Why is moonshine illegegal?!
Answers: im not from the us, but i read that moonshine is illegal, just wondering why
Because they can't tax it! AND< they can't regulate the manufacturing of the liquor; and IF,,,and many many times this has happend; it can make you blind,,or just plain old poison you... But in keeping with "Truth, justice, and the American Way".. they can't tax it; you can't make and sell it.. Pretty damn simple huh??? But that's why the main agents that they use to nail the 'Bootlegger's" are called "Revenuer's"... Get it???
"It's mean when it's green!"
Halsey
California
100% alcohol. i heard havin a certain amount can kill you
if you dont make it right it can harm/kill you.
also if you make alcohol your self the government cant make any money of the tax they put on it.
its nothing to do with the alcohol content. moonshine is illegal because you don't pay tax on it, so the U.S. government has a wee hissy fit because they're not getting money in exchange for your fun =)
Because there is no way to tax it and also some of the conditions in which it is made is not very sanitary, but mostly because of the tax reasons.
Moonshine is a term used to described illegal bootleg whiskey, which is traditionally made out of corn, and is best well-known for originating in the southeastern part of the US. It became extremely popular in the prohibition times (1920's) of US history, when the government got this wildly rediculous idea to make all alcohol illegal. People's response to this was to learn to make alcohol out of darn near anything they could get their hands on. Poor people in the country learned they could make lots of money by making whiskey out of something they grew lots of anyway (corn) and selling it to party animals in the cities. From this eminated moonshine runners, usually young men, who drove cars (think ones like in Bonnie and Clyde) loaded with jugs and bottles of the illegal brew rediculously fast through the backroads to whomever the distiller "moonshiner" was selling it to. The faster they drove, the better chance they had at outrunning the Fed's trying to catch them. Folklore has it that this practice contributed to the roots of what is now known today as NASCAR.
Moonshine is still made today, although nowhere near in the quantities and velocity with which it was historically. People that make it are wise about who does and does not know about their "hobby". If you ever get the desire to try any, make sure you trust who you get it from, because if it is made poorly it can kill you.
There are many countries in the world where moonshing is illegal but in most of them the law is rarely inforced. The problem with moonshining is the quality of the liquor. The reason distilling at home is illegal is because it's too easy to make a mistake and create a harmful product. (Because of its illegal nature in many states and simple production, moonshine is usually not aged in barrels as are other, similarly-produced liquors such as whisky or bourbon, and it sometimes contains impurities, off flavors, and toxins such as methanol that the more sophisticated distillation methods of commercial distilleries are able to control. Sloppily-produced moonshine can be contaminated with toxins, mainly from materials used in construction of the still. Despite the well-known hazards, it is claimed that stills constructed using car radiators for a condenser are still used. The lead used in soldering these radiators often contaminates the moonshine, and in some cases, glycol products from antifreeze used in the radiator can appear as well. Both are poisonous and potentially deadly. Although the total amount of methanol does not normally increase due to distillation, its concentration can still potentially rise to dangerous levels in amateur conditions, especially when the distillation is performed for a large batch. Any alcohol over 100 US proof (i.e. 50% ABV) is very flammable and easily ignitable. This is especially true during the distilling process in which vaporized alcohol can accumulate in the air if there is not enough ventilation. Occasionally moonshine is deliberately mixed with industrial alcohol-containing products, including methanol and other substances to produce denatured alcohol. Results are toxic, with methanol easily capable of causing blindness and death. In the past moonshine has been mixed with beading oil or lye, to fool people into believing that it is of a higher proof. This is due to the fact that when shaken, bubbles form on the surface relative to the alcoholic strength (known as "the bead"). Large bubbles with a short duration indicate higher proof.)
Permits and licenses are required so that the government can make sure the alcohol being produced is safe. Plus, the Feds want to get their tax money.
However, moonshiners are rarely arrested or charged with making illegal liquor. The real charges come from tax evasion.
because theres too much alcohol in it.
Taxes!
moonshine by definition is illegally produced grain spirits.
it will never be 100%, as 95.4% is an azeotrope concentration. meaning, if you were to make 96%, there would be a tendency for some alcohol to vaporize and for the mixture to absorb water out of the air until it reached 95.4% again...though, 100% is possible (university labs i've been to have 5 gallon tubs of 200 proof ethanol, thus 100%).
Because the alcohol content is very high! The proof varies per batch. It can be 100 - 200% alcohol, basically worse than a rubbing alcohol. Add compressed octane, you'll have a high horse-powered alcoholic. Don't forget the lead content that can kill you. If the alcohol won't, then the lead might....that's why it's illegal.