DOH !! - First Brew

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CDGoin

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OK.. so after spending a lot of time reading and re-reading things.. I of course made a few rookie mistakes in my excitement to start brewing..

Started with a Brewers Best Milk Stout, added Vanilla beans..

Now things that happened/I screwed up

1) Pot too small.. so instead of doing 2.5 Gal, my pot could do 2.25

2) Due to #1 I had to pull about 2 cups of wort (off the top) out to put in all the malt extract..

3) I left the grain bag in the whole time.. INstead of removing after the seeping time, left it in thru the whole boil.. ( Didnt read (or remember reading ) that I was supposed to take it out when adding extracts and sugars.. - DOH !! )

4) Drained wort only came up with about 2 gallons of wort.. when I added water to 4.3 gallons yet still missed my OG number of 1.056-1.061 by .04 (1.052)

Now, I didn't think that will be too bad since I did keep it to a low boil most the time.

Also I am not a fan of hops.. so I put in the Bittering hops for only 25 min of 50 min the boil called for and the Aroma for the 10 minutes called for.

So how bad did I do..? Am I going to end up with a bitter flat weak beer..?

Good thing is I know next time to..

1) Get a bigger pot

2) Pull the grain bag out.. before boiling.

Just curious what I can expect..?
 
A few more questions..

Storing it in my garage (Ambient 55-60 degree) in closet..

Is that too cold, or is cold good ?

I am a complete nub at this.. but looking forward to getting to a point of doing it without extracts.

My favorite beers right now:

Breckenridge Vanilla Porter
Highlander Oatmeal stout
Southern Tier Creme Brule' (Which I believe to be a Vanilla infused Milk Stout)

The smoother, darker, and less bitter the better :)
 
I am new as well, so you will probably get more input from the senior members. I would recommend reading the first few chapters from the Joy of Homebrewing or something similar. It will help you understand how everything works and it is a very quick read. You only need to read the first few chapters as an extract brewer, and everything will make much more sense to you.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0060531053/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

For example, it takes about an hour to get the bittering from hops, so your late addition will more likely impact flavor/aroma and not bitterness.

The grains at the high temp (over 165 I believe) can give you some bitterness, but since this is not an all grain batch the impact may be minimal.

Look up the yeast strain that you used to see the ideal fermentation temperatures. It sounds a little cold to me, but there are heater straps/mats that can be used to raise the temperature if you plan to do this regularly.

Others will have more to add. Welcome to the addiction. There is something so satisfying when you pour a home brew and realize that YOU made that...even better when your friends rave about your beer!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The bittering effect of hops is to offset the overly sweet malts.
If you underdo the hops you will end up with on overly sweet beer.
For future reference pay attention to the listed IBUs of your favorite beers and work the hops to aim for that amount.
 
Just to revisit, hops have two entirely different functions in brewing: bittering and flavor/aroma. If you don't like hoppy beers, you did exactly the wrong thing. You reduced the bittering time and left the flavor/aroma add stand.

The difference in OG is minor.

The worst thing you did was leave the grains in for the boil. Given that this is a stout and you cut down on the boil time for the bittering add, the tannins from the grain might balance things out.

Brewing is a very forgiving process, dark beers even more so. I think you'll have an acceptable beer.
 
Thanks... hope I didn't pull too many tanins.. and if I did, I hope the lack of putting in much in the way of bittering hops will balance that.

I actually was thinking depending on how this batch came out to try and forgo the bittering hops all together. Lets suffice it to say IPAs are NOT my favorite beers, if anything I don't understand the popularity of something that tastes like a Gin-imbidded beer. But told I have a strong sense of taste and smell.. so that maybe part of it.

The addiction started with an old Mr. Beer kit given to me by a friend along with the 1st edition of The Joy of Homebrewing (Have to love those 80s duds they were wearing..)

I will get a thermometer in the garage and check it out.. the directions of the kit say 64-72 wasnt sure which was more important temp or darkness.

As the garage closet is completely dark, option two is more temp stable and warmer (my office) but will see some light. Can't think of anyplace else in the house where it won't be disturbed.
 
The bittering effect of hops is to offset the overly sweet malts.
If you underdo the hops you will end up with on overly sweet beer.
For future reference pay attention to the listed IBUs of your favorite beers and work the hops to aim for that amount.

Is there such a thing as "overly sweet" :)

Where can I find said list..?

Thanks
 
If the garage is too cool, try a heating pad or belt to warm the brew. I've never used one, but I have heard good things.

Otherwise, put it in the office and put a blanket over it. Cheers.
 
Just to revisit, hops have two entirely different functions in brewing: bittering and flavor/aroma. If you don't like hoppy beers, you did exactly the wrong thing. You reduced the bittering time and left the flavor/aroma add stand.

The difference in OG is minor.

The worst thing you did was leave the grains in for the boil. Given that this is a stout and you cut down on the boil time for the bittering add, the tannins from the grain might balance things out.

Brewing is a very forgiving process, dark beers even more so. I think you'll have an acceptable beer.

Great to know.. !

Now why did I do the wrong thing..?

If I reduced the bittering time, but left flavor and aroma stand..? Wouldn't that eliminate the bitter hopiness of the beer, but leave the aroma ?

Because wouldn't the opposite be true.. it would be bitter with no aroma..?

I'll let you know how it turns out.. who knows maybe I will love it the way it was and create a whole new brewing method.. (OK I know.. Brewing has been going on far too long for anyone to do anything new I would assume)
 
Once you are ready for your next brew, check out the Deception Cream Stout recipe from NC Beernut. It is one of the best stouts I have ever brewed. It meets all your criteria (smooth, dark, and not bitter).

I am also not a huge hop-head either. I tend to stick to stouts, porters, and I LOVE Belgian styles. Belgian beers are usually not hoppy at all, and are full of amazing, complex flavors. Probably the biggest advantage to brewing Belgian styles is the fact that Belgian yeast strains are often very tolerant of higher temperatures. Many of them are happiest in the high 70's, or even the low to mid 80's. This makes summer brewing here in NC a whole lot easier.

Try not to worry too much about the mistakes you made with your first brew. Most (maybe all!) of us have similar stories of screw-ups from early in our brewing endeavors. It sounds like you figured out where you went wrong, and I doubt that you will make the same mistakes again. I try to learn something new, or apply improvements to my process every time I brew. It could be steeping/mashing temp control, or fermentation temperature control, or possibly yeast pitching rates or fermentation time. Whatever the case may be, always strive to figure out where you went wrong and not repeat those problems. Soon enough you will have a solid system in place, you will be entering your beer in homebrew competitions, and your friends will be constantly bugging you to make new beer for them to try.

Relax, have a craft brew (to hold you over until the first homebrews are ready!) and have fun. Brewing should be enjoyable. Your beer will probably be OK at the very least, and there is a fairly good chance it will be better than you expected. Welcome to the hobby/addiction/obsession that is homebrewing.
 
Great to know.. !

Now why did I do the wrong thing..?

If I reduced the bittering time, but left flavor and aroma stand..? Wouldn't that eliminate the bitter hopiness of the beer, but leave the aroma ?

I think you may be confusing hoppiness with bitterness. You want some bitterness to offset the sweetness of the malt. By adding the hops late, your beer will be hoppier and sweeter since there is no bitterness to balance out the beer.

If you add hops with 60 minutes to go, you will not really detect any hops when you taste the beer. If you add hops closer to the end, that is when you maintain the flavor and aroma of the hops. Net, you probably increased the "hoppiness".

Either way, just enjoy the beer and learn with each batch.
 
Once you are ready for your next brew, check out the Deception Cream Stout recipe from NC Beernut. It is one of the best stouts I have ever brewed. It meets all your criteria (smooth, dark, and not bitter).

I am also not a huge hop-head either. I tend to stick to stouts, porters, and I LOVE Belgian styles. Belgian beers are usually not hoppy at all, and are full of amazing, complex flavors. Probably the biggest advantage to brewing Belgian styles is the fact that Belgian yeast strains are often very tolerant of higher temperatures. Many of them are happiest in the high 70's, or even the low to mid 80's. This makes summer brewing here in NC a whole lot easier.

Try not to worry too much about the mistakes you made with your first brew. Most (maybe all!) of us have similar stories of screw-ups from early in our brewing endeavors. It sounds like you figured out where you went wrong, and I doubt that you will make the same mistakes again. I try to learn something new, or apply improvements to my process every time I brew. It could be steeping/mashing temp control, or fermentation temperature control, or possibly yeast pitching rates or fermentation time. Whatever the case may be, always strive to figure out where you went wrong and not repeat those problems. Soon enough you will have a solid system in place, you will be entering your beer in homebrew competitions, and your friends will be constantly bugging you to make new beer for them to try.

Relax, have a craft brew (to hold you over until the first homebrews are ready!) and have fun. Brewing should be enjoyable. Your beer will probably be OK at the very least, and there is a fairly good chance it will be better than you expected. Welcome to the hobby/addiction/obsession that is homebrewing.

Thanks will do.. and your close enough might have you over ( and of course You are ALWAYS welcome to invite me over ) to test my brews :tank:
 
Thanks will do.. and your close enough might have you over ( and of course You are ALWAYS welcome to invite me over ) to test my brews :tank:

Where are you located?

I have some of that Deception Cream Stout in the fridge right now. I would be willing to share one.
 
Is there such a thing as "overly sweet" :)

Where can I find said list..?

Thanks

There is a sweetness level that at a point makes it unpalatable.
As for list, just google your favorite beer, reviews for your favorite beer or clone recipes. One of those sources will list bitterness in the form of IBU (international bitterness unit)
Online hops calculators will give you the expected IBU of the beer you want to brew based on the AA (alpha acids) listed on your hops package, when it is added to the boil and size of boil.
 
Another option for people who don't like bitterness is to use more mellow hops for bitterring. I am not a hop head, So I use lots of Czech Saaz for bitterring and get IBUs within range. I find this produces a very smooth, palatable beer.

excellent point. I also like Saaz alot. I agree, It does make for very smooth, unobtrusive brews. I use it in nearly every Belgian style I brew. For American and British styles Hallertau, Willamette, and East Kent Goldings are also very balanced, neutral hops.
 
Where are you located?

I have some of that Deception Cream Stout in the fridge right now. I would be willing to share one.

2-1/2 hours north, Midlothian, VA, just southwest of Richmond, VA

Been going and seeing my mom in Salisbury pretty recently.
 
There is a sweetness level that at a point makes it unpalatable.
As for list, just google your favorite beer, reviews for your favorite beer or clone recipes. One of those sources will list bitterness in the form of IBU (international bitterness unit)
Online hops calculators will give you the expected IBU of the beer you want to brew based on the AA (alpha acids) listed on your hops package, when it is added to the boil and size of boil.

Thanks

From what I can tell the Breckenridge is in the 30 IBU range, just where this Milk Stout was..

So, I guess there is becoming a strong chance I will end up with carbonated syrup..

Also, I took the 8 vanilla beans and cut them and split them and added to the boil.. Seems from a few posts here, the way to add the vanilla (And from what it seems a smaller quantity than the whole bag) is after fermentation.. So.. what affect will that possibly have ?

Anyway to fix some of this before bottling..?
 
Thanks

From what I can tell the Breckenridge is in the 30 IBU range, just where this Milk Stout was..

So, I guess there is becoming a strong chance I will end up with carbonated syrup..

Also, I took the 8 vanilla beans and cut them and split them and added to the boil.. Seems from a few posts here, the way to add the vanilla (And from what it seems a smaller quantity than the whole bag) is after fermentation.. So.. what affect will that possibly have ?

Anyway to fix some of this before bottling..?

adding the vanilla after fermentation is supposed to help keep the vanilla flavor ion the beer. adding it to the boil, some of the flavor will possibly boil off. You added a lot of beans though, so you'll probably have enough flavor left.

I'd be worried about boiling the grains. I haven't ever done that myself, so I don't know exactly what it will taste like, but I've heard that causes an overly tannic beer, which will taste astringent. it's too late to do anything about it though, so just ferment and bottle it and see how it turns out.
 
Update #1

Apparently my sanitation skill and the temp in the garage are good..

It's fermenting very well.. the cap is burping every 4-5 secs, and this is in what I was told is an older Mr. Brew Kit.

beer.jpg


I like it better than the other kits I have seen.. and can't even find this one anywhere online. I like that its see thru.

In any case, fermented enough to pressurize about 3 gallons of air space.. thats' good right..? It at least makes me think I am doing something right.
 
My best advice is follow the instructions on the kits you brew for your first few brews. You want to first get the process down. The brewers best kits are really tried and true recipes that are pretty well balanced. When you start to find how they come out and what different ingredients do then you can start tweaking. A lot of the brewers that get into the hobby and either quit or suffer through a number of terrible brews before they get it right seem to skip over getting the process down.
 
My best advice is follow the instructions on the kits you brew for your first few brews. You want to first get the process down. The brewers best kits are really tried and true recipes that are pretty well balanced. When you start to find how they come out and what different ingredients do then you can start tweaking. A lot of the brewers that get into the hobby and either quit or suffer through a number of terrible brews before they get it right seem to skip over getting the process down.

Except for the Vanilla beans, that was what I was attempting to do.. :)

I figure no matter how this comes out, I will invest in a new pot and try again.

At least most my mistakes I can remedy..
 
Update #2

Got a thermometer to check the temp.. The garage closet is a steady 65 degrees (Recipe calls for 64-72)

So checked in on it and over the day has developed a good 1/4" head on it..

Since my fermentor has a spigot, I couldn't help myself and drained a sample (1 oz)..

If the beer tastes as good as the wort I am in love.. as expected its a bit flat (I was actually surprised to feel a small amount of carbonation in the sample.) The Vanilla was STRONG.. not overpowering, but unlike other porters and stouts I have had that have had hints of Vanilla, in this case there is no HINT of Vanilla.. It's the primary flavor, along with the roasted nutty flavor of the caramelized and roasted barley malts. I did taste the hops, but not over powering, overall it was smooth with a sweet finish.

I know the wort and the final product will taste different, but I feel the overall flavor balance and any "burnt" or acid flavors would be noticeable at this stage, and thankfully I didn't taste any.

The real issue, is that if it comes out really good.. I guess I will have to "Screw up" the recipe again.
 
Update #3

I know krausen resin, is to be expected and that, as someone stated, fermentation ain't pretty.

That said, had a nice 1/2" head on it, abd it was developing dead yeast on the peaks of the krausen, so far so good.

Now at day three the krausen is collapsing, again.. I know this is normal.

BUT, circular patches of blue green growth are now growing on top of the fallen krausen.

I have seen this growth in my kitchen. Its what grows in the coffee maker if my daughter doesn't clean up and empty the pot and coffee grounds after she uses it. It this a sign of a wild yeast or bacteria infection. Or is that what a stout will look like?

Im concerned as I have a lot of extra protein in this batch as I boiled the grain.

If it is infected, do I bottle at my earliest.. drain into a secondary.. or let it ride..?
 
Looks something like this on top of the Krausen (Picture was the closest thing I could find online and none of the pictures I tried to take show it well)

mold+on+brewed+coffee.jpg


on top of this

85651d1353943268-post-your-infection-imag0065.jpg


Am I safe to assume something like this would be over active yeast due to the extra proteins and a concentrated wort (Made 2 gallons from a 2.5 gallon kit, and ended with 4.3 gallons instead of 5) or would it be an infection due to sanitation ?

After using the heck out of the search function I am being lead to believe its the first and what I am seeing are "Yeast Rafts". Which would stand to reason as I have a lot for those hungry yeasts to be eating. Normally wouldn't be concerned.. but may garage is no where near as hygenic as the kitchen, the fermentor is in the garage closet with the garage sink (Yes.. it looks like a garage sink.. ) and would dare say a a bit of black mold could possibly in be in the air. That said, it was sealed before it went into the garage.

Also I hear most don't do a secondary, but my instructions recommend it.. so....

With all the gunk in my batch would it behove me to transfer ? or just let it ride and go straight to the bottle in another week ?
 
Relax, don't worry, have a home brew (or a beer of some kind). When it's time to bottle take a taste and you will probably be pleasantly surprised. There's nothing you can do in the meantime anyway.
 
True, I guess at this point, the real question is to secondary or not secondary..?

Told it will clear the beer, and improve finish.

Also told its unnecessary and exposes the beer to more oxygen and infection..

I would think under normal situations where there wasnt so much crap in my beer I wouldnt secondary.. but in this case, it might behove me to do so.

Not only that, it gets me my fermentor back to do a second batch without all the errors :) So if this one is bad, I will have a back up right behind it. :ban:
 
CDGoin said:
Thanks... hope I didn't pull too many tanins.. and if I did, I hope the lack of putting in much in the way of bittering hops will balance that.

I actually was thinking depending on how this batch came out to try and forgo the bittering hops all together. Lets suffice it to say IPAs are NOT my favorite beers, if anything I don't understand the popularity of something that tastes like a Gin-imbidded beer. But told I have a strong sense of taste and smell.. so that maybe part of it.

The addiction started with an old Mr. Beer kit given to me by a friend along with the 1st edition of The Joy of Homebrewing (Have to love those 80s duds they were wearing..)

I will get a thermometer in the garage and check it out.. the directions of the kit say 64-72 wasnt sure which was more important temp or darkness.

As the garage closet is completely dark, option two is more temp stable and warmer (my office) but will see some light. Can't think of anyplace else in the house where it won't be disturbed.

Forgive me if this was mentioned but I didn't have time to read the whole thread. While temperature is an important part of fermentation light is the beer killer. Make sure that your beer is not exposed to light when it is fermenting, aging, or bottle conditioning. The light (sunlight and uv light in particular) will skunk out tour brew and believe me there is no way to "tough it out" and drink it anyways. Fermenting at non optimal temperatures on the other hand can cause of flavors and long term stability problems with your brews however as long as it was not too cold for ales Or too warm for lagers it should be fine.
Lastly steeping grain to long at high temperatures releases tannins in your beers. Tannins will cause a buttering effect ad from what I have read, case your beer to have flavor stability problems over time. However not to fear. Aging your bottles longer can reduce tannins and improve the flavor. I know this from personal experience. I'm not saying Time will magically heal all beer problems but it can help. For your first time it sounds like you did pretty good.

If I may make a recommendation try a porter in one of your upcoming brews. It is a nice dark beer but is typically very malty. I sounds like it would be right up your ally. I may have a recipe or two I could dig up. If you are interested shoot me a PM
Ryan.
 
Thanks.. I love porters and stouts.. and until I get this down I am sticking with extract kits.

The location is in a garage closet. The garage is dark and the closet pitch black.. the garage itself is heated to about 55-60 degrees and isnt opened much this time of year. In the summer the closet stays in the 70s. Its backed up to the house which is heated and insulated, the walls of the closet are insulated from the garage and all three walls are free standing in the garage so they are "insulated" from the exterior wall by the air space in the garage. Above the garage is the master bedroom so it is conditioned and insulated as well. If not for the dirty old car parts, and nasty garage sink it would be perfect.

From what I am gathering, the temp and location is almost perfect for a stout. Currently on day 3 of fermentation and the fermentor is going like mad.. can only imagine how active it would be if it were a bit warmer. Might pop the cap off the bubbler.

I am hoping in the near future to replace the sink in the garage with a sturdier and cleaner one and get a propane setup so I can brew in the garage. One step at a time I guess.
 
Dear diary (#4)..

Day four and temps outside dropped by 20 degrees.. in the garage by 8.

So.. my batch of GoinBrew started slowing down a lot.. Thats when I found this little baby in my tool box

Laser Temp Finder

And wouldn't you know it storage room dropped to 55-58 degrees..

So I cracked the door and pointed my garage heater at the opening.. viola.. room up to 65 degrees and it didn't take long for the yeast to get back and start doing its thing.

Leaving for a few days so, I am crossing my fingers when I get back Sunday the Krausen will have fallen and I can move it to the secondary.

Will check on it tomorrow before I leave and get the temps then. Good thing is tommorrow morning the temp will be as cold as is will get until I return Sunday.

BTW.. got a good looks at it, and some other pictures i found. It was definitely yeast rafts, they have fallen to the bottom already, and the Krausen looks actually quite stable.
 
Try not to worry about the spots too much. Even if it is moldy, (which is somewhat unlikely), you can usually rack out from underneath the mold, and leave it behind in the fermenter when you transfer to secondary or the bottling bucket. I doubt that you have anything to worry about with that.
 
Most of the work in brewing is cleaning and prep(I like PBW and star-san). If your going to do 5 gallon boils, a 10 gallon pot works well. They have aluminum pots for cheep, on amazon ect.. It sounds like you know what you did and didn't do, so next time it will be great. Every serous brewer on this forum has story's of brew-days that didn't go well. One comes to mind, a brewer just finished racking his wort into 2 six gallon glass carboys and the table he set them on broke smashing both.
 
Most of the work in brewing is cleaning and prep(I like PBW and star-san). If your going to do 5 gallon boils, a 10 gallon pot works well. They have aluminum pots for cheep, on amazon ect.. It sounds like you know what you did and didn't do, so next time it will be great. Every serous brewer on this forum has story's of brew-days that didn't go well. One comes to mind, a brewer just finished racking his wort into 2 six gallon glass carboys and the table he set them on broke smashing both.

OUCH.. !

That must have been fun to clean up..
 
OK I knew there was sentiment in this batch.. I knew it could be cloudy.

BUT.. My flashlight in the DARK can not penetrate it..

I can see the fermentation bubbles only about a 1/8" into the Beer then the light hits a wall..

Its there ANY chance this can be cleared up ? I am going to put it in a secondary in the hopes that will help. But I have little faith it will.

This BEER is as Dark as I have ever seen.. (That said, I am OK with that.. to a point) but I don't what it so cloudy as to have it feel like I'm drinking Hot Cocoa :)
 
CDGoin said:
Its there ANY chance this can be cleared up ? I am going to put it in a secondary in the hopes that will help. But I have little faith it will.

Get it cool right now so that as much of the trub as possible is left behind when you rack to secondary (this is assuming you are at FG, if not don't transfer). Leave it in secondary a week or two, then cold crash and use gelatin. If all of that doesn't make the beer clear, it is not meant to be.

Out of curiosity, how dark is the beer (on a scale of say, Miller Lite to Guinness). If it is very dark, it may be clear but you still won't be able to see through it...
 
CDGoin said:
OK I knew there was sentiment in this batch.. I knew it could be cloudy.

BUT.. My flashlight in the DARK can not penetrate it..

I can see the fermentation bubbles only about a 1/8" into the Beer then the light hits a wall..

Its there ANY chance this can be cleared up ? I am going to put it in a secondary in the hopes that will help. But I have little faith it will.

This BEER is as Dark as I have ever seen.. (That said, I am OK with that.. to a point) but I don't what it so cloudy as to have it feel like I'm drinking Hot Cocoa :)

Ok first off relax. Have a home brew, of craft brew since this is your first batch. I am assuming by reading this thread that you are fermenting in clear glass. Also that you are brewing a stout. This being the case it is supposed to be very dark. In many cases even amber beers appear black when condensed into a carboy. It is NORMAL to not see light though the carboy. Once you rack to a secondary and then bottle it the color change will be apparent. There is a drastic difference in color ( at least appearance anyways) between. 5 Gallons in a carboy and 12 oz in a glass.
Secondly the color or your beer has very little to do with either thickness or flavor. By simply playing with the grains I can make light beer dark. The flavor changes will be minimal to an unprofessional pallet. You do not have to worry you will not be drinking hot cocoa. Haha.

As mentioned above by another brewer prior to bottling cold crash your beer in the secondary. I in no way mean to insult you if you already know what this is however on my first brew I had no clue. So, basically chill the secondary fermenter full of beer prior to bottling. I recommend low 40's for 24-48 hours. This will cause heavier suspended yeast to drop to the bottom of the fermenter so clearer ( not completely clear) beer can be racked off the top into bottles.
This however will do nothing in the way of lightening color however it will help improve haze and extra sediment from forming in your bottles.
All in all you did fine for your first brew.
Good luck on future brews.
Ryan.
 
Thanks for clarifying what Cold Crashing is, when to do it, and how. I was wondering about that and have a full sized old school refrigerator in the garage that can do that quite well :) Was wondering about the final conditioning in the bottle and how the yeast would work in it to create carbonation if they were dead. I see now cold crashing is to clear the dead ones out.. and that makes more sense now.

Anyway, I expected this batch to be black and dark (Its a Milk Stout after all), it was the impenetrable cloudiness that threw me. Although that wasn't a complete surprise either as the #1 screwup in this (my first batch) was not taking the grain bag out after it was seeping. I should have known it was supposed to be pulled before the boil ( IT was in the directions after all - Thus the DOH In the title.) So I kind of expected my batch to be cloudy, but trying to look through it was literally like trying to look thru milk chocolate..

Putting the flashlight at one side, the beer is so opaque as the light doesn't even diffuse through the cloudy beer..the light it hits a wall (That is my beer) and gets bounced back the the flashlight, where it promptly smacks the flashlight upside its head and asks what it was thinking.

As for RDWHA<C>B - I will defiantly be having a few craft brews

I am also kind of keeping a somewhat daily log of all my first experience here, in my engineering way, with what I find etc.. so maybe this could be a thread for Newbies like myself as each phase passes and they worry, then RDWHAHB and go to the next stage too worry.. etc..

So, instead of creating a million different threads.. Figured I would ask my question in this one, do some searching and research and come back to this thread and in some cases answer my own questions and then get confirmation for the more experienced out there.

So far covered :

1) What not to do (Use the right size pot and take the grain out)

2) Vanilla and other flavor enhancers go in the secondary or bottling stage.. Do not boil a whole bag of Vanilla beans into your wort unless you LOVE Vanilla.. (Which actually I do, so it maybe good for me)

3) No its not infected.. thats yeast cake

4) Clarity and cold crashing

So, now I guess the next question.. that I have gotten a lot of mixed opinions about is adding water and ABV

My batch as mentioned it is thick..

So.. lets say primary is over and time to go to secondary..

If the flavor is over done, and the ABV low after primary. Can I add a 1/2 gallon of boiled sugarwater (maybe with some) to bring up levels to thin it out and bump the ABV ?

Because I am planning on POSSIBLY, If needed. Adding coffee or cocoa to the bottling/secondary stage to counter the vanilla. From what I gather cocoa in the secondary, cold pressed coffee in the bottling stage.
 
Don't worry about the cloudiness/darkness. The first batch that I brewed in a carboy (as opposed to a plastic bucket) was a pale/red Irish ale. I could not see through it with a flashlight because it was dark and cloudy. And that was a pale red, not a stout. Once the beer was kegged and conditioned, the beer was clear and a perfect pale red color.

I can't help with your latest question. My approach has been to just leave the beer alone once it's in the fermenter. If it ends up a bit too strong, too week, too malty, too hoppy, etc., I accept it.
 
You CAN add boiled sugar-water to the fermenter to re-start fermentation and increase ABV some. This technique is often used by brewers of Belgian styles and super-high gravity beers to avoid "shocking" the yeast. However, I would not do that on this batch. You have already had a few things that did not go according to plan. Adding another variable at this point would not be likely to improve the final product any at all. I suggest letting the beer finish fermenting, bottle or keg, and save any modifications for the next round.
 
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