TRADITIONAL WOODEN BARRELS IN CUTCHOGUE
MODERN ALUMINIUM BEER BARRELS - ALSO CALLED CASKS - OUTSIDE THE CASTLE ROCK MICROBREWERY IN NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND
A BARREL IS A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER, TRADITIONALLY MADE OF WOOD
STAVES AND BOUND WITH IRON BANDS. SOMEONE WHO MAKES SUCH BARRELS IS KNOWN AS A
COOPER. CONTEMPORARY BARRELS ARE ALSO MADE IN
ALUMINIUM (ALSO CALLED KEGS) AND PLASTIC.
BARRELS OFTEN HAVE A CONVEX SHAPE, BULGING AT THE MIDDLE. THIS CONSTANT BULGE MAKES IT RELATIVELY EASY TO ROLL A WELL BUILT
WOODEN A BARREL ON ITS SIDE, CHANGING DIRECTIONS WITH LITTLE FRICTION. IT ALSO HELPS TO DISTRIBUTE STRESS EVENLY IN THE MATERIAL BY MAKING THE CONTAINER MORE SPHERICAL.
CONTENTS
//
1 HISTORY
2 AGING IN BARRELS
3 BEER "BARRELS"
4 SIZES
4.1 ENGLISH TRADITIONAL, WINE
4.2 ENGLISH TRADITIONAL, BEER AND ALE
[EDIT]
HISTORY
IN ANCIENT TIMES, IN EUROPE, LIQUIDS LIKE OIL AND WINE WERE CARRIED IN VESSELS, FOR INSTANCE AMPHORA, SEALED WITH PINE RESIN. THE
ROMANS BEGAN TO USE BARRELS IN THE 3RD
CENTURY AD, AS A RESULT OF THEIR COMMERCIAL AND MILITARY CONTACTS WITH THE GAULS, WHO
HAD BEEN MAKING BARRELS FOR SEVERAL CENTURIES.
FOR NEARLY 2,000 YEARS BARRELS WERE THE MOST CONVENIENT FORM OF SHIPPING OR STORAGE CONTAINER, FOR THOSE WHO COULD AFFORD THE
SUPERIOR PRICE. ALL KINDS OF BULK GOODS, FROM NAILS TO GOLD COINS, WERE STORED IN THEM. BAGS AND MOST CRATES WERE CHEAPER, BUT
THEY WERE NOT AS STURDY AND THEY WERE MORE DIFFICULT TO MANHANDLE, FOR THE SAME WEIGHT. BARRELS SLOWLY LOST THEIR IMPORTANCE IN
THE 20TH CENTURY, WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF PALLET BASED LOGISTICS AND CONTAINERIZATION.
[EDIT]
AGING IN BARRELS
MAIN ARTICLE: AGING BARREL
BARRELS ARE USED FOR THE STORAGE OF LIQUIDS, TO FERMENT WINE, AND TO AGE WINE (NOTABLY BRANDY, SHERRY, AND PORT)
AND WHISKEY. SOME WINE IS SAID TO BE FERMENTED "IN BARREL," AS OPPOSED TO A NEUTRAL
CONTAINER SUCH AS A STEEL OR CONCRETE TANK. THE BARRELS USED FOR THIS CAN BE HUNDREDS OR EVEN THOUSANDS OF GALLONS.
[EDIT]
BEER "BARRELS"
ALTHOUGH IT IS COMMON TO REFER TO DRAUGHT BEER CONTAINERS OF ANY SIZE AS BARRELS, THIS IS STRICTLY CORRECT ONLY IF THE
CONTAINER ACTUALLY HOLDS 36 GALLONS. THE TERMS "KEG" AND "CASK" REFER
TO CONTAINERS OF ANY SIZE, THE DISTINCTION BEING THAT KEGS ARE USED FOR PASTEURISED BEERS INTENDED TO BE SERVED USING EXTERNAL
GAS CYLINDERS. REAL ALE AND SIMILAR BEERS UNDERGO PART OF THEIR FERMENTATION
PROCESS IN THEIR CONTAINERS, WHICH ARE CALLED CASKS.
CASKS ARE AVAILABLE IN SEVERAL SIZES, AND IT IS ALSO USUAL TO REFER TO "A FIRKIN" OR "A KIL" (KILDERKIN) INSTEAD OF A
CASK.
[EDIT]
SIZES
WINE BARRELS IN NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA.
WINE BARRELS IN NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA.
[EDIT]
ENGLISH TRADITIONAL, WINE
ENGLISH CASKS OF WINE [1] (HTTP://WWW.SIZES.COM/UNITS/WINE_BARREL.HTM)
GALLON
RUNDLET
BARREL
TIERCE
HOGSHEAD
FIRKIN, PUNCHEON, TERTIAN
PIPE, BUTT
TUN
2
PIPES, BUTTS
1½
3
FIRKINS, PUNCHEONS, TERTIANS
1 1⁄3
2
4
HOGSHEADS
1½
2
3
6
TIERCES
1 1⁄3
2
2 1⁄3
4
8
BARRELS
1¾
2 1⁄3
3½
4 2⁄3
7
14
RUNDLETS
18
31½
42
63
84
126
252
WINE GALLONS
0.83
14.99
26.23
34.97
52.46
69.94
104.92
209.83
IMPERIAL GALLONS
US + PRE-1824
3.79
68.14
119.24
158.99
238.48
317.97
476.96
953.92
LITRES
-
15
26¼
35
52.5
70
105
210
IMPERIAL GALLONS
POST-1824
-
68.19
119.3
159.1
238.7
318.2
477.3
954.7
LITRES
LIKE OTHER UNITS, THE PRE-1824 DEFINITIONS CONTINUED TO BE USED IN THE US, THE WINE
GALLON OF 231 CUBIC INCHES STAYING (SINCE 1707) THE STANDARD GALLON FOR LIQUIDS (ACCOMPANIED BY THE CORN GALLON OF 268.8 CUBIC INCHES FOR SOLIDS), WHEREAS IN BRITAIN THAT GALLON
WAS ABOLISHED AND REPLACED BY THE IMPERIAL GALLON. THE TIERCE LATER BECAME THE PETROL
BARREL. THE TUN ORIGINALLY WAS 256 GALLONS, WHICH
EXPLAINS WHERE THE QUARTER, BEING 8 BUSHELS OR 64 (WINE) GALLONS, COMES
FROM.
[EDIT]
ENGLISH TRADITIONAL, BEER AND ALE
ENGLISH CASKS OF ALE AND BEER [2] (HTTP://WWW.SIZES.COM/UNITS/BARREL_ALEBEER.HTM)
GALLON
FIRKIN
KILDERKIN
BARREL
HOGSHEAD
1½
BARRELS
2
3
KILDERKINS
2
4
6
FIRKINS
8
16
32
48
ALE GALLONS
(1454)-1688
9
18
36
54
BEER GALLONS
8½
17
34
51
BEER & ALE GALLONS
1688-1803
9
18
36
54
1803-1824
9
18
36
54
IMPERIAL GALLONS
1824-2000
4.55
40.91
81.83
163.66
245.49
LITRES
ForsättNING
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