Hello! My site isn't live yet...

But I have spent hours trying to get the Excerpt length of a blog post to change...redoing all iterations listed below, but it just isn't changing. I have updated to Version 8 of Salient. I have have disable plug-ins. 

Settings / Reading

Front page displays : A static page
Front page: Home
Posts Page: Blog Masonry Sidebar

Salient / Blog /Styling

Blog Type: Masonry Blog with Sidebar

Salient / Blog / Functionality

Automatic Posts Excerpts is checked
Excerpt Length is 1000
Pagination Type is Default (not sure if that matters at all!)

On Home Page,

I have the Blog Nectar Element on page thru Visual Composer. 
Blog Settings
Layout: Standard Blog with Sidebar
Enable Pagination: (Unchecked.)
Posts Per Page: 1

Any insights would be highly helpful! Alternative solution would be to show full blog post on this page, but I would want the comment area to show, and I can't figure out that work around either! I would rather have the first issue solved! 

THANK YOU!!!