Just 1 more stupid question

[jimboeric]

You all have been very helpfull with my questions. I feel I can now order the stuph to make -lets name it- "jimbo bock", a high alc content similarity to either of 2 cheap Texas dark beers: Ziegenbock or Shiner bock. I read reviews on both, they are moderately accepted beers. Turns out I am a dummy. Ziegenbock only has 4.0% alc while Shiner bock has 4.4%. I prefer Ziegenbock, it seems to have better flavor, but I never knew about the lower alc content. So what I've learned with your help: 1. Forget different yeast strains, with added malt extract ANY yeast will yield 7% alcohol. 2. My boiler pot can be aluminum or ceramic coated. I feel better buying the ceramic coated......just a feeling.
So therefore I will now order my starter kit and buy my boiling pot, plus extra malt extract for extra alc. and I'm sure darker beer. Please feel free to "intercept" this and correct me if I am wrong about ANY details. My goal: a dark beer with lots of flavor with 6 or 7% alc content that has an EASY recipe. I have not started and I want this to be easy. So please, all of you experienced brewers feel free to tell me more.
This is my LAST stupid question tho: I have a few flies in the apt. No doubt drawn by the sugar in emptied bottles of Samuel Adams Black Lager or Guiness Extra Stout. If I do this, have 5 gal. of beer fermenting, will my apt. smell, and/or draw flies? In my winemaking days the answer was yes. Thanks, Jim

 

[Ryanh1801]

first off in order to make a ziegenbock or shiner clone you will have to have a fridge with a controller, ZB is a lager which has to be fermented at low temps, around 50 degrees.Personal for your first beer I would suggest an Ale.

 

[DeadYetiBrew]

Only a couple problems i have with that...

1) different yeast strains give different flavors in addition to just providing alc
2) both the beers you named were lagers, go for a stout or porter
3) if you have an airlock on you shouldn't worry about flies, if you're worried about flies try cleaning up your apt, those bottles lying around will also have and grow bacteria that could inadvertantly lead to infecting your batch

 

[CBBaron]

I see you are in Austin. I would suggest going down to Austin Home Brew and picking up a robust porter recipe kit. The AHS Robust Porter is a 5% beer that should have tons of flavor. If thats too dark for your taste a kit like the AHS Texas Bock with some neutral dry yeast like Safale US-05 should produce a beer that is not too far off from the Shiner Bock. It won't be a true Bock (lager) but should have similar malt characteristics.
Craig