me. After two weeks in the primary I transfered to the secondary as recommended. Then a week later I bottled it, after a week I drank it up SHMBO loved it where I felt that it lacked body (or at least what I was expecting from a darker ale) and tasted a bit over carbonated. Well I decided to let it sit around not enjoying the the Christmas/New Years beer I hoped for and tried it again this past weekend. I have to say that the flavors have have greatly improved but so has the carbonation.

I have decided not to use box sets and make clones until I become brazen enough to build my own recipe. I am cooking in house on an electric stove. I personally think that my steeping temp for the partial mash was not ideal. I am not sure if it is watered down or if the carbonation is just too strong for my tastes.

Has anyone had this problem with either this specific box or with their own personal recipes?

Getting the carbonation right can be a bit tricky. Since you used all of the materials, it is probably very close to the intended results. Darker beers don't necessarily have more body than lighter beers. They should have roasty/toasty/coffee-like flavors.

MikePenn said:

Then a week later I bottled it, after a week I drank it up...

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Here's your problem. Typical bottle carb time for a normal gravity beer is three weeks at 70 degrees F. Higher gravity or cooler temps add time to this.

Lack of body is a hallmark of undercarbed beer - which can actually be quite foamy, due to the CO2 not being properly dissolved in the beer.

Leave it alone for a couple of weeks; I will bet that it improves.