Brewing for a friend - legality?

[fbsf]

Ok, now I understand we can't brew for reward and it has to be for personal use. That's fine.

But one of my mates in work has asked if I can brew a pressure barrel for his birthday. He won't be paying me as but wants to provide the ingredients i.e. he'll turn up with a bag of grain, hops, and an empty pressure barrel and I'll give him the finished barrel - any effort will be his birthday pressie.

Is that likely to foul the regs?

 

[boozy_shoes]

I can't see why that would be illegal, especially if he "helps out a bit" get him round for a bit on brewday and then it could only ever be classified as a joint venture in the eyes of the law with the efforts going to his place. Another part of his present could be a couple of your beers as you do it perhaps?

 

[calumscott]

Tell him that he can brew it himself on your kit, get him round, show him the ropes, get him brewing and you are completely fine. You're just looking after his fermentation then. :thumb:

And what's more, it'll probably be a lot of fun too.

 

[Cononthebarber]

Get him to stir it once, then he is technically your co-brewer and contributed to the process and is brewing for his own consumption...no problem :thumb:

 

[sam.k]

What's the difference between giving a mate a barrel full of beer and giving a mate a bottle full of beer? If you arnt rewarding from it then I can't see any issues at all but like the others say just get him to do something like clean the barrel or put the kettle on.

 

[calumscott]

It's the payment for the ingredients that could cause trouble...

 

[Gayle]

It's the payment for the ingredients that could cause trouble...

But if the friend is helping with the brew, what does it matter who pays for the ingredients?

 

[calumscott]

It's the payment for the ingredients that could cause trouble...

But if the friend is helping with the brew, what does it matter who pays for the ingredients?

That's exactly the point I was making earlier. If he pays and he brews - no problem. :thumb:

 

[fbsf]

Cool - that's pretty much what I was thinking!

 

[calumscott]

Cool - that's pretty much what I was thinking!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to have your friend on the darkside, with his own brewery, by the end of the year.

This message will self destruct in five... four... three...

:lol:

 

[EskiBrew]

What's the difference between giving a mate a barrel full of beer and giving a mate a bottle full of beer?

Depends if you mean a shop bought bottle or a home brew bottle. Strictly speaking the home brew bottle is for "Domestic consumption" or otherwise written as "personal use" so it is for you. It would be extreme if anyone objected to you giving a bottle or two to friends though. Giving 40 bottles may be seen as pushing it...

It's the payment for the ingredients that could cause trouble...

It's not actually payment for the ingredients that is the problem - Mixale on here used to run a brew-it-yourself shop where people paid him for the ingredients and used his equipment. The crucial bit to be within the law was that Mick was not allowed to brew the beer for them, they had to do that bit themselves.

Get him to stir it once, then he is technically your co-brewer and contributed to the process and is brewing for his own consumption...no problem :thumb:

I'm not convinced that approach would stand up in a court of law if it came to that. But it's not going to come to that unless you go around shouting about how you can brew beer for people and all they have to do if stir it once - how would anyone know or be able to prove who brewed it.

As has been said, get him around and involved on the brew day and I can't see anyone objecting :thumb:

 

[jonnymorris]

As long as you're not advertising your services I think it unlikely anyone will care that you're doing an 'illegal brew'.

 

[pittsy]

i would first not post about it and just say he brewed it , :whistle: who's to say he didn't.

 

[Grumpy Jack]

I think that the key here is... "what goes on in the homebrew shed, stays in the homebrew shed". If no-one talks, who is to know that he stirred it once, paid for the ingredients, bought your expertise, made payment in kind or anything else for that matter?! :grin:

 

[Darcey]

Unless HMRC are watching you brew, ferment, keg, follow your finances, transport and audit trail then not consume the beer I doubt there is any problem. In fact even if you collected the evidence together yourself and send it recorded delivery to them I doubt you would hear anything.

They wont touch my corner shop who is selling duty suspended alcohol by the pallet load.... they have a lot more to worry about. But its good to think legally however.

D

 

[dennisking]

Shhhhhhhhh big brother is watching you. :whistle: