The brood chamber is to raise bees. You know that. A good strong colony needs 2 brood boxes. Then you may want to flip-flop. In other words when the Queen has moved into the top brood box and it is full of brood, put it on bottum and the bottum on top. You should have to do this only once this late. BUT if the queen has not yet moved into the super, then it will not be necessary to do this.
If you do not use two deeps, the queen will most likely move into the super and lay eggs, If this hasen't already happened
Some like to use medium boxes for brood.
No matter what size the box, if it is used for brood rearing it is a brood chamber.
3 medium supers equal 2 deeps.
It is less work to just put the next empty super on top of the nearly full one. If you do not give them more space in some form they will swarm. NOT may swarm. They will swarm.
I have no idea how you can have a good healthy colony, "without taking some honey. "IF you have any nector flow to amount to anything.
If you have not done so, and any more new B's, I recomend getting at least one book, two or more is better.
Beekeeping for dummies is very informitive.
Beekeeping, A Practical guide, by Richard Bonney.
Starting Right with Bees. ROOT Publishing
First lessons in BEEKEEPING, A DATANT PUBLICATION
This is just 4 of the 10 or so I have.
Hope this helps.
doak