General brake question

It's better to adjust the brake shoes so that they are just contacting the drums rather than applying the emergency brake.

I disagree, to a degree.
It's always nice to have well adjusted brakes, - when bleeding, if you move the shoes into contact with the drum with the emergency, you eliminate any wasted pedal travel moving the shoes out, especially if they are out of adjustment. The wheel cylinder struts move out, stay out cuz the emergency is stopping the springs pulling the shoe back and forth.
Suggesting a novice adjust the rear brakes thru the slot can prove challenging to someone not familiar to adjusting, and can be out and out frustrating, if not impossible to un-adjust if over-tightened, ya know, - holding the lever away with one hand and screwdriver, - while backing-up the star, with the other hand with a tool, third hand holding a flashlight, allll thru that tiny slot, - meanwhile the drum won't turn.
The emergency is so much more time efficient, and less likely to cause anyone the annoyance if messing with the adjusters unnecessarily.

jmexperience