I’m sure I’m not the only person here who is frustrated by the expense and red tape necessary to begin commercial production. So, I’ve decided to begin a petition to allow home brewers/wine makers to sell their crafts through the introduction of a new nano license. I have an “in” with our local congressman, so if I can show enough interest and that it’s good for the economy, there’s a chance!
Sign here:
For those of you on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Google+ please be sure to share this link! Numbers matter!!!
So, what exactly is the point of that? Your petition is really vague. It also seems like a waste of time to just say “Make regulations easier for me to do what I want.” If you have specific policy proposals, that’s what you should be getting signatures for.
For instance, maybe you’re trying to get the TTB to relax their rules regarding liquor production in a space attached to a domicile. In that case, is your local congressman really the appropriate person to take that to? Your local health department and your state liquor agency will be responsible for inspecting all of the new “facilities.” How will you pay for that? Will each state set their own per-gallon excise tax, or will there be a flat-rate? Or maybe you don’t want the facilities inspected at all, in which case how will you be able to make sure people aren’t just rebottling other peoples’ wine/beer, or other adulteration?
I don’t think the TTB can force states to allow homebrewers the ability to get licensed, so even if the TTB changes their rules, you’d need all of the states to change their regulations too.
I’m not saying liquor regulations in America are optimal, but the logistics of what you’re proposing are way more complicated than I think you realize.
With any kind of law or regulation change, successes are had one small step at a time. Its best if its a communal effort throughout the industry. My advice would be to seek out the local breweries and our AHA reps to find a place you can help, and to communicate EXACTLY what you want to see changed. What do you want to be able to do, and what laws/regulations are preventing you from doing exactly that?
I was amazed at how simple and easy winery licensing is, compared to brewery licensing. The wine industry is huge. I mean, really huge, compared to craft brewing. Wine sales for 2011 were $32b, craft beer, $8.7b. So the wine industry has a lot of muscle craft brewers don’t have, and the regulations reflect that.
Wineries and breweries are different. I think we should have the same fermentation/sales regulations, but different requirements for production. They crush fruit and add yeast - we actually have to grind grain (the dust can explode) and we use burners. I think there are far many more hazards in a brewery than in a winery.
I think it’s as simple as the title says: allowing home brewers to sell their homemade product on a very small scale, as people can already do with food. Whether or not this is feasible (could be) or politically viable (probably not), selling homebrew at a fair or the farmers market would be pretty cool.
I don’t know how it works where you live, but around here people need a licensed kitchen to be allowed to make and sell food. To license a kitchen in your home you need two kitchens - one for the home and one for your business. Or you can go make food in a licensed kitchen and sell it, but that is analogous with contract brewing.
I can start a brewery at home, I just need a detached building. I have one, but it’s small and even if I went commercial it would not be with a 10-gallon system.
There is an exemption in MO for selling baked goods, and canned goods if they’re “generally regarded as safe” at farmer’s markets. If you sell them any other way, you need to be a licensed kitchen.
Eventhou you have a detached building on your land you still have to fallow local zoning.
Just saying.
There is more to it then just that.
Every government body wants to know what you are doing.
Even the government offices that do not have jurisdiction over you.
When you think about what government is in charge of, protecting the public and collecting money. They need all the questions answered before you get the OK. Some states take it to extremes absolutely, I would suggest starting there.
I think that’s really important to remember. Regulations aren’t designed to keep honest people from making money. They’re designed to keep unscrupulous people from harming others.
Before we had food regs, there were companies who put plaster-of-paris in their pancake mix. In 1985 an Australian winemaker added diethylene glycol to make his wine taste sweeter. In 1986 an Italian winemaker added methanol to his wine.