First Time mistakes.

Really the only mistake you made was breaking your carboy, and that's just bad luck, sorry to hear about that one. Not taking a gravity sample is not the worst thing ever if you are using a kit, the kits generally will let you know what ABV to expect and if you followed the instructions you should be just fine to hit the target. Everything else you did seems pretty good and it sounds like you had a good brew day man, congrats!

 

This will not be your last mistake while brewing! I probably forget to take gravity readings once a year. There is also no reason to transfer your beer to a secondary unless you are going to age it with another ingredient. Have fun with your new hobby!

 

Racking it off the yeast and moving it to a secondary vessel can have clarifying effects and there is belief that long term aging on a yeast bed is not good, though less than a month has never had any issues for me. The downsides are, every time you transfer your risk you risk infection and oxidation. So for your average batch probably not worth the risk, but like a lot of things it comes down to preference.

 

I don't do a secondary unless I'm adding a secondary ingredient (fruit or the like). It's a chance fro oxidation and contamination that is not worth the benefit (there is usually no noticeable benefit).

 

It seems like the Home brew company's that sell starter kits want to sell you more equipment then needed and substantiate this with giving you more or less bad direction. I leave most all of my beers on the yeast cake for three weeks then package. Take care!

 

I think these kits all follow recipe templates which haven't been updated in 10-15 years. Common practice now is to not bother with secondary fermentation without a specific reason to do so (oaking, adding fruit, long-term aging).

 

As long as you have a really good, healthy pitch of yeast, the rest of the process is much the same. That is, unless you plan on getting fancy with oak-aging the stout or adding some Brett to the Belgian styles.

 

If you have confidence in your procedures, then go for it with one of those 'big boy' recipes. BUT, you will need to replace that bigger carboy or face a real mess and loss of beer if you try to ferment one of those beer recipes in your 5-gallon carboy. Installing a blow-off tube only allows the krausen a way out, and a lot it will get out and be lost.

 

6.5 gallon carboy preferably (I'd prefer 7-7.5, but can't find any). Also be aware that you will need a way to oxygenate (like with pure O2) to get even close to the oxygen levels you're supposed to have for a high gravity fermentation.

 

The bigger the better.

I use a 7.9 gallon bucket as my primary fermentor; lots of headspace in that bucket.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/master-vintner-7-9-gallon-fermenting-bucket

Cheers!

 

Good luck on your first beer. I too made many a mistake on my first try! I can't wait to see your beer.

 

I melted my colander steaming oak chips on my first batch.

Much later on, I was brewing a stout and a Flanders in the same day. Got my yeast mixed up. Stout with Roselare yeast was an interesting experiment.

 

One thing that is important to consider with high gravity fermentation is that the heat generated during fermentation can get out of control. Higher than desired fermentation temps create fusel alcohols and unwanted esters. If you don't have the ability to control your temps I would urge you not to take on a big beer.

 

I brew 3-4 big beers a year and have never used pure oxygen. I made them for four or five years shaking the bucket and since then with my stir paddle hooked to a drill motor. My last one hit 15.5%. Commercial brewery's cannot shake their fermenters so oxygen is by far easier. I have nothing against using oxygen if that is what you like but to tell someone they can't make a big beer without it is ridiculous! Take care.

 

I'm not saying you can't, but people have checked dissolved O2 using different methods and shaking never got to the recommended levels. It got within a few ppm, but never got to ideal. You may make great beer just agitating, but you remove a variable by oxygenating.

 

I have put the parts of what you said which resonate with me in bold. I do this always, but I would be happy to concede that I am wasting time/resources on a lower gravity beer.