Would like some input on my next batch. Please.

Hello everyone,
Ok here are my plans and the recipe I have thought up.

Ok I am using a 4lb can of Montons Canadian ale
adding 1.5 pounds of Biscuit Malt steeped for 30 minutes.
also adding 1.5 pounds of Briess DME.
Would also like to add some hops in the boil but not sure which was thinking of
1-2 oz of cascade during the boil. Please let me know. Also this is my first 5 gal batch. Thanks for any replies.

Don't know how this translates for steeping grains vs mashing, but according to this, you shouldn't use biscuit malt for more than 10% of the grain bill. If that applies to steeping, it sounds like 1.5 lbs might be too high.

You might look at a hop schedule like this with 2oz Cascade.

1.0 oz Cascade 6.6% at 60 min.
0.5 oz. Cascade 6.6% at 30 min.
0.25 oz. Cascade 6.6% at 15 min.
0.25 oz. Cascade 6.6% at 5 min.

I think there's some argument about whether Biscuit needs to be mashed, but even if it did, you wouldn't need any special equipment.

That looks like a decent enough recipe. You have all kinds of choices with hops. Maybe add 1/4 oz. of Cascade at the beginning of the ball to add more bitterness (balance out the added malt), and then split the extra ounce between 10 and zero. Something like that.

Im still really confussed about the whole mash think not sure what that means.
Do you steep them and then mash them like a bunch of potatos? and does or dosent Buiscit need to be mashed? I am totally new at this. And would truely like to learn this hobby well.

Couple things going on here:

1 - Your can of Munton's Canadian Ale is a pre-hopped liquid malt extract. Because it's pre-hopped, you do not want to boil it for an extended period of time, or you'll dramatically change the bitterness profile. Don't add this until near the end of your boil time, or even at flame out; it just needs to be pasteurized, and it'll be fine.

2 - "Mashing" is the process used to convert the starches in your grains into sugars, using the enzymes already present in (some of) the grain, and involves resting the grains at specific temperatures for specific lengths of time, in a specific amount of water.
Steeping is more like making a "grain tea", and the goal is not to convert starches into sugars, but just to add some of the grain flavor/color to an extract beer. It's easier to do than mashing, and requires less fussing and temperature/time control.

Either way, your (dry) grain needs to be crushed before you can steep or mash.

Grains are (very roughly) divided into 2 categories: "base malts" & "specialty grains". base malts have enzymatic power, and lots of starch left to be converted into sugar. Specialty grains do not have their own enzymatic power, but can add additional flavors and color to the beer. Specialty grains are the ones that are useful to steep. You (usually) don't want to steep base grains, because you don't want to dump raw, unconverted starches into your wort/beer.

Of course, some grains sit on the borderline, like your Biscuit; some will say it needs to be mashed, others will say no.

I feel that steeping base grains is fine, as long as the temp is not too high. Just like BIAB, you are actually mashing them. I think steep is just a word used for specialty grains because you cant actually mash them.

I was going to steep the biscuit at 155-160 for 1/2 an hour I am looking for color and some flavor? So then because of the Muntons I should fore go the hops in the boil. If I understand correctly. How would dry hopping be for this in a secondary fermentor. Say 7 days in primary and then move to secondary and dry hop for 7 days? I know a bunch of noob questions sorry folks.

These questions are fine, in my opinion. It is better to ask them now and do something right than just wing it and screw up your whole batch.
I would personally like to know more about what you are trying to make. Do you want it super hoppy? Easy to drink?

Too be honest, after rereading your post and this thread I think you should do a kit like this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003SSHE8C/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I am not saying that you should get this exact kit, but buying a pre-made kit will help you get an idea of the whole brewing process and everything will be packaged for you. For instance, you thought "mashing" had to do with making potatoes.
This way you can go through the whole process of steeping your own grains, adding the hops and extract during boil, etc.

Here is a good one that you do everything (steeping, hops, etc.): http://www.homebrewers.com/product/ALP1012/Canadian-Ale-Beer-Kit.html

Fenster I am trying to take that Canadian ale and bump it up a little and add more color and body not trying to reinvent the wheel. As far as making potatos LMAO I just wanted a little clarification as to what mash ment LMAO again just a noob. Ok so I am going to pass on the hops for now. But the Biscuit and the DME is ok then, I already have all the stuff mentioned in this thread except for the hops. Sunday is brew day for me. This is going to be my last attempt at this sort of thing until I get a grasp of things a little better. I bought the biscuit on the recommendation from one of the old timers at my LHBS. As he stated steep some grains it adds flavor and body. So I was following directions. Actually I picked the biscuit because of the profile of it at www.bxbeerdepot.com which is my LHBS. Please bare with me as I go through my mad scientist phase.

I'm just giving you a bit of a hard time and trying to help as well.
I did a quick calculation and it looks like the DME/LME & Biscuit is going to put you in the 1.048 OG and 4.8% ABV range (1.012 FG); I did that using BeerCalculus (Hopville.com). I used Brew Builder and it calculates it will be in the 1.054 OG, 5.25% range. So pretty close.
Adding a little hops to the end of the boil is going to up the IBUs some. I don't have a lot of experience with pre-hopped malts, but the Muntons is at 25 to 35 EBUs; adding the extra malt might sweeten in up a little so adding .5 oz of hops might balance it out.

Mashing is basically the same as steeping, except temperature is held more steady (closer to (150-155) and typically for longer (45-60 minutes)). But you could do Biscuit at ~160 for 30 minutes and it would be fine.

Go ahead and use what you bought. I could see reducing the Biscuit to one pound, but no huge deal.

I would leave and primary for more than a week and in fact skip secondary altogether (3-4 weeks primary instead). There have been some discussions here about dry hopping in primary. If you do use a secondary, I'd still leave in primary longer than a week.

Good advice about not boiling the liquid kit, just boil the DME and the Biscuit liquid (AFTER you removed those grains), and hops. As the kit is already hopped, I think adding a full ounce of Cascade for 60 minutes is too much.

I agree with McGarnigle; no need to use a secondary, just keep the beer in the primary for three weeks.

ok so adding the hops in the last 10 minutes of the boil say .5 oz of cascade sounds like a good idea?

Ok enough said