Maybe next time I'll either do a full boil and/or add 1/2 my extract and adjuncts toward the end of my boil. Should still work fine for bittering right?
Yes, that's a good way to do extracts. You may even get more hop utilization as a result.
Hi. First, I have to admit to being a noob (at what point does one cease to be a noob?).
Never, we are all noobs at something. You become a pro at one thing, you step up your game doing something else for the first time, making you a noob again. Have 200 ales under your belt and this is your first lager? Noob. First dry hop? Noob. 200 extracts, but the first all grain? Noob. A thousand Wits, but on your first Saison? Noob.
It's good to be a noob, as it keeps us from staying in a rut. Stay adventurous. Keep asking questions. The day you stop learning something, is the day you stop living and start dying.
All in all I'm hoping for reassurance that I'm not wasting my time with this batch. I'm banking on the idea that it's not going to have a significant impact on the flavor as long as I do everything else right???
You are not wasting your time. Rarely is a homebrew, even a fail ale, a waste of time. And what you are describing here is far from a fail ale [lager] (or carb cleaner, brat boiler, or whatever you call bad batches). You might have some carmelization, but that's no biggie. Most off flavors, if any, will condition out in time.
This will be a good, if not great, beer and is a great experience.
That, and +1 to the color always appears darker in large quantity. The ocean seems blue, but when I scoop out a cup of it, it appears hella clear.
RDWHAHB.