Whos about to go illegal? (2008 Update)

[BierMuncher]

I have this “friend” who just tallied up how much homebrew “he” has brewed this year.

Here’s the run-down.
January 1st – 5 Ounces English Ale
January 5th – 5 Ounces Kissing Toads Stout
January 13th – 5 Ounces Hefeweisen
January 20th – 5 Ounces American Pale
January 26th – 5 Ounces Kolsch (1st All Grain)
February 3rd – 5 Ounces Black Pearl Porter
February 9th – 5 Ounces Cheesefoods Caramel Cream
February 17th – 5 Ounces Session APA
February 24th – 5 Ounces Ordinary Bitters
March 3rd – 5 Ounces EdWorts Apfelwien
March 10th – 5 Ounces Blue Balls Belgian Wit
March 17th – 5 Ounces SWMBO Slayer Belgian Blonde
March 24th – 5 Ounces German AltBier
March 31st – 5 Ounces Blue Balls Belgian Wit
April 7th – 5 Ounces Blue Balls Belgian Wit (I like this beer)
April 14th – 5 Ounces APA
April 21st – 10 Ounces SWMBO Slayer Belgian Blonde
April 27th – 10 Ounces Nierara Sevada Pale Ale
May 5th - 10 Ounces Guinness Stout
May 13th – 10 Ounces Orange Kolsch
May 20th – 10 Ounces Red Hook ESB
May 26th – 10 Ounces Bass & Co Pale Ale
June 2nd – 10 Ounces Blue Balls Belgian Wit
June 9th – 10 Ounces Nierara Sevada Pale Ale
June 16th – 10 (more) Ounces Nierara Sevada Pale Ale
June 23rd – 10 Ounces EdWorts HausAle

Up next:
June 30th – 10 Ounces Boulevard Wheat

That’s 190 Ounces in six month. He's promised to stop brewing immediately.

How bout the rest of you… Any of your “friends” approaching “illegal” status?

 

[FlyGuy]

Whoa -- that's quite the impressive brew list your 'friend' has going there!

What's the illegal component? I don't get it.

 

[BierMuncher]

Whoa -- that's quite the impressive brew list your 'friend' has going there.

What's the illegal component? I don't get it.

Apparently there is a law that limits homebrewing to 100 gallons per person each year, or 200 gallons per household per year.

 

[Dude]

Whoa -- that's quite the impressive brew list your 'friend' has going there!

What's the illegal component? I don't get it.

100 gallons per adult, per household, up to 200 gallons.

Wow BM, you brew a ****eload. who drinks all of that?

 

[Orpheus]

Hey BM,

Mind posting your address, location of your beer, and weakest point of entry into your house?

 

[BierMuncher]

100 gallons per adult, per household, up to 200 gallons.

Wow BM, you brew a ****eload. who drinks all of that?

Well I...er..uh...I mean my "friend" is German and his SWMBO is Irish and he has three 21+ year old daughters home for the summer.

There is plenty of beer flowing much of the time.

Plus, he has a fair stash in kegs...so I'm told...for later in the year.

Hey BM,

Mind posting your address, location of your beer, and weakest point of entry into your house?

This...would be the weakest point of entry...

 

[Gambrinus]

Why the hell should homebrewing be regulated?!? @#$# that sh!t. As long as your 'friend' is not selling it or profiting in anyway other than enjoyment there shouldn't be any big deal. That law needs abolished.

 

[FlyGuy]

Apparently there is a law that limits homebrewing to 100 gallons per person each year, or 200 gallons per household per year.

Really? Wow.

American and Canadians are so similar, yet different in some peculiar ways.

For example, you all seem to like your guns and vigorously protect your right to bear arms. Up here, we have silly, silly firearms laws that do nothing, but Canadians are OK with that.

But down there, you have limits on your homebrew. Up here, we like our beer and vigorously protect the right to defend our beer! (To the best of my knowledge, we have no such law in Canada.)

Biermuncher, if you keep brewing like that, you are going to have to brew at my house soon! (You are welcome to leave the beer here, though -- those pesky borders are getting harder and harder to sneak alcohol across! )

 

[BierMuncher]

Why the hell should homebrewing be regulated?!? @#$# that sh!t. As long as your 'friend' is not selling it or profiting in anyway other than enjoyment there shouldn't be any big deal. That law needs abolished.

I think it's one of those "spit on the sidewalk" laws that exist. I don't see anyway that it could be...nor have I ever heard it ever being...enforced.

 

[DeathBrewer]

it's more of a loophole to stop bootlegging. if someone has mass amounts of beer being stored but they can't prove they are selling it, they could still get 'em for this. but...yeah...i don't think it's enforced very often, if ever.

 

[Ryanh1801]

Im only at 40, and have around 20 of it left in bottles or currently fermenting. My problem is I brew more than I drink.

 

[razyrsharpe]

answering this question truthfully is like putting a bumper sticker on your car that says "Legalize Marijuana!"...what it should actually say (and what some policemen read) is "follow me home and find my stash."

 

[Matt Foley]

What is even more curious is that some states have laws more restrictive than the federal law which good old Jimmy Carter signed allowing 100 Gallons. In Utah it appears to be illegal to brew or distill at all without a license even if it is for your own use. I am unaware of any actual prosecution but I do recall hearing about a Salt Lake LHBS getting hassled on occasion when I was in college some almost 20 years ago.

 

[JimC]

But down there, you have limits on your homebrew. Up here, we like our beer and vigorously protect the right to defend our beer! (To the best of my knowledge, we have no such law in Canada.)

Up here in the free North you can brew as much as your liver and bladder can handle.

 

[Beerrific]

I believe it is 50 a person, 100 per household here in Georgia, at least that is the most up to date information I could find.

 

[the_Roqk]

I have this “friend” who just tallied up how much homebrew “he” has brewed this year.

Here’s the run-down.
January 1st – 5 Ounces English Ale
January 5th – 5 Ounces Kissing Toads Stout
January 13th – 5 Ounces Hefeweisen
January 20th – 5 Ounces American Pale
January 26th – 5 Ounces Kolsch (1st All Grain)
February 3rd – 5 Ounces Black Pearl Porter
February 9th – 5 Ounces Cheesefoods Caramel Cream
February 17th – 5 Ounces Session APA
February 24th – 5 Ounces Ordinary Bitters
March 3rd – 5 Ounces EdWorts Apfelwien
March 10th – 5 Ounces Blue Balls Belgian Wit
March 17th – 5 Ounces SWMBO Slayer Belgian Blonde
March 24th – 5 Ounces German AltBier
March 31st – 5 Ounces Blue Balls Belgian Wit
April 7th – 5 Ounces Blue Balls Belgian Wit (I like this beer)
April 14th – 5 Ounces APA
April 21st – 10 Ounces SWMBO Slayer Belgian Blonde
April 27th – 10 Ounces Nierara Sevada Pale Ale
May 5th - 10 Ounces Guinness Stout
May 13th – 10 Ounces Orange Kolsch
May 20th – 10 Ounces Red Hook ESB
May 26th – 10 Ounces Bass & Co Pale Ale
June 2nd – 10 Ounces Blue Balls Belgian Wit
June 9th – 10 Ounces Nierara Sevada Pale Ale
June 16th – 10 (more) Ounces Nierara Sevada Pale Ale
June 23rd – 10 Ounces EdWorts HausAle

Up next:
June 30th – 10 Ounces Boulevard Wheat

That’s 190 Ounces in six month. He's promised to stop brewing immediately.

How bout the rest of you… Any of your “friends” approaching “illegal” status?

Wow! I wish I had "his" problem! By the way BierMuncher how is your "friends" liver doing? Man, that's a helluva lot of cornies being filled. I bow to you, ahem... I mean him, sir! :rockin:

Roqk out!

 

[Monster Mash]

I know this guy that brews 25 gallon batches, he just brewed his 7th batch 3 weeks ago so he has already reached 175 gallons. He can still brew 1 more batch and be legal but then he's done for the year, don't want to be breaking any laws or anything...

 

[olllllo]

If you think that the laws need to be changed... well do something about it:

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

join.

 

[Drunkensatyr]

Luckily my friend is only at 85 gallons right now. but he did take a full month off

 

[sudsmonkey]

Well I...er..uh...I mean my "friend" is German and his SWMBO is Irish and he has three 21+ year old daughters home for the summer.

There is plenty of beer flowing much of the time.

Plus, he has a fair stash in kegs...so I'm told...for later in the year.



This...would be the weakest point of entry...
View attachment 1979

Which part of the dog do I go through to get to the beer?

 

[uglygoat]

i think you just step over the dog... doesn't look liek he can be arsed to move for much of anything

 

[sudsmonkey]

With my luck, he'd tear (or lick) my leg off! That'd be OK. I'd just hop on over to the beer anyway.

Always wanted me a timber leg. Arrrgh!

 

[Desert_Sky]

right on Bier!!!!

Im right there with you except for the 10 gallon batches

 

[homebrewer_99]

Which part of the dog do I go through to get to the beer?

I think the "key" to the house is 1 or 2 hot dogs and a bowl of brew...

 

[Orpheus]

If you think that the laws need to be changed... well do something about it:

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

join.

If Maryland's laws state nothing about quantity, does that mean I'm free to brew as much as I want?

 

[c.n.budz]

I'm at 52 gallons at the moment and have a bunch on deck. If I live in a 3 family house can I brew all 3 household's shares?? Because obviously I need 600 gallons of beer this year...

 

[DeadYetiBrew]

I think the "key" to the house is 1 or 2 hot dogs and a bowl of brew...

Speaking of which my Great Dane begs whenever I have a pint (or other style appropriate) glass in my hand, i've gotten him addicted to my beer, hehe.

I'm at 60, soon to be 65 and 70 this weekend and the next. That's around 10 gallons a month, that's no where near where it would be if I had my way.

Your friend seems to be a pretty happy person, with all that beer are you sure he's not suppressing emotions?

 

[skou]

A couple of months ago, we had one of Sherriff Joe's (Google him) deputies show up at the store. We asked him a couple things. One of them was prosecuting people that distill their own "shine." The second was the "200 gallon" rule.

This guy is a Homebrewer, as well as a Deputy Sheriff. He said that his department really couldn't care less about either stoopid rule, unless they abuse it. Meaning, if I distill my own sipping shine, or make 205 gallons of beer or wine, they won't do a damn thing.

Now, if I sell EITHER product, I'd have a world of hurt to deal with. And, I don't like "green bologna."

steve

 

[fifelee]

Pink underware and green bologna for bad guys. We need more Sheriff Joe's.
If they come to bust your "friend" for too much beer, just sent the officers home with a corny.

 

[zoebisch01]

I think it's one of those "spit on the sidewalk" laws that exist. I don't see anyway that it could be...nor have I ever heard it ever being...enforced.

It seems to me, like one sees from time to time...that if your friend were ever to get caught in some other matter of the law, then it would be one of those extra helpings of punishment. Like the guy that gets busted for reefer or something, and then on the news the peeps are like "additionally SEVERAL HUNDRED gallons of beer were found in the suspect's home, WELL exceeding the legal limits as set by ATF law". Not saying your friend is breaking the law, etc...just using it as an illustration.

 

[Evan!]

Holy hell, munch-man. And I thought I brewed a lot. How do you find the time for that? Are you retired or something? Or does your family just not want you around

 

[Waldo]

I read that there are still 3 or 4 states that its illegal to brew in, Iowa has laws for making wine, but fail to include brewing beer. Since they don't actually come out and say its illegal we brew anyway, but I do try and keep it low key.

 

[mot]

I read that there are still 3 or 4 states that its illegal to brew in, Iowa has laws for making wine, but fail to include brewing beer. Since they don't actually come out and say its illegal we brew anyway, but I do try and keep it low key.

haha posting it on a forum is low key?

 

[Moonpile]

If Maryland's laws state nothing about quantity, does that mean I'm free to brew as much as I want?

I think you then run up against the 200 gallon federal limit.

I like this part of Maryland's code though. Considering moving to St Mary's County:

(2) In St. Mary's County, cider or native wines may be sold by the maker thereof without a license.

 

[jdoiv]

Dang Bier! I thought I was bad. I'll be at 95 gallons tonight. I didn't get started this year until March though. But you are still close to 100 gallons ahead. I need to double my primary situation to keep up it looks like. :rockin:

 

[Evan!]

Damn, I'm 'only' at 75 gallons since New Years. Then again, I made a promise to SWMBO to take it easy on the brewing since I have accumulated so f'ing much backstock in bottles.

 

[Brewiz]

I believe it is 50 a person, 100 per household here in Georgia, at least that is the most up to date information I could find.

That's right.. And as of tonight I will have over 70 gal kegged...:rockin:

 

[Klainmeister]

I
am
so
jealous

 

[BierMuncher]

...How do you find the time for that? Are you retired or something? Or does your family just not want you around

My...uh..."friend" isn't retired but he sure looks forward to brewing every weekend. It's kind of become his weekly "golf outing". The guys at Midwest are getting to know "him" pretty well. So is the Fed Ex man...

Man's got to have a hobby. I think the switch to 10-gallon batches really kicked it in to high gear...for "him".

 

[Desert_Sky]

"golf outing".

soon you will be able to get your brew done AND get a round of golf in by noon


:rockin: