Moonshine?

[Impish]

Just saw a commercial about a show about ppl who make moonshine, and mentioned police involvement.

 

Can anyone tell me why moonshine would be illegal, but making your own wine/beer is ok?

 

Wolf and I talked about it, and we're completely clueless.

 

Of course, I'd only really heard of moonshine in relation to Prohibition, so finding out it's still illegal was surprising.

[Melissa in Australia]

aer you meaning alcohol made with a still?

I guess It is because the government isn't getting their big tax on alcohol??

[nukeswife]

I think part of it is because the Proof can be so much higher than beer or wine. A good part could also be because of the amount of taxes they loose out on. Apparently they'd only lose about 14 cents per bottle of wine and 5cents for a beer, but something like $2.14 per liter of shine, this also has to do with the proof of the liquor being so much higher.

 

Moonshine can be very high in alcohol content and can actually be dangerous in small amounts because of that.

[Mrs Mungo]

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2007/10/why_is_moonshine_against_the_law.html

[Impish]

So, it's about government taxes, not actually about protecting the citizens. Interesting.

[Samiam]

So, it's about government taxes, not actually about protecting the citizens. Interesting.

Isn't it ALWAYS about that?

[Melissa in Australia]

 

 

Moonshine can be very high in alcohol content and can actually be dangerous in small amounts because of that.

 

you have jolted my memory.

I remember my FIL told me once about how he knew some people who distilled some alcohol, some of them died of alcohol poisoning, others went blind. ti was during WW2

[Impish]

I was just thinking that alcohol is alcohol, so why was beer/wine ok, but moonshine not? Still honestly strikes me as odd, the double standard.

 

Going to have to see what laws Canada has about it.

[Impish]

Hmmm...seems it's legal to *make* it here, just not sell it.

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

 

you have jolted my memory.

I remember my FIL told me once about how he knew some people who distilled some alcohol, some of them died of alcohol poisoning, others went blind. ti was during WW2

 

Salmonella from chicken that hasn't been properly cooked could also kill you. Should cooking chicken for your own consumption be illegal?

(Not arguing with you.)

[Farrar]

I'm sure that taxes are driving the regulation, but I've always heard that homemade moonshine could be dangerous.

 

My grandfather told me an excellent story about him and one of his sisters helping smuggle moonshine when they were kids. He said it was his first job. But my grandmother rolled her eyes at him, so I'm sure it was at least somewhat embellished. And I'm pretty sure picking cotton was his first job.

[Impish]

What boggled me was *owning* a still, in use or not, is illegal in the US. Just owning one. You'd think that private brewing, for private use, would fall under the wine/beer guidelines.

 

I get having to pay taxes on income. So, yeah, you'd have to report for tax purposes, etc...

[Farrar]

Also, a thread about moonshine needs a link to

. Just because.

 

It does seem like you ought to be able to own your own still. I think you ought to be allowed to do most things to your own body and on your own property if they don't harm others. But the long history of government regulation of alcohol means I'm hardly surprised that you can't.

[TravelingChris]

You can make your own beer or wine but not for resale. Moonshine is made for resale. We have some dry counties here in Alabama. Apparently there is s moonshine problem in those counties.

[Audrey]

Just saw a commercial about a show about ppl who make moonshine, and mentioned police involvement.

 

Can anyone tell me why moonshine would be illegal, but making your own wine/beer is ok?

 

Wolf and I talked about it, and we're completely clueless.

 

Of course, I'd only really heard of moonshine in relation to Prohibition, so finding out it's still illegal was surprising.

 

 

I haven't watched the show in question, so I'm just going off the top of my head. As you know, making your own beer and wine is legal, but selling it is not. Maybe these people are also selling it. Also, moonshine usually means liquor, not beer or wine. Canadians can't make their own liquor either. For whatever reason, beer and wine are okay, but not liquor. Why? I do not know.

[Stayseeliz]

Moonshine was recently legalized again in TN and now here in SC. It does have a VERY high proof. We bought some the year we went to Gatlinburg for our 10th anniversary. It's a big reason we added our fourth LO 8 months later. :)

[Impish]

I haven't watched the show in question, so I'm just going off the top of my head. As you know, making your own beer and wine is legal, but selling it is not. Maybe these people are also selling it. Also, moonshine usually means liquor, not beer or wine. Canadians can't make their own liquor either. For whatever reason, beer and wine are okay, but not liquor. Why? I do not know.

 

I looked it up,Audrey. It's legal in Canada, as long as you don't sell it, whereas in the States, simply owning a still is illegal.

[Ghee]

We know someone who makes "shine". It is very high proof, it is very dangerous. Frankly, it is very nasty.

[Roadrunner]

It's illegal to own? I need to start making some phone calls because every immigrant from my native country makes one at home from grapes. We think it has medicinal properties. Who knew :)

[Audrey]

I looked it up,Audrey. It's legal in Canada, as long as you don't sell it, whereas in the States, simply owning a still is illegal.

 

 

I'm pretty sure it's not legal in my province. Not for liquor. I could be wrong, though.

[lailasmum]

I know that the stills themselves can be quite dangerous. They need an experienced hand.

[Jenn121]

Homemade stills, especially during Prohibition and the World Wars, tend to be made from items that were not meant to be use for that purpose and chemicals from these leached into the moonshine. Also, some makers/seller would cut the shine with other things that then caused illness, paralysis, and even death. There was a famous side effect of one with "jake" (Jamcian ginger extract) that caused a distinct leg twitch called oddly enough.....Jake leg. ;) but only batches made after 1930. At that time the industry added a chemical called triorthocresyl phosphate to the "Jake" recipe as a extender.

 

Wow, I watch way to much History and Discovery Channel. There are many documentaries on Netflix and such about the history of moonshiners. It is an understudied part of our history I think.

 

However, it is my opinion that what really drives the illegality of \moonshine it the millions of lost tax revenue. But to look on the bright side at least it gave us NASCAR. LOL

 

Jenn

[WishboneDawn]

Imp - I'm with Audrey. It's not legal in Canada.

 

[TXMomof4]

 

 

However, it is my opinion that what really drives the illegality of \moonshine it the millions of lost tax revenue. But to look on the bright side at least it gave us NASCAR. LOL

 

Jenn

 

It was quite a shock when we moved here to find that many of the little, bitty country grocery stores over in SC sold gas, diesel, propane and.......yes.......racing fuel.

[ravinlunachick]

We know someone who makes "shine". It is very high proof, it is very dangerous. Frankly, it is very nasty.

 

No it's not, not if it's made well. It's kind of like how that $3 bottle of wine at Walmart tastes nasty to me, but there are still plenty of wonderful wines to be had.

 

I come from a long line of bootleggers, and I live in an area famous for moonshine. It's part of the culture here, and everybody knows where to get it and who can be trusted to have the good stuff. Recently, our state legalized moonshine distillation, but thanks to politics, they require permits and taxes high enough to make it out of reach for the little man. So, they'll keep on with their quiet little black market. There's a distillery right on Main Street now, and I've had their 'shine. It's good, even though the purist in me rankles a little bit at all the flavors available. ;)

[ravinlunachick]

Also, some makers/seller would cut the shine with other things that then caused illness, paralysis, and even death. There was a famous side effect of one with "jake" (Jamcian ginger extract) that caused a distinct leg twitch called oddly enough.....Jake leg. ;) but only batches made after 1930.

 

Is that where the expression "jack leg" comes from? Huh. That's interesting!

[Impish]

I went and reread what I'd found, and looked at some more sites.

 

Possessing a still is not illegal.

 

Conflicting info on if the brewing itself is illegal, however a permit is available.

 

I'm not up to going through the Criminal Code of Canada at this hr of the am yet...plus, I don't care quite that much :tongue_smilie:

 

I'm not looking to go and brew anything...I've never had a homemade beer I liked, I'm sure as heck not trading my CC or Crown in on a homebrew.

[elegantlion]

I caught part of that show, leading me to wonder about its "reality". So these moonshiners make an illegal product, which is filmed about and shown on reality TV. If they're making and selling an illegal product, they're probably not claiming that income on their taxes. However, if the production company is paying them, they'd have to claim those earnings as income, which is like admitting that you're doing something illegal when you file said taxes.

 

What was funny is they were filming the sheriff too. So it makes me wonder how much of the reality is reality, if the law enforcement looks the other way or why doesn't he just follow the film crew.

 

Anyway, the mention of moonshine brings back some random bad memories of Everclear, which may be milder than moonshine, but still enough to set your hair spray alight (80s flashback).

 

And yes, I love me some NASCAR too.

[nukeswife]

As to why some of these things are illegal, well a lot of that is going to have to do with the fact that these laws are old and nobody has every tried to change them. The US has many odd laws on the books in many states.

 

Here's just a few

 

In Alabama it's illegal to maim oneself to escape duty, and it's illegal to wear a mustache to church that may cause laughter.

 

Where I'm from, Wisconsin, it's a class a misdemeanor to wave a burning torch in the air.

 

Where dh is from, Iowa, it's illegal for a man with a mustache to kiss a woman in public, and one armed piano players must play for free.

 

There's tons of them out there.

[Parrothead]

I looked it up,Audrey. It's legal in Canada, as long as you don't sell it, whereas in the States, simply owning a still is illegal.

 

It varies by state. Some allow it. Others (probably my nanny state of Maine) won't.

[Retired]

You can make your own beer or wine but not for resale. Moonshine is made for resale. We have some dry counties here in Alabama. Apparently there is s moonshine problem in those counties.

 

 

I've lived in Alabama for 42 years. I can tell you some families have been making the stuff for years. I could get some now but havent' drank any since i was 19 LOL. I don't think the dry county thing is what really keeps it going. I live near a dry county and the folks just drive over here and stock up.

 

Its more of a "in your face" about goverment, it goes along with I dare them to take my guns. I grew up in "red neck" rural area. The old moon shiners one is still 80's and his son in his 60's still brews. I know for a fact a few of the local home town cops know about the still. I went to school with them and we drank the stuff together . THey also know the old guy doesn't sell and only people who are in the know can get it LOL

 

Its totally about the taxes. The goverment is about making money to spend on stuff I don't care or support.

[Carrie12345]

Different states also have limits on alcohol proofs from *legal manufacturers, so it's illegal to sell, say, Everclear in some states because the proof is too high.

[Scarlett]

I think there is some of that in the top of my kitchen cabinet. It is nasty stuff. I can't even remember why I have it. I think one of my relatives made it. There is something about burning a spoonful of it to see what color flame it is.....to verify it is not poisonous. Shrug.

[OhM]

I've always assumed it's because the distillation process is more potentially dangerous without proper knowledge and oversight than brewing or making wine.

 

This is an interesting discussion about some of the necessary precautions to avoid explosions: http://homedistiller...hp?f=33&t=26264 Flammability can also be a problem if vapors accumulate in the area of the still.

 

The danger of poisoning has already been mentioned. Much contamination is due to the materials used to make the still, but methane is a byproduct of fermentation (though usually not in quantities large enough to be toxic.)

 

As for the tax argument, it's illegal for dh to sell his homebrew without proper licensing, so I don't think that's the primary reason. You can still brew for private consumption, but can't distill alcohol at all.

 

ETA: Yes, my homebrewing dh has been trying (unsuccessfully) to convince me he needs a still in the garage for years. I'm not sold yet that it's worth the risk, legal or otherwise!

[Guest barefootbabies]

To bring another questionable side to the story, I went to ps and TWICE, first in 8th grade and again senior year, we made moonshine IN CLASS!!! The teacher brought in all the supplies and built a still on the lab counter and we happily distilled away without a single question from the schoolboard. It obviously isn't THAT highly dangerous if they would allow it to take place inside a school building even here in redneck land. On a side note, if you ever happen to stumble upon someone who makes wild berry moonshine, it is worth the experience at least once in your life.

[beaners]

For some reason I thought you could distill a certain amount per year in some places in the US, but Wikipedia says otherwise.