The Law?

Rubber.Piggy · Post by **Rubber.Piggy** » Tuesday Jan 03, 2006 9:01 am

This is a great forum!! So much activity and experience

This may have been dicussed before but I couldn't find it with my searches

Anyway, recently I read some american literature on HBing and there was a chapter called "Is It Legal?". I suspect that this is really only an issue in the US because of their Prohibition (shiver) past. However it has made me curious about Aussie law regarding HBing.

It's always been my assumption that it's legal to make but not legal to sell without a license. My quick seraches of state and federal site seem to confirm this b/c the only legislation seems to be in regards to licensing.

However when I think about it, I have seen guys selling their HB or DIY Wine/Spirit at markets. Now I wonder are these guys licensed?? If not, should they be??

Friar · Post by **Friar** » Tuesday Jan 03, 2006 9:49 am

RP

No problem making beer/wine for personal consumption.

Sale of such is controlled by each individual State or Territory Government and as best I can recall it is still illegal to sell your home made grog in Australia

As far as I know it is illegal to distill alcohol. The Customs Act controls distillation of alcohol and you can get a hobby licence but it is not easy. Brew shops sell stills for the distillation of essential oils and such.

Ex copper

Friar

Shaun · Post by **Shaun** » Tuesday Jan 03, 2006 5:04 pm

All correct on the Home brew.

Spirits there is a loop hole you can distil up to 5 litres at 20% for fuels and essences. If you do a search you will find there was a discussion on it with links to the relevant acts.

Rubber.Piggy · Post by **Rubber.Piggy** » Tuesday Jan 03, 2006 5:05 pm

Friar wrote:Brew shops sell stills for the distillation of essential oils and such.

and i've heard some distill brewing water as well

Post by **Oliver** » Wednesday Jan 11, 2006 9:05 am

I believe that homebrewing used to be illegal, but Gough legalised it in the '70s.

Of course, like many things, the fact that it was illegal didn't stop many people doing it.

Oliver

beermeister · Post by **beermeister** » Wednesday Jan 11, 2006 12:59 pm

Apparently it was illegal in the US until Jimmy Carter (a beer enthusiast) legalised it in the 70's - what an elightened decade.

BM

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Wednesday Jan 11, 2006 8:39 pm

A hillbilly president. Yeehar!!!

Dogger Dan · Post by **Dogger Dan** » Thursday Jan 12, 2006 3:44 am

Its still illegal in some places in the States

Ok to beat your wife with a stick no thicker than your thumb though

Dogger

r.magnay · Post by **r.magnay** » Thursday Jan 12, 2006 6:28 am

You are right Oliver, when I was doing my apprenticeship, we where wiring a lot of cockies houses ready for the 'new 240V power'( they mostly had freelights and batteries with a 32v generator as a backup.) A goodly mob of them made homebrew, illegally, and we had to try every one that we worked for, some were alright, but most were bloody disgusting, and I think those days are what makes people a bit wary of homebrew today. I was only sixteen then, though country blokes (and maybe city too) generally had to work on the farm when we were not at school, so were allowed a couple of beers with mum and dad after work, although we probably drank Southwark, or maybe the old West End XXX, it was still better than the majority of homebrews I tasted then!
I still remember going to one blokes place, at lunch time he pulled a couple of longnecks out of the kero fridge and cracked them for us to drink with lunch, I think I had two cheese glasses full and was having head spins!! that one tasted alright, but had a kick like a mule.

beermeister · Post by **beermeister** » Thursday Jan 12, 2006 10:39 am

I heard a story that the Encyclopaedia Britannica was banned in Texas because it had a recipe for homebrew in it (and home brew was illegal there) but I didn't believe it.

So, you can carry a concealed pistol but homebrew, oh no that's against the law...

JaCk_SpArRoW · Post by **JaCk_SpArRoW** » Thursday Jan 12, 2006 10:47 am

beermeister wrote:So, you can carry a concealed pistol but homebrew, oh no that's against the law...

Maybe they're trying to stop them from killing themselves, or maybe more so having beer fueled duels & killing innocent bystanders from being so pi**ed & missing the target!

Dogger Dan · Post by **Dogger Dan** » Thursday Jan 12, 2006 11:40 am

You know,

They are my neighbours. Most are really nice people just like us.

Dogger

JaCk_SpArRoW · Post by **JaCk_SpArRoW** » Thursday Jan 12, 2006 11:45 am

Dogger Dan wrote:You know,

They are my neighbours. Most are really nice people just like us.

Dogger

No offence intended there Snoop...was picturing more the classic Texan Saloon type situation!

Dogger Dan · Post by **Dogger Dan** » Friday Jan 13, 2006 3:30 am

No worries there Captain, wasn't offended at all

Dogger

JaCk_SpArRoW · Post by **JaCk_SpArRoW** » Saturday Jan 14, 2006 7:21 am

Good to hear Snoop...wouldnt wanna ruin my chances of getting more excellent info outta ya!

Mewshew · Post by **Mewshew** » Saturday Jan 14, 2006 9:18 pm

Dogger Dan wrote:Its still illegal in some places in the States

Ok to beat your wife with a stick no thicker than your thumb though

Dogger

Yeah. I read somewhere that it's only legal to create alcohol for fuel in the U.S. Something about it being illegal to consume (or create, whatever) untaxed alcohol. Don't know much about it. Well that's my rather ambiguous and somewhat uninformed contribution.

Cheers,

- Mew

Dogger Dan · Post by **Dogger Dan** » Sunday Jan 15, 2006 1:02 am

Yep,

we blend ethenol with gas. Only big kids can do it (Esso, Royal Dutch Shell) and you need a liscence.

Dogger