should it be illegal to brew your own drink at home??

Andy From Sligo

just looking at the Smithwicks advert - wondering should it really be legal brewing your own drink at home? - I know loads of people do it but what about dangers of stuff fermenting? what about how it could be damaging pub and off-licence trade? - what about revenue the government misses out on? ( ) - is making Putcheen (spelling?) still illegal? - if it is how come you can brew beer and wine and that lot, but not putcheen and other stuff?

osarusan

No it shouldn't be illegal to brew it at home...I can understand the restrictions on selling it though.

Pub and off-licence trade is their own concern.

VinLieger

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

just looking at the Smithwicks advert - wondering should it really be legal brewing your own drink at home? - I know loads of people do it but what about dangers of stuff fermenting? what about how it could be damaging pub and off-licence trade? - what about revenue the government misses out on? ( ) - is making Putcheen (spelling?) still illegal? - if it is how come you can brew beer and wine and that lot, but not putcheen and other stuff?

Get lost trying to ruin other peoples fun will ya?

Andy From Sligo

osarusan wrote: »

No it shouldn't be illegal to brew it at home...I can understand the restrictions on selling it though.

what part can you understand on selling it? - the part where people could be selling it and the government not getting revenue? - or the fact it has no control or rigorous requirements and it could be dangerous for others to drink?

Andy From Sligo

VinLieger wrote: »

Get lost trying to ruin other peoples fun will ya?

how? - im only discussing?

Zaph

Many of the craft breweries around the country that the government is making money from through corporation tax, employees' taxes, VAT and excise duties were started by people who initially brewed their own beer at home.

tomwaterford

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

what part can you understand on selling it? - the part where people could be selling it and the government not getting revenue? - or the fact it has no control or rigorous requirements and it could be dangerous for others to drink?

No ones forced to buy/drink it?

osarusan

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

or the fact it has no control or rigorous requirements and it could be dangerous for others to drink?

This part.

Bygumbo

As long as you dont sell it, grand.

Cos I'm sick of the billion different "artisan" beers all over the place.

"Mick and Jocks Hot Slop"
"Twice Shy Japs Eye"
"Two saps Take a gamble"
"Quirkily Named Alcoholic Beverage No. 89894873497394793493493493"

Talk about saturated market. I wouldnt mind, but im forced to buy and drink each and every one.

Andy From Sligo

presuming everyone who brews at home knows what they are doing - but what about people who dont know what they are doing and blow their gaff up fermenting the drink .. or making something so potent or its like poison and it kills them or others when they drink it?

Andy From Sligo

tomwaterford wrote: »

No ones forced to buy/drink it?

oh i dunno , if the price is right ...

Jayop

making beer at home looks like it's going to be a good investment soon and I've been very close to getting into it for a while now. If you're going to do it you need to do it right though and spend quite a bit of money on the equipment otherwise you're not home brewing, you're just adding water to pre-prepared sachets of beer. I know a guy who has spent about €1500 on gear so far, and if he bought some sort of a lid for the thing he can turn it into a whiskey still. Would be interested to know the laws around making your own spirits vs making beer.

368100

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

what part can you understand on selling it? - the part where people could be selling it and the government not getting revenue? - or the fact it has no control or rigorous requirements and it could be dangerous for others to drink?

It should be legal for anybody using it in their own homes for own consumption. I'd be against allowing it to be sold due to it essentially being a controlled (legal) drug. Would be too hard to monitor standards/alcohol content etc along with where and who it was being supplied to. Of course if all those hurdles were addressed then it should also be liable for tax.....everything else is so I don't see why there would be an exception

Ipso

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

what part can you understand on selling it? - the part where people could be selling it and the government not getting revenue? - or the fact it has no control or rigorous requirements and it could be dangerous for others to drink?

Just started home brewing. The number one rule of home brewing is sanitation, go to any how to and I guarantee everyone will talk about sanitation. get this wrong and the beer will be undrinkable.
As I understand when distilling spirits there is more potential for danger.

Andy From Sligo

why does the Smithwicks advert say "they are with home brewers" when they are trying to sell their Smithwicks? - wouldnt home brewing be damaging their business? - i dont quite get that. why would they be promoting home brewing?

Ipso

Bygumbo wrote: »

As long as you dont sell it, grand.

Cos I'm sick of the billion different "artisan" beers all over the place.

"Mick and Jocks Hot Slop"
"Twice Shy Japs Eye"
"Two saps Take a gamble"
"Quirkily Named Alcoholic Beverage No. 89894873497394793493493493"

Talk about saturated market. I wouldnt mind, but im forced to buy and drink each and every one.

??

Jayop

Ipso wrote: »

??

Humour I presume

deco nate

Ipso wrote: »

Just started home brewing. The number one rule of home brewing is sanitation, go to any how to and I guarantee everyone will talk about sanitation. get this wrong and the beer will be undrinkable.
As I understand when distilling spirits there is more potential for danger.

There are kits you can buy now to make spirits in just a few hours, safely with no problems.

Bygumbo

Ipso wrote: »

??

It was Kampala, Uganda, 21 years ago. I had just been released from the local hospital when I bumped into a strangely hairy woman at the river side. She told me, in no uncertain terms, that my life hinged on what she was about to tell me. Out of her gorilla-fur handbag she produced a picture of uncanny resemblance to Mick Hucknall.....

......Anyway, skip forward to now, and I'm contractually obliged to drink every new artisan beer produced in Ireland. Cant be bothered explaining it.

Zaph

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

but what about people who dont know what they are doing and blow their gaff up fermenting the drink

In fairness, how many people have you heard of blowing up their house brewing their own beer? Maybe if someone had an illegal still it could happen as spirit vapour is far more volatile than beer, but I'd imagine the chances of it happening are pretty remote.

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

or making something so potent or its like poison and it kills them or others when they drink it?

Again this isn't something that's going to happen brewing beer. There are plenty of legal spirits as strong as or stronger than the strongest commercially produced beer. And to get beer to very high ABV levels requires a lot of effort that a home brewer isn't going to attempt.

donegaLroad

OP, I remember years back when a local garda asked a guy I know... 'who is supplying the mushrooms'... nuff said

dasdog

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

presuming everyone who brews at home knows what they are doing - but what about people who dont know what they are doing and blow their gaff up fermenting the drink .. or making something so potent or its like poison and it kills them or others when they drink it?

Fermenting beer isn't dangerous. You might scald yourself if brewing from grain as the wort has to be boiled for an hour and rapidly cooled but that about it. Most people don't even bother boiling 26 litres of liquid and use kits but its not nearly as good. Distillation is a completely different process and has the potential to be dangerous. You're creating a flammable liquid and the first run off of the distillate can poison/blind.

Jayop

deco nate wrote: »

There are kits you can buy now to make spirits in just a few hours, safely with no problems.

Ever tried them??

deco nate

dasdog wrote: »

Fermenting beer isn't dangerous. You might scald yourself if brewing from grain as the wort has to be boiled for an hour and rapidly cooled but that about it. Most people don't even bother boiling 26 litres of liquid and use kits but its not nearly as good. Distillation is a completely different process and has the potential to be dangerous. You're creating a flammable liquid and the first run off of the distillate can poison/blind.

Lots of kits about to make spirits without a problem now

deco nate

Jayop wrote: »

Ever tried them??

Have a look on YouTube, they are easy to use. Feck all risk. And no. But thinking about getting one, piss easy to use

Andy From Sligo

donegaLroad wrote: »

OP, I remember years back when a local garda asked a guy I know... 'who is supplying the mushrooms'... nuff said

I heard a story years ago - you could just imagine it being true that a couple of old ladies were brewing that Pootchin/putchin whatever its call and the guard would call round for his tipple on a regular basis and as long as they gave him the odd bottle here and there he would not mention it to the superintendent - good ol' rural Ireland in the 90's

jimmycrackcorm

I feel so terrible. I cooked my own dinner this evening instead of going to a restaurant or buying a takeaway.

Please Op, forgive my lack of understanding...

Andy From Sligo

when you go in a pub to drink what is supposed to happen (but rarely does) is that the Landlord is required by law if they think you have had too much to drink is to not serve you with any more drinks. - If you brew drink at home then i suppose you could drink yourself to oblivion? - mind you same thing with off'ies I suppose and supermarkets , you could buy as much drink as you want from there as you like its not controlled

deco nate

http://www.homebrewwest.ie/spirits-turbo-yeast-484-c.asp


All legal

Jayop

deco nate wrote: »

http://www.homebrewwest.ie/spirits-turbo-yeast-484-c.asp

25 litres of vodka for less than 20 quid lol. Half strength or not you're still getting hammered on that stuff.

Andy From Sligo

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I feel so terrible. I cooked my own dinner this evening instead of going to a restaurant or buying a takeaway.

Please Op, forgive my lack of understanding...

actually you have a point there for another thread - that the money you spent on fuel (especially if its electric cooker, very heavy on electric power wattage) you most probably find you would have saved money to buy from a takeaway instead .. and no washing up!

mikeecho

There are a few sites selling home stills, the UK sites have a disclaimer staying that is illegal under such a such UK legislation to distill alcohol without a licence, and that they stills are sold for the distillation of water.

I know a few polish that home distill in Poland, not sure if it's still legal to do so in Poland anymore, but in Iceland where alcohol is very expensive, you are allowed home distillation of alcohol (limited amounts)

Fyi

deco nate

Jayop wrote: »

25 litres of vodka for less than 20 quid lol. Half strength or not you're still getting hammered on that stuff.

That's a cheap one, but most make them stronger, then dilute to 40%. And add whatever flavour you want. Plenty more to buy. And all legal for home use only. Not to sell:)

Andy From Sligo

deco nate wrote: »

That's a cheap one, but most make them stronger, then dilute to 40%. And add whatever flavour you want. Plenty more to buy. And all legal for home use only. Not to sell*

*I wonder what that is like in reality? - again cant really be controlled

deco nate

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

*I wonder what that is like in reality? - again cant really be controlled

Yes you can look at the website.



http://www.homebrewwest.ie/spirit-meter-0-to-100-886-p.asp

deco nate

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

*I wonder what that is like in reality? - again cant really be controlled

Sorry, misread the bold. Thought you were talking about the strength

_Dara_

Jayop wrote: »

making beer at home looks like it's going to be a good investment soon and I've been very close to getting into it for a while now. If you're going to do it you need to do it right though and spend quite a bit of money on the equipment otherwise you're not home brewing, you're just adding water to pre-prepared sachets of beer. I know a guy who has spent about €1500 on gear so far, and if he bought some sort of a lid for the thing he can turn it into a whiskey still. Would be interested to know the laws around making your own spirits vs making beer.

My brother-in-law's first batch worked out at €2 a bottle because of the initial outlay. Now it's 50c per bottle. Supposed to nice beer too. I'm not a beer drinker so I don't know.

deco nate

Jayop wrote: »

Ever tried them??

Basically all you are doing is boiling a kettle it's that simple the Vapour that comes off is the alcohol

Jayop

_Dara_ wrote: »

My brother-in-law's first batch worked out at €2 a bottle because of the initial outlay. Now it's 50c per bottle. Supposed to nice beer too. I'm not a beer drinker so I don't know.

Yeah the more you make the cheaper it gets but it would be easy to go ott with the drinking when you're making batches all the time.

Peregrinus

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

just looking at the Smithwicks advert - wondering should it really be legal brewing your own drink at home? - I know loads of people do it but what about dangers of stuff fermenting? what about how it could be damaging pub and off-licence trade? - what about revenue the government misses out on? ( ) - is making Putcheen (spelling?) . . .

Poitín

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

. . . . still illegal? - if it is how come you can brew beer and wine and that lot, but not putcheen and other stuff?

Beer and wine are produced by fermentation, and that's perfectly legal. Poitín and other spirits are produced by distillation, which is illegal if you don't have a licence. You can own a still, and you can use it for distilling water or essential oils or the like, but you can't use it for distilling alcohol without a licence.

Why? Mostly for revenue reasons, but also for public health. It's difficult to maim or kill somebody with home-fermented products, but relatively easy to do so with home-distilled products.

The home-produced products are dramatically cheaper than what you can buy in an off-licence, but of, um, variable quality, depending on skill and experience. Plus, it's quite a lot of trouble to do it properly. Most people who do home brew do it because they enjoy the challenge, the process, the experimentation with different brews, etc; the money-saving is a bonus for them. Not many people would be motivated to do it, and to keep doing it, purely to save money.

_Dara_

Jayop wrote: »

Yeah the more you make the cheaper it gets but it would be easy to go ott with the drinking when you're making batches all the time.

Well, that depends entirely on the individual.

OldMrBrennan83

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Del2005

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

what part can you understand on selling it? - the part where people could be selling it and the government not getting revenue? - or the fact it has no control or rigorous requirements and it could be dangerous for others to drink?

Considering that the publicans and off licences sell alcohol in quantities that are dangerous for others to drink then why should they regulate home brew?

I've never seen a drunk person refused service at a bar, I have seen them been served a pint of slops though, and every off sales employee will still serve their alcoholic regulars multiple times a day.

If you are so worried about people being injured you should ban all tobacco products and cars, as they kill and injure thousands every year. I've yet to hear of the home brew epidemic spreading across the island like the opioid epidemic in the USA.

Peregrinus

Patww79 wrote: »

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You can get lots of information, and buy most of the stuff you need, online, so there's no great need for shops.

But be aware that brewing is a skill, and it takes time and patience to master it. The first couple of batches that you brew will probably not be something you want to serve to visitors or guests. Or friends. Or anyone whose good opinion you value, even. So dont' leave it till too close to Christmas to start mastering the craft.

Peregrinus

Del2005 wrote: »

Considering that the publicans and off licences sell alcohol in quantities that are dangerous for others to drink then why should they regulate home brew?

They don't regulate home brewing. They regulate the sale of beer, but the same regulations apply regardless of whether you have brewed the stuff in your garage or in St. James's Gate. You need a licence to sell beer.

And beer sold is subject to excise duty; again, the same tax laws apply to you as apply to Arthur Guinness Son & Company (Dublin) Ltd.

(And, yes, the same food safety, hygiene, etc laws as well.)

Cool Mo D

Peregrinus wrote: »

Poitín

...

Why? Mostly for revenue reasons, but also for public health. It's difficult to maim or kill somebody with home-fermented products, but relatively easy to do so with home-distilled products.

...

Not true at all. It's very, very difficult to accidentally make dangerous home-distilled spirits. It would require you to purposely take the only the first liquid to come out of the still, and drink only that, while throwing away the vast bulk of the distilled alcohol.

The danger with poteen and the like isn't that someone made it badly by accident, but that it is sometimes purposely cut with cheap industrial methanol.

Home distilling could also be a fire hazard, but no more so than something like a deep fat fryer. The reason it's illegal is for tax purposes only. It is legal in New Zealand though: http://www2.nzherald.co.nz/aucklander/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503372&objectid=11040946

OldMrBrennan83

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Back in the 80s, around the same time as Soda Stream, the sandwich maker and smoked Easi Singles were in vogue, it was very common for people to brew beer at home. The phase lasted for a few years only.


I wish many Irish people would get over the obsession with alcohol. It's such backward thinking. A home shouldn't be a place for ready access to a drug that takes care and attention away from loved ones who need it. There are healthier ways to escape from the pressures of life (I'm awake since 4am with my 9-month-old who just wants to play and I'll be up in 10 minutes anyway for work).

OldMrBrennan83

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redandwhite

Errrrr.

No.

weldoninhio

Patww79 wrote: »

I'll aim for 2018 at this stage. It's only really the ready made ones I want, like the 'kits' as I wouldn't have the patience for getting really into it. They just never seem to sell a complete kit and you always need to buy a load more stuff like buckets and bottles, etc. None of them can/will ever tell you exactly what you need to buy and you'd think they would as I've always not bought because of that.

http://www.thehomebrewcompany.ie/coopers-microbrew-starter-kit-40-pint-starter-kit-p-813.html

I bought this one a few months ago. Has everything you need.