Legality of Equipment Use

[Virginia_Ranger]

Had this question come up and was wondering (I am in VA) before ever going down that road, are there legal concerns with charging anyone for equipment use? The two areas I am most curious about are:

Canning or Kegging

It doesn't seem like it would be an issue to say alright you can rent this keg for $10 / month hand it over or to say you can use the canning machine for $20 / hour plus cost of cans. Am I right, that doesn't seem legally wrong (assuming all business taxes are paid etc etc)?

Heres the grey area in question ---- can you do everything mentioned above but be the one filling someone elses homebrew? I.E. you do the transfer into the keg or you fill and seem the cans. Again just for homebrew, not commercial use or sale with the understanding (in a waiver) the beer in said keg or can is not intend for sale purposes EVER.

I have been curios how all the these mobile canning solutions popping have navigated that water.

This is all theory crafting by the way over a stovetop will drinking homebrews......

 

[Jayjay1976]

So you want someone to pay you to can/bottle their homebrew? I can't imagine who would pay for that. Renting a canner? That might be a thing. Your mention of some legal agreement not to sell the product would be impossible to enforce.

 

[Virginia_Ranger]

So you want someone to pay you to can/bottle their homebrew? I can't imagine who would pay for that. Renting a canner? That might be a thing. Your mention of some legal agreement not to sell the product would be impossible to enforce.

All depends on the person I suppose, some folks enjoy parts of the process others don't. Homebrews are a bit more of DIY crowd so renting the canner does seem like it be the bigger go to option but if you have someone who has an event or wedding that already doesn't have time they may be happy to pay you to help them get their stuff ready.

As for the waiver its more of a CYA, I doubt the waiver I sign when I go through an outfitter is a bidding legal contract but if I have to say I'll wear a life vest and if I don't and drown on a rapid well its my fault for not wearing a life vest but at the least outfitter can say I was told to and I said I would.

 

[bobeer]

One of our club members has a canning machine and he just asks that people buy their own cans but doesn't charge anything to use it. We're in VA too so idk if he does that because he has to or if he just wants to make it a perk of the club. I can ask though.

 

[Jayjay1976]

All depends on the person I suppose, some folks enjoy parts of the process others don't. Homebrews are a bit more of DIY crowd so renting the canner does seem like it be the bigger go to option but if you have someone who has an event or wedding that already doesn't have time they may be happy to pay you to help them get their stuff ready.

As for the waiver its more of a CYA, I doubt the waiver I sign when I go through an outfitter is a bidding legal contract but if I have to say I'll wear a life vest and if I don't and drown on a rapid well its my fault for not wearing a life vest but at the least outfitter can say I was told to and I said I would.

Makes perfect sense now, would you drive to Chicago this Saturday?

I really hate canning things myself and I have a 1-gallon batch I need for a bris, would like them canned in shorties.

 

[Virginia_Ranger]

One of our club members has a canning machine and he just asks that people buy their own cans but doesn't charge anything to use it. We're in VA too so idk if he does that because he has to or if he just wants to make it a perk of the club. I can ask though.

Thanks, if you could I'd appreciate it. I live right near Final Gravity which was a home brew store turned homebrew store / brewery combo and they have a canning machine and I was kind of baffled they don't offer (and charge) canning.

 

[Virginia_Ranger]

Makes perfect sense now, would you drive to Chicago this Saturday?

I really hate canning things myself and I have a 1-gallon batch I need for a bris, would like them canned in shorties.

Sure do you cover mileage