VanillaCoffeePorter- done w/ 2nd batch ever- looking for advice/critiques/jobwelldone

recipe

Anyone help? I'd appreciate it.

need help! bump.

First off stop using bleach. Use Iodophor or Star-San. Less chance of band-air taste and they are no rinse. Keep a bucket near you for the spoon and thermometer. Secondly, the munich and maybe even the special roast must be mashed. Not sure a 30 minute steep did the trick. In addition, yeast do not kill bacteria. The bacteria is always there. If you pitch healthy and abundant yeast they will get going and overpower the bacteria before the bad stuff has a chance.

how do I know if I need to mash grains? Local homebrew store that crushed them and gave to me didn't mention anything.

Any brewing software or a good homebrew guide should tell you. This should help: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Malts_Chart

I did my first taste today on day 8, and I can't taste any vanilla. I can taste the coffee though. Overall the beer was not very enjoyable out of the bucket. Not quite sure how to proceed- add another vanilla bean and let it age? How do I avoid contamination to do that?

just bottled today- and the tasting I had out of the bottling bucket was freakin' awesome!

Perfect balance of vanilla and coffee. The coffee had blended with the malt, and there was no additional maltiness to overpower the flavor. The smokeyness of the porter came through with the vanilla.

I can't wait to age and drink the finished carbonated product.