I appreciate all the welcoming comments! I've been on and off this forum many times, but I'm just now getting around to replying as I didn't even notice my thread became active.
Yes, the Everyday IPA was in fact the Brooklyn BrewShop kit. Pretty good first batch!
I'm quickly learning what you mean by the rabbit hole analogy. There's always more to learn. For me, the next steps will be looking closely at mash resting strategies, yeast effects and pitch rates, and later perhaps water chemistry. My current strategy is using partial RO water from my home unit (with re-mineralization stage) and partial straight from the tap.
Since my initial post I've almost gone through my first 5 gal corny keg worth of a Fat Tire clone. I'm already sick of my cruddy little party tap. I was unable to use the stand-up freezer as intended due to the shelving using integrated refrigerant lines. Oops. Soon I'll turn my new 7cu ft chest freezer into a properly-tapped keezer. A coffin style raised-tap setup will come eventually. Later this week I'll rack my Stone IPA clone into a keg and begin carbing. I should be able to drink some this weekend!
Again on the rabbit hole that is equipment, I'll need to seriously pace myself with purchases as I already want more kegs for more variety, and a three-tier brewstand would add some much appreciated convenience and consistency. Anyone else have comments about constructing, designing, or outfitting a three-tier stand? I don't want to wrap up too much money and I'm pretty handy with DIY projects, so I'm not looking at keggles or pumps. I plan to stick with 5 gal batches for quite some time as I truly appreciate variety.