D Kristof

The yeast provide the B vitamins which your body normally flushes out when it processes alcohol. No B vitamin deficiency, less chance of s hangover.

There's never a dumb question, unless the resident guru ( @RickBeer) declares it to be so.

"Plus , if you buy MRB yeast on its own, it is half the cost of the oth er yeasts, making me doubt its quality" Don't disparage the Coopers yeast from down unda the lid, because it is a great yeast. I use it more often than I do US04 or US05. I hold my fermentation temperatures at 63 degrees and its a clean yeast. I let my fermentation temperatures rise to 68 and IMO similar to a British ale yeast. If you think about all of the novice brewers using MrBeer products and their kegs are on a kitchen counter probably in the low 70's and they're making passable beer... most other yeasts are more fickle and have a more narrow temperature range.

Now that you've heard a couple opinions... probably more to come. I could show you a youtube link of John Palmer brewing a Belgian Tripel. Watched it a couple weeks ago and he adds 2 lbs of sugar but that would only prove nothing is set in stone. If it was my beer, I would use 1/2 cup of light brown sugar and 1/2 cup of table sugar. My first alternate recipe modifications would be to replace the sugar with MrBeers liquid malt extracts.

Brown sugar is actually processed sugar with molasses added for color. The yeast will readily eat the sugar and leave the molasses which causes the licorice taste. With processed sugar, if you don't control the temperatures it could cause an apple cider flavor. Palmer's concerns if I remember correctly are twofold. First, not all sugars are alike. Some are junk food for the yeast. After eating the junk food the yeast might not be as willing to eat the malt sugars. Secondly is the possibility of the cider flavor.

I would just use them in the LBK. as for a point of reference, I never do a 2 gallon batch, I top around 2 1/2 gallons. the volume difference has a negligible impact on the ABV, I'm interested in the taste differences and bottle count.

All joking aside, some homebrews get better with age... some don't. IPA's tend to lose their hoppiness over time. If it's too hop forward for you let it sit and the hoppiness will decrease. Malty beers IMO only get better with age. I'm trying yo brew my porters, stouts, Oktoberfest and Belgian triples now for consumption in the fall and winter. I'm also trying to work in my wheat beers and lawn mower beers for the next couple months, because they reach thrir peak in a few weeks. @Creeps McLane, if nobody died, it's all good.

Which part of Cinti are you in?

Open the bottles slowly over a bowl. No need to lose that beer.

Your questions have already been answered so this reply may be considered piling on, but I'm doing it any way. If it's described as a specialty grain you can put it in cold tap water to extract its intended qualities (just as you can coffee or tea). Without looking it up I think Chromos calls for that (then again it might be something I just did after reading an article and not in the recipe directions). Some dark malts are astringent if you steep them hotter. When I am mashing I will always add black malts at the very end.

That's precisely the point I was flailing at but not making contact with. I don't understand the willingness to make that first sale and accept the drop off of so many after the initial disappointment. There are many opportunities and resources being left for discovery only by the few who persevere.

@Nickfixit, you don't dare question those temperatures. They're playing the "we only claimed it would be beer" game. Disappointing.

As Rickbeer suggested keep your temperatures at the low end and add both later. Adding it while the malt sugars are fermenting will only encourage a bulimic feeding frenzy resulting in the fruit flavors and aromas being lost.

FYI. https://byo.com/article/brown-malt/ and https://homebrewanswers.com/amber-malt/ If you want to use both of them you should do a simple mashing. Bring 1.5 qts of water to 160 degrees on your stove. Turn off the heat (if you have an electric range remove your pot from the burner) and stir in your grains. Check the temperature and reheat as necessary to begin your mash around 152 to 155. Cover the pot with a lid and let it sit for 30 to 40 minutes. In another pot begin heating the water following your standard MrBeer recipe instructions. Over your "brewing kettle", pour your mashed grains into a colander and rinse them with the water from the second pot. Bring that to a boil. Remove from the heat and proceed as if following a normal MrBeer recipe.

All kidding aside, I don't see anything wrong with using either or both. You're changing the recipe, but it's nothing like adding cane sugar, maple syrup and honey just because you have them in the pantry.