Legislation being considered at the Capitol would give home brewers a break. It’s authored by state Senator Mike Ellis of Neenah. “The Department of Revenue has interpreted an earlier statute that says they can do only the home brew in their own facility, their home,” says Ellis. “But they can’t take it across the street and share with them.” That ruling forced a home-brewers’ competition in Racine to be canceled. Steve Wall is a home brewer from western Wisconsin. “It kind of made people take a look at what the language really was, and realize that “hey, we may need to update this language.” Not only to bring it current with that the federal regulations say, but to allow certain things that had been previously assumed.”
AUDIO: Bob Hague reports (:55)
The bill (SB 395) will allow home-brewers to take small amounts of their beer-and-wines outside their homes and hold community contests. It’s expected to come to a vote this month in the state Senate.