Ok me and a friend just started homebrewing. People at our work know we are finishing our first batch this week. Is it breaking any laws by giving them a bottle or two? I know it seems like a cheesy question but we just dont wanna chance stepping over the line.
breaking any laws?
- Thread starter devoidelk
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Nothing wrong with that.
I trade empties for full bottles with family, friends and coworkers.
I trade empties for full bottles with family, friends and coworkers.
devoidelk said:
Ahhh and that is when it will get WAYYYYYYYYY more involved.
Home brewers can legally make 200 gal per adult in a single household.
Search the forum for this topic and you will be amazed at the details.
That's 100 gallons/year per adult, or 200 gallons/year per household of two or more adults, federally. States may restrict that further, though I don't know that any do at this point.
danb35 said:
Indeed. That is what happens when I check HBT when I am barely awake.
kombat
Well-Known Member
Alabama does. They limit you to 15 gallons/quarter.
Some states have weird rules. Wisconsin, believe it or not, had some strange rules about not serving homebrew outside of the home but that only recently got changed. Got a LHBS? Ask the guys/ladies behind the counter. They'd probably know the subtleties of your state's laws. Or call the Alcohol Licensing commission or whatever it's called in your area and ask them questions.
This.
In some states it's technically illegal to remove homebrew from your home. As a Boilermaker, I can tell you that I definitely noticed that Indiana had some pretty wonky blue laws back in the day (i.e. no alcohol sales on Sunday), so I don't know how they address homebrew. Even in CA, where I now live, there was a recent thread here on HBT suggesting that the CA ABC might start trying to enforce the CA law that says homebrew should stay within the home unless being taken to a competition/exhibition.
In all truth, I wouldn't worry about it, though. Yes, you might be breaking a stupid, pointless law. But who's going to turn you in? And what cop is going to actually try to enforce it? The risk is VERY minimal here...
Well hope if a cop does start to make a riot over it. I'll just give him a homebrew to calm him down.
MarshmallowBlue
Well-Known Member
I pulled into a full serve gas station with 5 gallons of pitched wort in an ale pale and airlock, buckled in. I think the guy thought I was hauling 5 gals of liquid meth or whatever.
aubiecat
Well-Known Member
Probably because it's more common for someone to be tooling down the road cooking a batch of meth than to have 5 gallons of homebrew buckled in like you did.
To the thread starter - the line that you don't want to cross (unless you are licensed) is doing something that makes it look like you're selling your brew or trading/bartering it in exchange for something of value.
You will be fine and no you aren't stepping over the line.
dstranger99
Well-Known Member
You will be severely punished! The law will find you ! The FBI is probably monitoring this thread, so technically you're already screwed !!
Clonefan94
Senior Member
For homebrewing laws, I tend to look at the intent of the law, as opposed to the letter of the law. The intent of most homebrew laws, is to keep you from making a business out of it. I'm sure there are parts that are there to keep you from becoming a raging alcoholic, but let's be honest here, there are a lot cheaper ways to become an alcoholic. Plus, I don't see myself brewing over 200 gallons in one year. And the only time I ever take homebrew out of my house, is to share one with my neighbor.
The two household thing has seen a couple discussions on these boards though before. There is kind of a gray area there. Weather or not the brewing of "Beer" happens when you pithc the yeast or if it starts with boiling wort, etc. Most have come to the conclusion that it's where it's fermented is really what matters.
That being said, each state is a little different. And I truly believe, in the end, the main goal is to keep you from being able to produce enough beer, to make it viable for you to sell it. I really don't see the ATF coming after anyone for sharing a couple of bottles of beer amongst friends. I think the real problems would start if you got pulled over with a car full of homebrew that looked like you were actually trying to deliver a shipment to someone. But, be aware, we are talking about laws here. Is it likely you'll get pulled over for going 27 in a 25 mph zone, doubtful, but the officer would be well within his rights to right you a ticket for it, if he felt like it.
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