Not unless you used white portland. Normally it is gray, concrete colored more or less depending on your paper. Judith has some nice brown walls from using cardboard.
When it sounds like wood when you knock on it, is dry and hard, then it's done. Hard is relative, not like a rock but solid.
What are the characteristics of it being "done" cooking? I don't want to start the remainder stairs until the lower ones are solid - does it turn white?
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