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Relaxing rules for brewing liquor
at home
Did you know that you can now brew beer and other fermented liquors in your home for personal consumption without applying for a licence?
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| Since the Customs Act was revised in April this year, individuals can enjoy home-brewed liquors with family and friends without having to apply for a licence |
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The Home Brewing Scheme, introduced in February 2004, required individuals to apply for a licence to brew beer, stout, ale and porter at home for their personal consumption.
Singapore Customs recently reviewed the scheme and decided to waive the licensing requirement for home-brewing, as the activity does not pose health problems or food safety risks to the public.
This move is in line with the agency’s commitment to cut red-tape and align with best practices around the world. Home-brewing is not licensed in most countries.
In April 2008, the Customs Act was amended to exempt licences for home-brewing of all fermented liquors. These include beer (as well as ale, stout, porter, shandy and all other fermented liquors made from malt, cider and perry) and other fermented liquors, such as wine and samsu.
To brew beer and other fermented liquors at home without a licence, you must meet the following requirements:
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Be at least 18 years old |
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Produce liquor by fermentation and not by distillation |
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Produce not more than 30 litres of beer (includes ale, stout, porter, shandy and all other fermented liquors made from malt, cider and perry) per household
per month |
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Produce not more than 30 litres of other fermented liquor (includes wine, samsu, etc.) per household
per month |
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Produce liquor for personal use and not for sale |
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Carry out the activity in your home without creating a nuisance to the public or degrading the environment |
| For more information on home brewing, click here. |
If you do not meet the above conditions or if you are manufacturing alcoholic beverages for commercial purposes, you will require a manufacturing licence under the Excise Factory Scheme. Click here for information on the scheme and the application procedure.
A little yeast can make a big difference
Fermentation is the process of using yeast to convert sugar into alcohol. This is an important step in making beer and wine.
Beer is made by germinating and drying grain such as barley, wheat or rye and then crushing them into a pulp. Hot water is added to the pulp to produce a sugary extract. This liquid mixture is then flavoured with hops, cooled and saturated with pure air, and transferred to a fermentation container. During transfer, yeast is added to change the sugary extract into carbon dioxide and alcohol. After weeks of fermentation, the beer can be filtered and enjoyed.
Wine is made in a similar way. Grapes are mashed and the juice is either quickly extracted or left to absorb the flavour, tannins and colour of the grape skins for a period of time. Next, yeast is added to the extracted juice, which is then left to ferment for weeks. Finally, the fermented juice is transferred to different containers to ferment more slowly and eventually bottled.
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| Copyright © 2008
Singapore Customs. All Rights Reserved. |
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