Home Brewing is illegal in Alabama??

[Grinder12000]

WOW - get in the 19th century!!

Alabama Criminal Code 28-4-20

Right to Brew » Blog Archive » L.A. Times: Beer battle brewing in Alabama

 

[McKBrew]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/homebrewing-illegal-alabama-65177/

 

[Revvy]

And Utah, and Mississippi as well.....


Basic brewing had a nice piece on it.

October 30, 2008 - Brewing Against the Grain
We talk to home brewers Vickie Watson and Ken Dollar from Mississippi, where home brewing is illegal. We also talk to Mazen Hajjar, owner of the first brewpub in Beirut, Lebanon: 961 Beer

Click to Listen.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Oklahoma too.

Title 37:

"...up to 100 gallons per Adult, 2 adult maximum, per household of wine or cider for personal consumption....."

Yadda, Yadda, kiss my blankity blank.

IIRC, Able regulates high point. Local health departments regulate low point and in my area the local health cares nothing about personal consumption.

So, all my recipes show my 1.060 and higher SG to have fermented out very lowly.

 

[Grinder12000]

That's crazy weird. Is America backward enough?

BTW - Revvy - I se Michigan was the 1st state to ratify the constitution, Wisconsin was #2

 

[flyangler18]

All the more reason to join AHA.

The fact that there are homebrew shops in states where homebrewing is deemed illegal always make me scratch my head. Listen to the podcast Revvy posted- it's very interesting.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

All the more reason to join AHA.

I am a member. I don't think AHA knows Oklahoma exists.

 

[flyangler18]

Just my little PSA for the masses.

 

[camiller]

BTW - Revvy - I se Michigan was the 1st state to ratify the constitution, Wisconsin was #2

Sorry for quibbling but.... Neither Michigan nor Wisconsin even existed when the Constitution was ratified between 1787 and 1790.

I will however offer a :rockin: to your states roles in ratifying the 21st Amendment since Nebraska never bothered to either ratify or reject it at all.

 

[bashe]

But we do have a few home brew shops in the state.

 

[billtzk]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/homebrewing-illegal-alabama-65177/

Thanks for posting that. Everyone reading this thread should go read that one too, and be sure to read the link posted by PseudoChef in the other thread. Here it is...

ABC Agent came to my house today

The fact that some laws on the book are seldom enforced should not induce you to become complacent. Government is force, never forget it.

 

[Jps7117]

What's the old saying, "What they don't know...."

 

[imaguitargod]

"What they don't know...."

"....could kill them?"

 

[avidhomebrewer]

Didn't Carter legalize homebrewing in 77 or there abouts? I didn't read the law in all its irregularities, but I never heard of any state being excluded. Maybe it's just me though. I think I'll have another homebrew.....

 

[flyangler18]

Didn't Carter legalize homebrewing in 77 or there abouts? I didn't read the law in all its irregularities, but I never heard of any state being excluded. Maybe it's just me though. I think I'll have another homebrew.....

It was legalized on the federal level, but some states had other ideas. Consider federal laws a minimum- states can always extend it further.

Jason

 

[AKbrewer]

In a truly free society, how could home brew possibly be illegal?.....

Land of the fee, home of the slave.

 

[cdburg]

All the more reason to join AHA.

+1

I've heard that the AHA is working to get Utah's homebrewing ban overturned. I'd imagine they're working on Alabama, Oklahoma and any other states where homebrewing is banned too.

Legalization / Laws for Homebrewing

 

[billtzk]

In a truly free society, how could home brew possibly be illegal?.....

Land of the fee, home of the slave.

It couldn't be, and neither could distilling, or hiring a prostitute, or using drugs. There would be no forbidden words on broadcast television, no laws against gambling, no laws concerning public decency, or any other victimless "crime".

But of course, there are no free societies.

 

[Nightbiker]

Well at least Florida isn't completely behind the times. Our state only restricts the gallonage (100gal for household with 1 person over 21, 200gal for a home with more than 1 person over 21) Can't sell it. And I'm not likely to be breaking the 200 limit anytime soon (though I admit now I have a goal to shoot for).

 

[Homercidal]

Well at least Florida isn't completely behind the times. Our state only restricts the gallonage (100gal for household with 1 person over 21, 200gal for a home with more than 1 person over 21) Can't sell it. And I'm not likely to be breaking the 200 limit anytime soon (though I admit now I have a goal to shoot for).

Yeah, but that is the federal limit, IIRC. And, you cna only give away a certain amount as well.

 

[Fadeux]

The stupidity of this country never fails to surprise me. Making your own beer is illegal in one state, smoking a cigarette in your own home is illegal in another.

The people in this country are always ranting and raving about freedom, but no one really seems to understand what that word means. Way too many groups here that just won't let up until they take someone else's rights away.

 

[TroutBum]

When I first started brewing here in GA it was still illegal (early 90's). I remember going to BYOB, "Bake Your Own Bread", a local shop that just happened to sell supplies that could be used for brewing...

 

[Aubie Stout]

Not only is home brewing illegal here, but we also have an alcohol restriction on beers to 6%. Any beer with an alcohol content over 6% is illegal. Since most speciality beer makers have at least one if not all of their offerings in that range, we don't have a lot to choose from.......

So..... We are forced to home brew because we can't buy any decent beers here, but it's illegal. WTF??!?!

 

[Fadeux]

A great example in my state. We can't buy liquor or wine on sundays. Bars can serve them off sale though. A couple years back, New Years fell on a sunday, so they changed the law for that year only. Talk about grade A nonsense....

 

[bashe]

Not only is home brewing illegal here, but we also have an alcohol restriction on beers to 6%. Any beer with an alcohol content over 6% is illegal. Since most speciality beer makers have at least one if not all of their offerings in that range, we don't have a lot to choose from.......

So..... We are forced to home brew because we can't buy any decent beers here, but it's illegal. WTF??!?!

And don't forget there is also a bottle size restriction so we can not get beer in large bottles even if its below 6%.

 

[remilard]

The stupidity of this country never fails to surprise me. Making your own beer is illegal in one state, smoking a cigarette in your own home is illegal in another.

Maybe that is stupid but federalism is the principal upon which the US was founded. Legislation is supposed to be largely left to the states. You are free as a legal resident to live in any state you choose.

 

[MSAstoria]

...because the Founders feared that a large government was more likely to restrict liberties than a small one. (Un)fortunately, the result is that one state can restrict a liberty while another one allows it.

The major limit being the Constitution, of course. Not that anyone can agree on what THAT means...

 

[XXguy]

It couldn't be, and neither could distilling, or hiring a prostitute, or using drugs. There would be no forbidden words on broadcast television, no laws against gambling, no laws concerning public decency, or any other victimless "crime".

But of course, there are no free societies.

They don't get the press - but the 9th & 10th ammendments are worth knowing ( even if not actually allowed to live by them )

Ninth Amendment – Protection of rights not specifically enumerated in the Bill of Rights.
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Tenth Amendment – Powers of states and people.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

 

[Christian]

Just to clarify since Utah has been mentioned on here. Home Brewing is not technically illegal as there is no state law that says it is illegal. However there is a licensing and taxation issue as the law does not distinguish between a brewery and a home brewer. The licensing and taxing of a home brewer has never been enforced though.

 

[Fadeux]

Maybe that is stupid but federalism is the principal upon which the US was founded. Legislation is supposed to be largely left to the states. You are free as a legal resident to live in any state you choose.

Don't get me wrong, the less involved, in anything, the federal government is the better. In my state, it's just one of those ancient laws that no one really bothers to talk about. Everyone just kind of accepts it.