Alabama Homebrewer Arrested!

[Dirk McLargeHuge]

I can't see him making beer to distill it though. That's really inefficient, and the guy looks like he knows what he's doing. If he was distilling, I'd say it was it's own enterprise, and I think that the guys fighting for legalization of homebrewing need to be prepared to issue a well worded statement about the homebrewing aspect of what happened. It would be interesting to know exactly what was on the warrant when the police showed up.

I attended NHC in Oakland. Let's pretend that someone at our table at the Grand Banquet was pouring his/her own home distilled brandy, which they didn't because that's illegal. And let's pretend that it was really, really good. We can safely pretend that some people do distill to make pretend brandy, because it is a pretend extension of our hobby. (We need a "nudge, nudge" smily.)

I doubt that this guy was "moonshining." Moonshiners usually make several hundred gallons of whiskey at a time. He only had 8 gallons. But that's still a Federal crime.

[mr x]

What I'm saying is that it is important to distance the homebrewing from the distilling. They are two separate issues, and should be made out to be by Free the Hops, etc. And it's fairly easy to do, because as a person who has a fair bit of knowledge about distilling, making distilled spirits from a beer makes very little sense. It's almost a complete was of time/energy/resources. You use pure sugar and turbo yeasts for vodka, other odds and ends for whiskey, etc.. Beer is either drank or poured out, never distilled (Eisbock excepted, but that's a different process), except for good publicity stunts. I don't see distilling as an extension of homebrewing. Some fermentation principles are the same, but that's about it AFAIAC. And I think that needs to be made very, very clear. My 2C.

[Dirk McLargeHuge]

What I'm saying is that it is important to distance the homebrewing from the distilling. They are two separate issues, and should be made out to be by Free the Hops, etc. And it's fairly easy to do, because as a person who has a fair bit of knowledge about distilling, making distilled spirits from a beer makes very little sense. It's almost a complete was of time/energy/resources. You use pure sugar and turbo yeasts for vodka, other odds and ends for whiskey, etc.. Beer is either drank or poured out, never distilled (Eisbock excepted, but that's a different process), except for good publicity stunts. I don't see distilling as an extension of homebrewing. Some fermentation principles are the same, but that's about it AFAIAC. And I think that needs to be made very, very clear. My 2C.

I agree in principal. But Free The Hops might not want to get involved because of the distilling aspect. It might cast an ugly reflection on home brewing. And I expect the AHA would probably feel the same. It's fine to issue a statement about making homebrewing legal in Alabama, but the alleged distilling would have still resulted in the confiscation of the equipment. The alleged distilling might hurt the cause more than help it.

[DannyW]

Funny how Blount county is supposed to be dry, but only sorta (designated "community development districts" like Golf clubhouses can serve) and they sued to get a piece of the state beer tax a couple of years ago, at the expense of the wet counties. http://m.blountcountian.com/news/2008-1 ... s/047.html

Makes me wonder if their panties are in a wad from piety or from perceived lack of revenue. Either way it kinda makes the county commissioners look like douchbags to me.

[Mills]

All this bullshit comes down to taxes and the state and feds worrying about getting their slice of the alcohol produced in a state.

Mills

[Dirk McLargeHuge]

Funny how Blount county is supposed to be dry, but only sorta (designated "community development districts" like Golf clubhouses can serve) and they sued to get a piece of the state beer tax a couple of years ago, at the expense of the wet counties. http://m.blountcountian.com/news/2008-1 ... s/047.html

Makes me wonder if their panties are in a wad from piety or from perceived lack of revenue. Either way it kinda makes the county commissioners look like douchbags to me.

Dallas is like that. Parts of the city are wet, parts are dry. The wets are trying to get the liquor laws more consistent city wide, and the drys are talking about how this will bring about Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies, Rivers and seas boiling, Forty years of darkness, Earthquakes, volcanoes, The dead rising from the grave, Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria! One of the drys, who has been particularly adamant about the damage drinking can cause in children's lives owns a chain of liquor stores, all located across the precinct boundaries from dry areas.

Gotta love the Bible Belt!

[mr x]

What I'm saying is that it is important to distance the homebrewing from the distilling. They are two separate issues, and should be made out to be by Free the Hops, etc. And it's fairly easy to do, because as a person who has a fair bit of knowledge about distilling, making distilled spirits from a beer makes very little sense. It's almost a complete was of time/energy/resources. You use pure sugar and turbo yeasts for vodka, other odds and ends for whiskey, etc.. Beer is either drank or poured out, never distilled (Eisbock excepted, but that's a different process), except for good publicity stunts. I don't see distilling as an extension of homebrewing. Some fermentation principles are the same, but that's about it AFAIAC. And I think that needs to be made very, very clear. My 2C.

I agree in principal. But Free The Hops might not want to get involved because of the distilling aspect. It might cast an ugly reflection on home brewing. And I expect the AHA would probably feel the same. It's fine to issue a statement about making homebrewing legal in Alabama, but the alleged distilling would have still resulted in the confiscation of the equipment. The alleged distilling might hurt the cause more than help it.

I don't think there is a choice whether or not to make a statement. Better to be first, than to be on the defensive when it comes to PR, and they will be on the defensive. If AHA/FTH think that this goes away because they choose to ignore it, they have missed their guess. And that's if he was distilling, do we have anything other than the police statement?

[Dirk McLargeHuge]

What I'm saying is that it is important to distance the homebrewing from the distilling. They are two separate issues, and should be made out to be by Free the Hops, etc. And it's fairly easy to do, because as a person who has a fair bit of knowledge about distilling, making distilled spirits from a beer makes very little sense. It's almost a complete was of time/energy/resources. You use pure sugar and turbo yeasts for vodka, other odds and ends for whiskey, etc.. Beer is either drank or poured out, never distilled (Eisbock excepted, but that's a different process), except for good publicity stunts. I don't see distilling as an extension of homebrewing. Some fermentation principles are the same, but that's about it AFAIAC. And I think that needs to be made very, very clear. My 2C.

I agree in principal. But Free The Hops might not want to get involved because of the distilling aspect. It might cast an ugly reflection on home brewing. And I expect the AHA would probably feel the same. It's fine to issue a statement about making homebrewing legal in Alabama, but the alleged distilling would have still resulted in the confiscation of the equipment. The alleged distilling might hurt the cause more than help it.

I don't think there is a choice whether or not to make a statement. Better to be first, than to be on the defensive when it comes to PR, and they will be on the defensive. If AHA/FTH think that this goes away because they choose to ignore it, they have missed their guess. And that's if he was distilling, do we have anything other than the police statement?

I was thinking that as I was writing, but couldn't figure a way to segue into it. I think you might be right there. But still, assuming this guy was distilling, he gave more ammunition to the legalization opponents, no matter who says what.

No, no word on if he was actually distilling.