# Two drinking questions (general that is) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 18, 2006, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-drinking-questions-general-that-is/353223 "2006-04-18T23:06:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-drinking-questions-general-that-is/353223/1 "2006-04-18T23:06:41Z")
- What is the reasoning behind the law that we (US) prevented from distilling alcohol? - What legally prevents minors from obtaining fermentables and making their own alcoholic drinks? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-drinking-questions-general-that-is/353223/2 "2006-04-18T23:20:17Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > - What is the reasoning behind the law that we (US) prevented from distilling alcohol? > > - What legally prevents minors from obtaining fermentables and making their own alcoholic drinks? 1. Because it is dangerous. Impure ethanol like happens in some moonshine can cause some serious health problems. There are several kinds of alcohol and only one kind that is safe to drink. Given enough home distillers, some people are going to poison themselves and their friends. There are tax issues too and the feds just don’t think there is good reason to cede control to a home market when crappy alcohol is cheap anyway. 2. Nothing. You can make (usually horrible tasting alcohol) from just about anything with sugar in it. Take some fruit juice, dump in a yeast package and let it sit there closed for about 5 days. Yummm. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-drinking-questions-general-that-is/353223/3 "2006-04-18T23:21:58Z")
[http://www.blacktable.com/gillin030901.htm](http://www.blacktable.com/gillin030901.htm) ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-drinking-questions-general-that-is/353223/4 "2006-04-19T01:49:45Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > 1. Nothing. You can make (usually horrible tasting alcohol) from just about anything with sugar in it. Take some fruit juice, dump in a yeast package and let it sit there closed for about 5 days. Yummm. Actually, theres a product on the market called [OZTOPS](http://www.oztops.com.au/). It uses a 2 litre soda bottle and special caps. I’ve been using the kit for a couple years now. Using juice purchased at the 99 Cent store I’m able to make almost 2 liters worth of 10-15% alcohol lambrusco style wine for only a little over a buck when all expenses are added. It’s not too shaby really. Theres been a few times it hasn’t turned out, but the failure rate is far, FAR less than the attempts at home brewed beer I’ve made. I don’t really know of any law that says a minor couldn’t buy one of those kits. It’s only plastic caps & yeast. It’s the end product that would be illegal for a minor to possess. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-drinking-questions-general-that-is/353223/5 "2006-04-19T02:02:49Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Theres been a few times it hasn’t turned out, but the failure rate is far, FAR less than the attempts at home brewed beer I’ve made. Really? Hmm. I started over a year ago, and I’ve yet to get a bad batch of homebrew. Did you follow Charlie Papazian’s book or some other way? ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-drinking-questions-general-that-is/353223/6 "2006-04-19T09:30:50Z")
> [@](#): > > - What is the reasoning behind the law that we (US) prevented from distilling alcohol? The real and only correct answer is, because the Federal Government wants to collect taxes. Period. > [@Shagnasty](#): > > 1. Because it is dangerous. Hogwash. Assuming a properly constructed still, it’s no more dangerous than boiling potatoes. > [@](#): > > Impure ethanol like happens in some moonshine can cause some serious health problems. There are several kinds of alcohol and only one kind that is safe to drink. “ONE KIND”: as in 95% plus of the alcohol is safe to drink. The easiset way is to just measure the temperature! You dump the lower boiling compounds, collect the ethanol and then dump the rest. I don’t need the goverment on my ass about it, to tell you the truth. > [@](#): > > Given enough home distillers, some people are going to poison themselves and their friends. This is slightly true, but it’s mostly scare tactices and bunk science. But hey, given enough drivers, some people are going to crash their cars too. :eek: Yes, Ethanol is safe to drink. Yes, Methanol can blind you. But every distiller knows to throw away or recycle the first part of the distillate. THAT part contains the methanol. Only an idiot would drink the first runnings. Granted, this also relies on the quality of the still in question. A fractioning still is better than a “pot still”. In countries where this is legal, like New Zealand, the unwashed masses actually realize this and take it into account by double distilling their liquor when their cheaper homemade potstills dictate such. _Every fermentation_ will result in some trace methanol. Your Budweiser contains some. Your Miller Lite contains some. Yes, _Methanol_ can be dangerous, but only when concentrated, and like an idiot, consumed straight in huge quantities. When I make legal homebrew beer, I ingest some methanol. Just like if I bought Budweiser from the store. If I were to try and distill it down to a more pure form, and then drink the first runnings, not only would it be highly stupid and illegal, it could be mostly methanol!!! It could blind me! Even I’m not that stupid! So even bootleggers understand this. > [@](#): > > 1. Nothing. You can make (usually horrible tasting alcohol) from just about anything with sugar in it. Take some fruit juice, dump in a yeast package and let it sit there closed for about 5 days. Yummm. I take it you’ve never made your own beer or wine? :rolleyes: There is a huge LEGAL industry within the US allowing us to make our own beer and wine, in MOST cases MUCH better than available on the common market, for MUCH cheaper. Like I said, the answer to the OP is because of fear mongering and TAXES. Period. ---
**Author:** ![Hombre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecb155/32.png) [@Hombre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hombre)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-drinking-questions-general-that-is/353223/7 "2006-04-19T11:31:08Z")
> [@Eleusis](#): > > Assuming a properly constructed still, it’s no more dangerous than boiling potatoes. Hmmm. Given all the things in your post I didn’t know, I think it’s safe to say that for the average pobe distilling would be dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-drinking-questions-general-that-is/353223/8 "2006-04-19T13:11:05Z")
> [@Eleusis](#): > > When I make legal homebrew beer, I ingest some methanol. Just like if I bought Budweiser from the store. > > If I were to try and distill it down to a more pure form, and then drink the first runnings, not only would it be highly stupid and illegal, it could be mostly methanol!!! It could blind me! Even I’m not that stupid! Imagine 2 scenarios: 1. I brew some beer at home and drink some of it. 2. I brew some beer at home, and distill it into whiskey. I fuck up though (yeah, I’m a pobe) and fail to dump out the methanol. I mix the whiskey some with gool, ole-fashioned Coke, and drink it. In both cases, I’ve consumed the same amount of methanol, and even the same methanol:water ratio. Yet years of programming have led me to believe #2 is dangerous, but #1 is perfectly safe. Is that true? What gives? ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-drinking-questions-general-that-is/353223/9 "2006-04-19T16:25:15Z")
There are a lot of myths about the dangers of distilling. The biggest danger is that you are creating gaseous ethanol and are risking dangerous explosions. But as far as poisons go, all you are doing is concentrating whatever substance you started with. If there aren’t toxic substances in that, you can’t create them by distilling it. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-drinking-questions-general-that-is/353223/10 "2006-04-19T16:31:23Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > - What legally prevents minors from obtaining fermentables and making their own alcoholic drinks? The answer to the first part of the question is “nothing.” The answer to the second part is “it’s against the law.” Minors in possession of alcohol is illegal, period. No special effort is made to prevent them from making it any more than special effort is made to make sure they don’t swipe a bottle from Mom. If they are caught with it, they are punished. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-drinking-questions-general-that-is/353223/11 "2006-04-19T16:55:13Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > The answer to the first part of the question is “nothing.” The answer to the second part is “it’s against the law.” Minors in possession of alcohol is illegal, period. No special effort is made to prevent them from making it any more than special effort is made to make sure they don’t swipe a bottle from Mom. If they are caught with it, they are punished. Now is that true in every state? I can imagine a few different things having different legality: 1. Furnishing alcohol to minors 2. Minors drinking alcohol 3. Minors being intoxicated 4. Minors buying alcohol 5. Minors possessing alcohol Now, somehow in the back of my mind I have this idea that there are states where only #1 and #4 are actually illegal, so if you can get your hands on some it’s fair game. Is this true? ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-drinking-questions-general-that-is/353223/12 "2006-04-19T17:46:42Z")
> [@groman](#): > > Now is that true in every state? No. > [@](#): > > Now, somehow in the back of my mind I have this idea that there are states where only #1 and #4 are actually illegal, so if you can get your hands on some it’s fair game. Is this true? Yes. See the [APIS website](http://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/index.asp?Type=BAS_APIS&SEC=%7B0D5C719E-FCE8-4E15-A367-4145C655505F%7D&DE=%7BE6F19624-0ADC-437F-917D-5E7CBC9F58B9%7D) for a breakdown of state laws. For example, here in California, consumption is not prohibited, possession is, but with exceptions, one being parental consent, which is why my 19 and 15 year old sons are allowed to each have a glass of wine with dinner when we dine out, or in their own homes, etc. Furnishing and purchasing are prohibited. But in Utah consumption is illegal (unless for religious purposes), possession is illegal, as is purchasing and furnishing. It does vary state to state. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-drinking-questions-general-that-is/353223/13 "2006-04-19T17:48:05Z")
Probably. I’d almost say “certainly.” Texas and Kansas spring to mind from personal experience. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-drinking-questions-general-that-is/353223/14 "2006-04-19T18:04:09Z")
> [@psycat90](#): > > For example, here in California, consumption is not prohibited, possession is, but with exceptions, one being parental consent, which is why my 19 and 15 year old sons are allowed to each have a glass of wine with dinner when we dine out, or in their own homes, etc. > Furnishing and purchasing are prohibited. I was going to mention the “family” provision as well. Many states exempt minors who are in the presence of a family member (variously defined) from the restriction. Effectively this means that minors could brew beverages or drink in their own homes, they just could not have their friends join them. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-drinking-questions-general-that-is/353223/15 "2006-04-19T18:09:13Z")
:smack: I see now that your link does an excellent job of noting that very exception. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-drinking-questions-general-that-is/353223/16 "2006-04-19T18:38:07Z")
> [@Do Not Taunt](#): > > Imagine 2 scenarios: > > 1. I brew some beer at home and drink some of it. > 2. I brew some beer at home, and distill it into whiskey. I fuck up though (yeah, I’m a pobe) and fail to dump out the methanol. I mix the whiskey some with gool, ole-fashioned Coke, and drink it. > > In both cases, I’ve consumed the same amount of methanol, and even the same methanol:water ratio. Yet years of programming have led me to believe #2 is dangerous, but #1 is perfectly safe. Is that true? What gives? Note my bolded additions: 1. I brew **5 gallons** of beer at home and distill it into **a quart or so** of whiskey… By drinking that whiskey you will poison yourself no more and no less than if you drank two cases of beer. Which, for some people, is pretty darn poisoned. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-drinking-questions-general-that-is/353223/17 "2006-04-19T23:33:57Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Note my bolded additions: > > 1. I brew **5 gallons** of beer at home and distill it into **a quart or so** of whiskey… > > By drinking that whiskey you will poison yourself no more and no less than if you drank two cases of beer. > > Which, for some people, is pretty darn poisoned. That sounds like either some weak-ass beer or some strong-ass whiskey. If your homebrew beer is 5% alcohol by volume, and whiskey 40%, the whiskey is 8x stronger, so the beer equivalent of your quart of whiskey is 2 gallons, not 5. So let’s say I drink half that: either eight pints of beer, or around eight to ten shots of whiskey. Same effect either way? If so, why bother distilling out the methanol from the whiskey?