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

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  • 19-09-2017 11:39pm
    #1
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,794 ✭✭✭✭


    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? ( :D ) - 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?
    Tagged:


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    #2
    osarusan
    Registered Users Posts: 16,601 ✭✭✭✭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.


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    #3
    VinLieger
    Registered Users Posts: 17,937 ✭✭✭✭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? ( :D ) - 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?


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    #4
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,794 ✭✭✭✭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?


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    #5
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,794 ✭✭✭✭Andy From Sligo


    VinLieger wrote: »
    Get lost trying to ruin other peoples fun will ya?

    how? - im only discussing?


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    #6
    Zaph
    Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 47,298 ✭✭✭✭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.


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    #7
    tomwaterford
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,768 ✭✭✭✭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?


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    #8
    osarusan
    Registered Users Posts: 16,601 ✭✭✭✭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.


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    #9
    Bygumbo
    Registered Users Posts: 80 ✭✭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.


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    #10
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,794 ✭✭✭✭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?


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    #11
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,794 ✭✭✭✭Andy From Sligo


    tomwaterford wrote: »
    No ones forced to buy/drink it?

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


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    #12
    Jayop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,388 ✭✭✭✭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.


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    #13
    368100
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,067 ✭✭✭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


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    #14
    Ipso
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,995 ✭✭✭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.


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    #15
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,794 ✭✭✭✭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?


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    #16
    Ipso
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,995 ✭✭✭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.

    ??


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    #17
    Jayop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,388 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    Ipso wrote: »
    ??

    Humour I presume


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    #18
    deco nate
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,340 ✭✭✭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.


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    #19
    Bygumbo
    Registered Users Posts: 80 ✭✭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.


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    #20
    Zaph
    Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 47,298 ✭✭✭✭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.


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    #21
    donegaLroad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,379 ✭✭✭donegaLroad


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


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    #22
    dasdog
    Registered Users Posts: 3,596 ✭✭✭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.


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    #23
    Jayop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,388 ✭✭✭✭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??


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    #24
    deco nate
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,340 ✭✭✭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


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    #25
    deco nate
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,340 ✭✭✭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


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    #26
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,794 ✭✭✭✭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


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    #27
    jimmycrackcorm
    Registered Users Posts: 14,336 ✭✭✭✭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...


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    #28
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,794 ✭✭✭✭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


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    #29
    deco nate
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,340 ✭✭✭deco nate


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


    All legal


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    #30
    Jayop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,388 ✭✭✭✭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.


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    #31
    Andy From Sligo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,794 ✭✭✭✭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!


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