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I would be a little nervous on the level of bitterness for the strength of the beer. Not that it can't (or hasn't) been done, but after a poor experience or 2 myself with over hopping a lower strength beer, I try to pay close attention to the IBU/SG ratio. If you're not familiar, see this post...

What will the average temperature be while they are in the secondary? You don't want it to be too much higher than what it was in the primary but it isn't as critical as the temperature regulation for the initial stage of fermentation. -Jeff

How long did the beer ferment for? If it was close to normal then it should be pretty close. I wouldn't worry about ABV being too far off from what the kit said. -Jeff

If it's just for a couple weeks I would store them in the fridge. As long as they are in the original airtight packaging, the hops should be perfectly fine. -Jeff

The best way of monitoring the progress of your fermentation is with a hydrometer. You can check the progress every few days to see if it's where you want it. Many times the airlock with stop bubbling after a couple days. Also the yeast sometimes get stuck. If you have taken hydrometer readings...

The Brewhouse kits are all pretty easy to use. The hops are already dissolved the bagged wort. Just add water to reach 5 gallons then add yeast and stir. Once that is done, cap with the airlock and wait to start fermenting. I do recommend checking out the site above or reading a book. It...

The best way of knowing if the yeast is working is through the hydrometer. Even if there is no visible signs of fermenting going on through the airlock, it still could be fermenting. You take a reading at the beginning before you add the yeast, and then every few days until you reach the desired...

You definitely need some type of thermometer. The floating ones are good if you do have it in cool water while fermenting. The adhesive ones are also really helpful since they attach to the fermenter and are pretty accurate. You can also just use a regular brewing thermometer and fix it close to...

It is amazing how much a little carbonation and chilling will drastically change the beer. The first couple batches are pretty stressful but after that it becomes a whole lot easier (and more fun!) -Jeff

I would definitely recommend The Complete Joy of Homebrewing byt Charlie Papazian for both AG and extract brewers. It is considered by many to be the home brewer's bible and has tons of great recipes. There is also wonderful insight into many different aspects of brewing beer broken down so...

When fermenting most ales, the ideal range is in the 60-70 but most importantly for the first few days when fermentation is vigorous and will increase the internal temperature. For conditioning, 70 I think it'll work well in the room you have it in. -Jeff

Definitely, what were the expected/actual readings? -Jeff

It's definitely not the ideal temperature but might not effect it too much, it could create some off flavors. If you can add a small fan to circulate the air that might help some. -Jeff

I've found one of the best ways is going through and researching other recipes. While it might be tedious at first, soon everything will make sense. It is a good way to see what kind of grains/hops pair well with certain styles. Also, Brewtoad or Beersmith is a great way to get all of your...

It depends on the style of beer, but I'd go with the shorter time in the primary. It will be better for the beer to leave it in the bottles longer. It can stay in the bottles for a while but you generally do not want beer in the primary for any longer than 4 weeks. While it's not necessarily a...

I know the drops are made for 1 per 12oz bottle. Ideally it would be about 1.5 per 500ml bottle but you could always just use regular sugar if you are unsure. 1 drop probably would give a light carbonation and 2 would be pretty fizzy, just depends on how you like it. In general, you can bottle...

It was pretty good I thought. As an Iron Maiden fan, the second I saw the bottle I had to try it. I wonder if they've considered brewing other styles named after other songs. -Jeff

All of the above are great and of course, Complete Joy of Homebrewing, is another really good book that breaks everything about homebrewing in a way that is very easy to understand. -Jeff

Did the recipe kits have a certain brand or was it from the supplier? They'll definitely have different variations but you could probably track down the instructions per kit online. -Jeff

Adding the dextrose will give the cider carbonation when bottled for about 2 weeks. I'm not sure what the vinegar taste could be but generally after bottle conditioning, the tastes improve and it will mellow out. I would just try that and see also the extra sugar might help offset the...