My neighbour is a copper

Discussion and plans for legalizing our hobby.

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Devonhomebrew
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My neighbour is a copper

Post by Devonhomebrew »

Lol about the copper but anyway yes he is a copper i only found out today, making a still has been on my mind for many months now and now i feel like its not really a safe idea to be making shine on the backdoor of a cop. :x
Samohon
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by Samohon »

I made a pot still last year for a friend who lives here in the UK. He too is a cop.
His beliefs are the same as ours, that the hobby should fall into the same category as beer and wine.
I am still in contact with him and have tried to get him to become a member here on HD but to no avail ATM...
He wishes to remain anonymous atm and I will respect that.

He retires in 2 years so once he has his pension and a bit more time, I reckon he will join up.

AFAIK, his buddy, who also is a cop, helps him on brew/stillin day...

They fly low, do it safely and dont cheat the tax man, all good in my book.. :thumbup:
♦♦ Samohon ♦♦

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Durace11
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by Durace11 »

IMO Devon, get into homebrewing beer, once you have everyone convinced you are ONLY brewing beer start moving into distilling. Hopefully, they will think you are still ONLY brewing beer. Drop him a few bottles of your beer every once in a while to "keep the peace".
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RevSpaminator
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by RevSpaminator »

I don't live next to any coppers... just some old people who probably remember when the Volstead Act was passed.

Seriously, I just tell everyone that my setup is elaborate brewing equipment. :)

Maybe you could get one of those SS columns w/ a beer keg boiler and attach a tap handle to the takeoff arm. :thumbup:
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NcHooch
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by NcHooch »

as long as you don't have a still at the moment, why not invite him over for a few drinks and ask him straight out what he thinks about home distillin' ...
If he's OK with it, you're good to go ...
if he's against it, get him really drunk so he forgets that you asked him. :lol:
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john442
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by john442 »

move :relaxed:
Dnderhead
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by Dnderhead »

at one time I had one that lived across the valley from me I did not mined as I knew what he was doing..
Devonhomebrew
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by Devonhomebrew »

Hes into dead body police and all that not normal copperering
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jholmz
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by jholmz »

i have pretty much the same problem but mines not a neighbor i have 2 brother in-laws that are county sherrifs gonna have to be real carefull :shh:
Boda Getta
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by Boda Getta »

Maybe all of us should operate as if we had the law living in the neighborhood. Obey the Home Distiller rules and you have little to worry about, but either accept the risk that is there or get out of the hobby.

BG
Clearwater
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by Clearwater »

I agree with boda getta. Nothing wrong with being secretive and aware of what information you allow to be known about yourself. My brother-in-law is a sherrif sergeant and I'm keeping it from him so he's not facing a conflict of interest.
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by HolyBear »

A close relative of mine is long time friends/watched our county sheriff grow up from a boy. The sheriff really likes and respects this close relative of mine. Well, one day, the sheriff was at my relatives house, relative gave him some of my shine :shock: . Said it was the best he'd ever had. Relative gave him some to take to some kinda sheriffs convention. :shock: said he didn't want to know who it came from, only wanted to make sure it came from our county for bragging rights...
I know our sheriff, see him on occasion, haven't had a chance to look into his eyes since this took place a while back. Makes me bad nervous though. It would be bad if something did come of it. Remember the Hatfields and McCoy's? I think it would turn into something like that, only an Ozark version...
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin
rgarry
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by rgarry »

I have nosey neighbors. I brew a ton of beer and they don't know what I'm mashing. It all looks the same to them. I ferment in the house and I distill in the garage. Had a neighbor ask why I run two hoses under the garage door. The New Yorker popped out and I said none of your business. Then I told them to cool my beer. Didn't want them to get more curious.
Roundyround
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by Roundyround »

In my opinion, 99% of law enforcement are just regular folks... no better no worse. Last thing they want is to "get all up in your business", they're much more interested in a good neighbor and having a nice neighborhood to live in. They are trained observers of human behavior, they will figure out what is going on. The key is to make it easy for them to ignore it. If you're obnoxious about the hobby, they may feel no choice but to pursue the matter. An officer has a wide of latitude of action or inaction in the fulfillment of their duties. Make it easy to overlook by not selling, not telling, and operating your still like a mistress unknown to your wife. :angel:
I'm going to try a renewable grain based lifestyle. Beer and whiskey count don't they?
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thecroweater
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by thecroweater »

my sisters studying to be a copper and my brother in law( her husband) wants my old pot still :shock:
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. Benjamin Franklin
Slowninja
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by Slowninja »

My buddy that got me into this hobby (and drinks my product on a regular basis) is a sherrif. probably fortunately for me, he works in a county i dont reside in.

When they have copper parties, he stops by to get a jar and takes it with him and passes it around.

They are just normal folk like us. As long as you aren't hurtin anybody they usually dont care.

My opinion: Ask him straight out what he thinks of it. Tell him if he doesn't like it, you'll respect that as a neighbor and keep the peace. If he does like it, send him a jar every so often to keep him happy :clap:
EKY Shinner
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by EKY Shinner »

A close friend of mine is a detective and he drinks moon and apple pie like there is no tomorrow. He was in the hospital recently and some buddies took a jug to the hospital for him.

There are a lot of good police out there that just do their jobs and don't bother anyone unless they have a complaint and then there are others that are pure assholes that would just love to bust your ass.

As far as untaxed liquor, you are not allowed to have any for any reason, unless it is denatured. I don't know the point at which it becomes a felony.
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goinbroke2
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by goinbroke2 »

LOL. my neighbour is RCMP. (He just brought home a new Interceptor last night, 355hp awd to replace his crown vic!)
Anyway, he's seen me carrying 30L wine fermenting pails from the house to the garage and has wondered what he was hearing with my propane burner howling away in the summer with the garage door open just enough for two hoses to fit under hehehe.

Closer than that though, one of the guys who works for me has a cop for a girlfriend. He's tasted lots of my stuff, never thought about his gf though..hmmm. Now that I'm thinking of it I'll have to ask him if she knows or if not, what his guess would be if she did find out.
Numerous 57L kegs, some propane, one 220v electric with stilldragon controller. Keggle for all-Grain, two pot still tops for whisky, a 3" reflux with deflag for vodka. Coming up, a 4" perf plate column. Life is short, make whisky and drag race!
watoom
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by watoom »

So I took a bottle of ujsm over to my brother in law who is sergeant in the local police on friday night and had a cheeky one with him which he said he enjoyed, rocked round on sat to see my sister and noticed 3/4 of the bottle gone... seems like he really did enjoy it :D now he wants a bottle of my "good" stuff (from my second batch).

Moral to story: Make sure wife keeps quiet about hoarding the special hooch when giving friends and family bottles of the ok stock lol
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MitchyBourbon
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by MitchyBourbon »

I have a friend who at the time had no idea about my... Hobby. One day he was over having a few drinks. Normally, I never serve anyone my own stuff. I keep a well stocked liquor cabinet of store bought liquor. At some point I told my friend to fix his own drink. Of all the stuff that was in that cabinet he noticed a bottle bourbon that I had filled with some white dog bourbon. He pulled it out and said "I want this... Is this what I think it is?". I knew he knew what it was so I said fine, but how did you know? He said I used to be an FBI agent and bourbon isn't supposed to be white.
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oliver90owner
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by oliver90owner »

As I understand the situation in the UK, flouting the law on distilling is more akin to a civil matter than criminal. One is probably more likely to be 'shopped' by any neighbour than a copper who is chasing criminals. You are not really selling this stuff as a profit-making enterprise and the 'customer and exercise' mob are only going to retrieve a tiny amount of what they expend chasing small home operators of the 'purely for home consumption' market. A bit like bringing in imported cigarettes and booze - OK for your own consumption, but taboo if selling on the stuff for profit.

Although I don't condone illegal drugs, the situation is likely just the same - the odd cannabis plant for home consumption would be treated differently than a whole shed-full, being grown for profit (as in trading in illegal drugs).
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by BentJar »

Dont trust cops of any kind. They have sworn to a higher power and will step on anyones neck for a promotion. They lie like a dog, bullies with badges and a gun. Im old and I know what im talking about.

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greasydog26
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by greasydog26 »

I disagree with you bentjar. My brother is a game warden and has been a police officer for a long time. He is one of the best men that I know and he is aware of the ins and out of my hobby. The main thing is not to sell and don't be greedy when you make it and there won't be problems. Just like with all people there are good and bad but to each his own...
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by Slowninja »

Officers generally only act the way they do based on the attitude of the individual theyre in contact with.

If your experiences with cops are always bad, it's likely not the cop's faults. They are but a product of their environment.
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by rad14701 »

Slowninja wrote:Officers generally only act the way they do based on the attitude of the individual theyre in contact with.

If your experiences with cops are always bad, it's likely not the cop's faults. They are but a product of their environment.
I don't know about other areas but around here the police forces are filled with a bunch of young cocky guys trying to claw their way up through the ranks... Many are ex-military and don't fit in well with the general population and they walk around thinking they are special and more deserving than the rest of the local population... It's partly a union thing around here because if you don't suck on the union tit you don't last very long... Trust me, I'm friends with the local ex-police chief and he retired because even he couldn't stand the younger members on the police force... He was a retired sheriffs deputy before taking on the police chief role... He's still a medevac pilot though...
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MitchyBourbon
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by MitchyBourbon »

When I was 9, I was maced in my own fenced in front yard while playing with my dog. I wonder what I did to bring that upon myself. I will never know cuz he didn't stick around to tell me.
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Rng4
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by Rng4 »

Seems like an awful lot of diversity amongst the reactions of local law enforcement depending on where you live. Would appear that everyone should do what they think is best in their particular situation. Cops are just human beings like everyone else, good days and bad days. Might go to the grocery store for months and not get a grumpy cashier, then all of the sudden you catch someone on a bad day. Here is something all you married men should think about. If one day things go bad with the misses and you find yourself in divorce court, you think that the fact that you make "moonshine" isn't gonna get brought up when she is looking to take half your stuff?? I will promise you that is a much stronger possibility than getting in trouble from the local law.
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goinbroke2
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by goinbroke2 »

divorce? they'll never find her. :shh:
Numerous 57L kegs, some propane, one 220v electric with stilldragon controller. Keggle for all-Grain, two pot still tops for whisky, a 3" reflux with deflag for vodka. Coming up, a 4" perf plate column. Life is short, make whisky and drag race!
TOAD
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by TOAD »

Lol! That's why i tried to get my wife in the hobby with me! "yer honer, the white likker and wine is hers. Mine's the beer and the rum in the barrels!"
Whoever appeals to the law against his fellow man is either a fool or a coward. Whoever cannot take care of himself without that law is both. Lamb Of God

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thecroweater
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Re: My neighbour is a copper

Post by thecroweater »

Just great, just friggen fan bloody tastic, next door sold their house and the new neighbors and are couple of female coppers :roll: next doors family were shiners so never seen the point of a significant fence between the still house and them. Now if I stick one up they might wonder why. Suzie make beer so some things can be explained but I am going to have to be darn careful how and when I run the still.
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. Benjamin Franklin
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