Barrel
Volume
That is
163.7 l
1 barrel (beer, imperial)
The other way round: 1 m³ is 6.1103 barrels.
- Period: 1826 to today
- Region: England
- Goods: beer
Values
| Value | That is | Period | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| beer, imperial | 163.7 l | 1826 to today | beer · England |
| ale, 34 gallonsApproximate: 34 ale gallons of 282 cubic inches. | 157.1 l | 1688 to 1803 | ale · England |
| ale, 32 gallonsApproximate: 32 ale gallons of 282 cubic inches. | 147.9 l | to 1688 | ale · England |
What the unit was used for
The beer barrel is an excise unit before it is a container: duty in Britain was assessed by the barrel, so its size was a question of revenue law and changed by statute.
The ale barrel began at 32 ale gallons, went to 34 in 1688 and to 36 in 1803, while hopped beer had long been reckoned at 36 where unhopped ale was 32.
When the imperial system took effect in 1826 the barrel became 36 imperial gallons.
The lesson is that a barrel means nothing until the commodity is named, and that still holds: the oil barrel of 42 US gallons is different again.
In the system
1 barrel = 36 gallons = 4 firkins = 2 kilderkins; 1½ barrels = 1 hogshead