I have a few questions since I'm still new to homebrewing.
I wanted to do something rather easy this time (so easy I have to ask questions, right?
), and was just wanting to do a stout kit, but maybe taking it up another notch ("imperialize" it maybe?). I was thinking of steeping some black patent malt and chocolate malt, maybe crystal too, for more body and complexity, as well as a bit of extra DME to bump the body and alcohol up a bit, and maybe get a better yeast than a standard kit packet of yeast. (edit: when I mean stout kit, I mean a simple hopped-stout-extract-in-a-can kit with a packet of yeast)
So:
Which malt(s) and how much would be good to steep, since I hear you can easily go overboard with black patent malt?
And not wanting to waste a kit packet of yeast, could you use the kit packet of yeast AND add something like an American Ale yeast? Or would mixing yeast do funny things?
Would I need to add extra hops if adding extra DME?