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If there is no evidence of a ring around the top of the fermenter, then it probably didn't go. The only way to be sure is to take a gravity reading. I had a beer once that I was convinced didn't go, I even complained to the yeast manufacturer to find out if there was a bad batch ..... I took a...

I have a lot of 'old' LME and have not noticed an issue. Maybe because I use it in small quantities. My LME is from 2017 and 2018, all NB Milliard gold or Pilsner. Yes it has darkened. I partial mash , and the amount of grain I use in my 6.5 gallon batches has increased considerably such...

+1 to RM-MN. The alcohol and Ph will prevent (minimize) any infection. If anything starts up, it is going to be really slow in an 11% abv brew. I wouldn't worry about it, but I also wouldn't plan to store any of these bottles for more than a year.

Extract batches can be calculated to find the OG with reasonable accuracy. All extract has the same sugar content. If you really want to find out, get a refractometer, and when you reach the final gravity, take both a refractometer reading and an hydrometer reading, and from those two readings...

When did you pitch the yeast. Sometimes it can take up to 3 days before active fermentation is seen. I admit I would be worried if I didn't see something within 24 hours, but sometimes it happens. Why do you use a secondary? Beer yeast is a strange thing. I usually don't have any problems...

Use them

Don't boil the kit of it specifically says not to, otherwise you will lose the aroma in the beer. Why do you want to increase the bitterness? Have you tried it before? I don't know what I would do. First thought would be to boil a couple of gallons of water with a couple of lbs of pale malt...

Oops, when I change the method to extract, it gives me 1.080 as the FG. I had it set to Partial Mash, which will give greater efficiency for the grains. It gives the extract as having 44 points per lb vs the 45 that I use (I do not I said 46 above, which is wrong).

I have an old version of BeerSmith, and with your ingredients it gives me 1.086 in 5 gallons (close to my estimate of 1.087). Adding 10% sugar is a simple quick way to dry a beer a little, with little effect on flavor of the final beer. I think it improves an extract beer because it does...

Sugar and honey will just add some alcohol and make the beer thinner. You may be disappointed. Honey flavors will be lost, and a waste of money. I don't know what brew-enhancer is, probably a mix of maltodextrin and corn sugar; a cheap way to add alcohol without sacrificing body. A...

That bottom layer should get smaller as time goes by. You might want to try adding some gelatin (the same stuff you buy in a store for deserts). You can add it while cold and lagering or while warmer (but it is more effective at cold temps). That bottom layer should get down to a liter or...

As noted, extract doesn't mix well. A higher gravity is usually from taking a sample from a spigot at the bottom of the fermenter. Samples taken from the top tend to give lower readings. Extract recipes can be easily calculated to get a rough estimate of where they should be. Most apps will...

If buying on-line from a major company, most everything is fresh due to high turnover. - Grain, probably is seasonal, but I assume it is fresh from the date ir arrives and is good for a couple of years stored 'cool' and dry. - Hops: Harvested in September/October. Leaf should be of current...

Leaving it out (lowering the gravity of the boil) will increase the IBUs. You did not mess up your beer. To maximize IBUs and reduce darkening, only add half the extract at the start of the boil. You can add the rest at the end of the boil (after taking pot of the boil) before cooling. Just...

Never toss a batch until you have tried it. Sometimes yeast can surprise you with their results. Even the experts don't know how a yeast will react in all environments. In 'Brew like a monk' (Hieronymus), he encourages brewers to experiment with temperatures above the normal range. Now he is...

Sounds like a good beer for me. I prefer a drier beer, 1.015 would probably be too sweet for me. Let it ride. What yeast did you use?

Now you will discover one of the problems with fresh beer ...... it disappears quickly, and that last beer always tastes the best and you curse yourself for drinking them so quick.

Never done one that low. For 5 gallons I think I'd steep half a pound of light Crystal (C20 to C40), add extract to get ~1.030 (about 4 lbs of LME, or 3 lbs of DME - use a light extract), and ferment with a low attenuating yeast like Windsor. Should end about 1.010 (2.5% abv). Add some hops...

Are you checking gravity with an hydrometer or a refractometer? It is probably a stuck ferment, but in a lot of cases where people report FGs around 1.030, it is because they are using a refractometer and do not correct for the alcohol, and the actual FG was a lot lower.

Brew the biggest size batch you are comfortable with. A bigger batch is more work, but not much extra. The bigger the batch, the more economical it is with respect to your time and effort. A 6.5 gallon fermenter (for a 5 gallon batch) does not take up too much room, but you may want to go...