Neighbors calling the cops

[schneemann]

I figure if my neighbors are OK with all the racket I make working on my cars, they're probably OK with the brewing!

 

[kjung]

I've never had any one call the cops, but my next door neighbor, who's a "Friend of Bill W." told me yesterday that while I was doing a double brew session Sunday, the aromas were driving him crazy !

 

[paulvp]

Never had anyone call the cops however my neighbor is a cop and comes over from time to time to watch/help. Good guy.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I always have this in the back of my mind when brewing. I don't use an IC or CFC so, I don't worry about what anyone may assume by the looks of it. However, it is not legal to brew here and I have a 2 year old and another on the way.

The last thing I need is a meddling neighborhood walker calling the cops and or DHS on me for making beer. Especially considering that Wine and Cider are legal but then , I don't drink those.

So, usually I brew in the garage with the door mostly closed. It's just not worth the potential frustration.

 

[damrass]

This actually happened Sunday when I was teaching my roommate how to brew. (Curious neighbors, not calling cops.) We were outside, and our neighbor poked her head out her back door and wondered if we were having a fish fry. I told her we were making home made beer. She gave me a funny look and enthusiastically said, "How cool!"

Around 15 minutes later, her friends came by and we got to talking with one of them. Her brother and uncle used to homebrew, albeit with a different setup. Small world.

 

[Hurricane09]

Funny, I was thinking the same thing this past Sunday. We just moved to a nice small (but very religious) town and here I am, garage door open, turkey fryer boiling, big stir stick in one hand, glass of beer in the other, wort chiller in the cooler on the floor, mad grin on my face - probably looked like a meth-cooking maniac. so after a while I closed the main door and just opened the back door for air.:rockin:

 

[michael88n]

Desert Monkey says,
"Course, he might think I'm hiding meth in my beer..."

- Isn't that where we all hide our meth???

Chimone says,
"What if you are in the backyard brewing naked? Is that illegal?"

- Don't ask the question if you dobn't want to know the answer!

David 42 says,
and has enough brewing & distilling equipment to launch a space shuttle.

- "Houston, we have a problem..."

EvilTOJ says,

Me: Sitting outside watching the boil going on, having a beer
Cops: Driving along the street, slow down in front of my house a little
Me: Waves to the cops
Cops: Wave back, continue on up the street.
beerthirty
Although they haven't taken me up on it, at least now someone waves back as they roll by.

and

paulvp says,
Never had anyone call the cops however my neighbor is a cop and comes over from time to time to watch/help. Good guy.

- Gives a new meaning to "Protect and Serve".


Seriously, unless HBT is blocked in the slammer, I'm glad that no one has really gotten in trouble.

While deployed to the desert, I often day dreamed about what I might be able to get away with brewing. Never tried it... but it helped pass the hours.

Michael

 

[Special Hops]

I never knew homebrewing was illegal in some states.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I never knew homebrewing was illegal in some states.

IIRC, there are only 3 states Homebrewing is still illeagal in to this day, Alabama, Utah, and Oklahoma.

 

[DrinksWellWithOthers]

Only recently did I realize that homebrewing is still technically illegal in some states. Check out beertown.org for legalization of homebrewing and laws for each state.

http://beertown.org/homebrewing/legal.html

 

[carnevoodoo]

My neighbor looks over the fence and says, "what are you making?" I'll say something like "a scottish" and he'll say, "are you going to caramelize the first gallon of runnings?"

He's been brewing for something like 10 years. He's a good neighbor to have.

 

[Cape Brewing]

Wow.. I never even considered the whole "people will think I'm cookin' Meth or something" angle. Luckily all of my neighbors hang out at my bar and drink my beers with me so it's never likely to be a problem.

 

[FSR402]

My neighbor jokingly asked if I was making meth or beer when I first started brewing. Now he just wants to sample a glass.

Really the only shady looking things are carboys and the immersion chiller. Homebrewing in my state is legal so nothing to worry about.

Mine asked if I was making Meth also I just said "no, this is beer, the meth is in the basment."....

 

[pen25]

IIRC, there are only 3 states Homebrewing is still illeagal in to this day, Alabama, Utah, and Oklahoma.

edit to say it seems to be illegal but i am researching this to make sure.

hrrm interesting. im a law breaker. guess it isnt legal though i am researching this now.

 

[RodfatherX]

I believe it is still illegal in Mississippi also.

 

[Kevin Dean]

Your neighbor is a coward if he calls the cops. If he or she has a problem with what you're doing, you should have the nuts to say something to you. That whole "he's not doing anything to harm me, but I still feel the need to insert myself in other people's business" pisses me off, and I assure you I'd not be dealing with that neighbor in the future.

 

[evanmars]

What if you are in the backyard brewing naked? Is that illegal?

Apparently it isn't in Vermont!

 

[Lurpinator]

... Unless you live in Utah! But then again, kegs are illegal outside a licensed club or tavern. I brew quite openly in my back yard, haven't had any trouble. But it would be interesting to see what law enforcement would do with the situation. I am not aware of any case in Utah where a homebrewer has been cited. But, I suppose it is possible.

Funny story. . I was in my local homebrew shop (in Utah), and as soon as I walked in I saw 2 cops, I was like oh god they're getting shut down.. After that they walked over and picked up some extract, some grains and a steeping bag. They were homebrewers!! The workers knew them so obviously it had been going on for a while. That should give you some idea of how strict it is here. But it's also a very legal shop, they are listed in the phonebook under beer brewing. I don't really understand it but hey, if they let me brew, I'm cool.

 

[Matt Foley]

Funny story. . I was in my local homebrew shop (in Utah), and as soon as I walked in I saw 2 cops, I was like oh god they're getting shut down.. After that they walked over and picked up some extract, some grains and a steeping bag. They were homebrewers!! The workers knew them so obviously it had been going on for a while. That should give you some idea of how strict it is here. But it's also a very legal shop, they are listed in the phonebook under beer brewing. I don't really understand it but hey, if they let me brew, I'm cool.

Thats great. Were you at the Beer Nut or Arts? Both of those places have been around awhile and seem to do a decent business.

 

[Brewsmith]

I never knew homebrewing was illegal in some states.

5 States
Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Utah

 

[barroomhero1234]

My set up is not big enough to move out of my basement right now. But my favorite is when you tell people you brew your own beer, they always say like oh in your bathtub? Or stuff like ouu used to drink moonshine in school. This really gets me going

 

[Stratotankard]

Your neighbor is a coward if he calls the cops. If he or she has a problem with what you're doing, you should have the nuts to say something to you. That whole "he's not doing anything to harm me, but I still feel the need to insert myself in other people's business" pisses me off, and I assure you I'd not be dealing with that neighbor in the future.

sorta off topic, but have a friend who noticed an American flag had blown off her neighbor's house and into the yard. She folded it up and left it on their front steps. Another neighbor saw her putting the flag on the ground and called the cops on her for "desecrating" the flag. The cops were cool and laughed about it with her, but it pisses me off that her neighbor didn't just come over and say something to her. For the record my friend's husband is active duty AF and deployed to the desert.
/rant

I go out of my way to let the neighbors know that I brew my own. Even have them saving their Sam Adams and Diamond bear bottles for me.

 

[newell456]

Mine asked if I was making Meth also I just said "no, this is beer, the meth is in the basment."....

I vote that this has to be the best answer.

 

[Saccharomyces]

hehe this thread is pretty funny. My neighbor the other day finally asked what I was doing. I claimed I was brewing meth beer.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Your neighbor is a coward if he calls the cops. If he or she has a problem with what you're doing, you should have the nuts to say something to you.

I kinda disagree here. If I didn't have any relationship with my neighbors, and I suspected them of brewing meth or some other illicit activity, I'd be EXTREMELY hesitant to confront them about it personally. Those types of confrontations are best left to the police.

 

[jfrizzell]

Yeah, gotta agree with Yuri on that one.

"Hey buddy, what are you doing with that anhydrous ammonia? What about all of those guns you have there? You're not doing anything illegal are you? I might have to report you to the cops."

Nothing good can come of that...

 

[FlyingHorse]

i read that article and i think the guy that wrote it is on crack...i think he was one of those bull **** journalists. but my uncle told me (he lives in bama) that u can brew in alabama u just cant buy equipement from homebrew stores. i dont know if he is correct but the law makes sense

I think your uncle might be wrong: http://www.beertown.org/statutes/alabama.htm

Alabama state statue § 28-1-1 prohibits the possession of illegally manufactured alcoholic beverages.

Discussion:
The state of Alabama has both Wet and Dry counties and municipalities. The state maintains a tight control on all alcoholic beverage sale, manufacture, possession, etc. No statutory exception to § 28-1-1 exists for the home production of beer. Furthermore, no statutory exception to § 28-1-1 exists for the home production of wine and/or cider.

Alabama case law illustrates a historical trend in which the court has held homebrew to be a prohibited liquor.

 

[Lurpinator]

The Beer Nut... They are awesome

 

[Lurpinator]

Thats great. Were you at the Beer Nut or Arts? Both of those places have been around awhile and seem to do a decent business.

Ehem, excuse me I'm a noob.

The Beer Nut. They are awesome.

 

[pen25]

I kinda disagree here. If I didn't have any relationship with my neighbors, and I suspected them of brewing meth or some other illicit activity, I'd be EXTREMELY hesitant to confront them about it personally. Those types of confrontations are best left to the police.

agree. if people knew the kinda people cooks are you dont confront them. you call the cops and ensure you take a vacation for a week so you dont have to deal with the sweep possible shoot out and the hazmat traffic.