Legally sell homemade craft beer? (as a main income)

[gustavohmsilva]

Hi guys;

I realise that maybe I'm in the wrong place of the forum to ask about that but, please, forgive-me.

That's the deal... I'm not and australian. To be honest, I'm not even ON Australia right now... I'm a Portuguese living in Brazil for the past (approx.) 16 years. I'm married with a Brazilian woman and thins here are starting to change for the worse FAST! That being said, my wife has been planning and thinking about live abroad, and how I would love that (actualy I would, she's right)...

The thing is... I have no idea how is the legal aspects of homebrewing at your lovely country! I've been homebrewing cider, mead, perry, sake and craft beer for the last 5 years and since she is the one that has the ability to get a skilled visa to Australia, I'm kind of a loose end here...

Giving this actual status, I've been thinking; "what a hell, I usually brew 200˜300lt per week as a hobby! maybe I can finally work with it for real!"

After this happy thought I started to send loads of resumées and cover letters but it seems that there's no job available at any craft brewery or brewpub.

So I decided to start thinking about brewing my own beer and sell it as a main income way, but I don't know if this is possible (by the legal perspective).. Do you guys have and info about to help me out? It is possible to homebrew and sell as a main income? If so, is it a complicated process? If I can't, what is the smallest step possible ahead from that? Can build a brewery for 10k Lt/year or something like that?

One of the reasons I've never made that in Brazil is because here this process is so painful and the taxes are so high that the final price of a pint is 60% taxes! Maybe in your beautiful land things are better...

Again, thanks for all the help and sorry If I'm posting this at the wrong place.

Kindest regards;
Gus
[email protected]

 

[5150]

Hey Gus,

Unfortunately it's a very difficult process here to, probably more so than in brazil. You need to get licenses from local, state and federal. You also wouldn't be able to brew from a residential premises, so you would need to rent a commercial space. This will all take lots of money and producing 10k Lt/year wouldn't be enough to cover the basic running costs. Sorry to be the purveyor of bad news.

 

[manticle]

Australia is definitely not the place for easy legal selling of beer. It can be done but the legal requirements are many, the tax situation no better.

 

[goomboogo]

Your description of the situation in Brazil, (painful process and high taxation) is very much the same in Australia. It's a tough industry to get a start and even more difficult to prosper in the long run. I applaud those who have managed to get a brewery up and running. I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm but there are more reliable ways to make money in Australia.

I don't want to derail your thread but when you say things in Brazil are changing for the worse, what do you mean?

 

[mwd]

Well if the wife is the only one who can get a skilled migrant visa then just send her out to work and sit at home you can brew and drink to your hearts content. Win win in my book :beerbang:

 

[gustavohmsilva]

whoa guys... Such a rich feedback! Thanks for your replies!

Tropical_Brews. I wish I could... But I think that this may not be feasible in the long run

Another idea is to make what some people do in Brazil, A Community Factory... People put one factory together (except for the fermenters, which the members buy by themselves), Each one produce one day of the week and this way the legal process is simplified. Is something like that already in youc country?

 

[Danscraftbeer]

There is this that I know of. Not sure exactly how it works, basically I think anyone can rent the usage of this Micro Brewery.
http://www.barleycornbrewers.com/html/s01_home/home.asp

 

[wynnum1]

There are ways of getting around the laws look at uber .Do fresh wort kits count as brewing its not alcaholic until fermented.Selling beer would need to be legal
Teaching to make beer may be different .Hireing beer making equipment . .

 

[sp0rk]

There are ways of getting around the laws look at uber .Do fresh wort kits count as brewing its not alcaholic until fermented.Selling beer would need to be legal
Teaching to make beer may be different .Hireing beer making equipment . .

Brew On Premises businesses still need alcohol production licences and whatnot, we had one here in Coffs Harbour that went belly up twice due to non profitability and didn't come back after the second time

 

[Goose]

yes, beer is taxed twice in Australia. The first is excise which has to be paid to the government as the beer leaves the brewery and depends on the beer's alcohol content and the way it is packaged. its a huge contributor to the working capital required to run a brewery in Australia. The second tax is GST.

I do remember reading a blog about the pitfalls of starting a brewery with some local content here. Hope it helps.

 

[Bribie G]

Open a Salghadinos bar.

Mmm need a snack right NOW

Edit. Excuse spelling.

Mate from Sao Paulo made some Feijoada with pigs ears etc. Bloody lovely.

 

[butisitart]

check 'brewhouse brisbane' online.
the guy (can't remember name, but met him once) is very approachable and laid back, so drop an email through the 'contact us' box.
i'm sure he is the type of person that can give you a lot of practical advice.
he actually got me into home brewing through a casual meeting, and he knows his stuff, both technically (from brew technique) and commercially (with legalities).
he's maybe 30yrs old, and genuinely nice guy.
good luck

oh - his name simeon - you'll see it on site search. demand to get contact with him

 

[gustavohmsilva]

Bribie G, salgadinhos? This May be one of the business that no manter where in the world you are... Will make some sérios Cash

I was thinking about that but the amount of work is craaaaazy.

Ps: feijoada? Really? Dude... Try some picanha with garlic, this sh#%*§ Gonna gave you some serious addiction lfmao

 

[gustavohmsilva]

butisitart, I was actually considerando breisbane as the place for my wife and me. Se is crazy about this place...

I would be ok in any place that have a good malts and hops selection

Will send this guy a message some Day. I probably already have his email, since I sent my CV to each brewery in Australia already.

 

[gustavohmsilva]

wynnum1, to be like uber I would have to produce in another country and ship it directly to clients in Australia lol

 

[gustavohmsilva]

Danscraftbeer, i'll check that Out, thanks.

 

[gustavohmsilva]

goomboogo, there's one thing different (I think). Here there's a licence given to each label (different recipe made) sometimes you decide to make a new style, and selling it can only be done alter MAPA test the new beer in a lab and aprove the recipe. This usually takes 1 year.

 

[butisitart]

you know it's your shout if you turn up here and make beer