Hacker News Reader

Sure. But it's not illegal to distill alcohol for fuel--or any of the other various laboratory operations that are similarly dangerous.

If that reason had anything to do with the law, it would be a fire code thing.

No, the real reason is a coalition between moral purity (left over from the temperance movement) and revenue protection. Ever heard of "Baptists and bootleggers"? Same thing, except the bootleggers are the government.

View on HN

If you want to distill fuel alcohol, you do need a permit. Without a permit, it's illegal.

I mentioned fire in relation to a "problem" with home distilling, not as a legal issue, although fire codes related to distilling are quite extensive and restrictive.

I also mentioned the revenue issue in several other comments.

The so-called "moral" issue is generally only relevant to consumption, not distilling, and only at the state level or below, where some states have "dry" counties and other restrictions on access.

Indeed. I remembered incorrectly.

But the only reason you need a federal permit for making the fuel is so you don't go making any demon rum on the sly and avoiding the tax.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com