Steeping Grains with an Extract Kit?

OK, I've done several extract kits now, and something has been bothering me (and, as always, with a forum this massive, if this topic has been beaten to death already, please feel free point me to the relevant thread):

Why the heck are we steeping grains? Is it just to make us feel like we're brewing?

The LME and DME provide the bulk of the fermentable material.

This steeping phase is usually 15 - 30 minutes, then heat to boiling (destroy the enzymes). Is 15 - 30 minutes enough time to hydrolyze the starches in 2 lbs. of steeping grains when a normal all-grain mash would go for an hour (or more)?

The enzymes from the steeped grains don't act against the L/DME because we boil before the L/DME is added.

The best I can figure, we might gain a little body from long chain starches or persistent sweetness from sugars too large to be metabolized by the yeast. Perhaps a little flavor from specialty grains. Even if the steeping grains do release their starches and the enzymes (assuming we're using grains that have enzymes) are activated and have enough time to hydrolyze the starches... so what? We're about to add 8+ pounds of L/DME.

And it seems like the main risk of steeping at too high a temperature is that we'll release bitter tannins from the grain husks because I doubt we're really counting on these enzymes to do much. Are we?

From https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14649
"Most people steep with grains like crystal, Chocolate, and dextrin malts which only add color and flavor to beers."

And from https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=430589
"AG brews use the same amount of specialty grains as extract."

So, color and flavor.

The "Similar Threads" feature below my thread led me to these.

short answer: steeping adds flavor/color

long answer:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Steeping_grain
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=348023
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=13573

We are talking about steeping, and not mashing.

In steeping, enzymes take no part.

We steep grains mainly for flavor. Crystal malts provide sweetness, and contribute about .003 gravity points per lb to a 5 gallon batch. Roasted/dark grains add a distinct roast flavor, and add about .002 points per lb to 5 gallons. Steeping dissolves sugars already present in the grains, it does not convert any starches.

These grains add characteristic flavors to beer which are absent in extracts.

True, many grains used in extract batches need mashing to contribute anything, and I too, wonder why they are used. Mashing requires temperature control, and is best done with small volumes of liquid. Just a note; with today's well modified malts, conversion is mostly done in 20 minutes, not an hour.

My guess would be color and flavor. The irish red i brewed i think really benefited from the steeping grains in terms of that distinct red color.

Color, flavor, mouthfeel, head retention. You can make a good porter or stout and the base LME/ DME is extra light. Add in the dark crystals and malts and you can get something dark and yummy.

As was alluded to, steeping grains are already converted, so no mash is needed. you're just steeping the grains like a tea, for color & flavor. So 30 minutes is fine, along with larger volumes of water that can't be used in mashing. I still mash for an hour, although some lager/pilsner malts I've used that were well modified still seem to need more time to more completely convert. Incomplete conversion can give starch haze to the final product.

Anymore I generally do a small mash with steeping grains. They do add flavor and color. The small mash also gives me the option of adding grains or adjuncts that need conversion.

An easy experiment would be to make one beer with steeping grains and the other without.