Archaic Volume Measures Calculator
Historical Volume Units:
From tiny gills to massive tuns, explore the colorful world of barrels, casks, and archaic liquid and dry measures used in brewing, wine-making, and grain trading.
About Archaic Volume Measures
Small Liquid Measures
- Gill: 4 fl oz (1/4 pint) - small drink measure
- Pint: US = 16 fl oz, Imperial = 20 fl oz (British pints are 20% larger!)
- Pottle: Half gallon - archaic drinking measure
Beer & Wine Casks (Smallest to Largest)
- Firkin: 9 gallons (10.8 gal imp) - "quarter barrel" for beer
- Kilderkin: 18 gallons - 2 firkins, "half barrel"
- Barrel: 36 gallons - standard beer barrel
- Hogshead: 63 gallons (wine) or 54 gallons (beer) - large cask
- Puncheon: 84 gallons - extra large cask for rum/wine
- Butt (Pipe): 126 gallons - 2 hogsheads, massive cask
- Tun: 252 gallons - largest cask, weighs over a ton when full!
Dry Measures (Grain & Produce)
- Peck: 2 gallons dry (1/4 bushel) - "a peck of pickled peppers"
- Bushel: 8 gallons dry - standard grain measure, still used!
- Strike: 2 bushels - larger grain measure
- Coomb: 4 bushels - large grain transport unit
Fun Facts
- A hogshead gets its name because the barrel shape resembled a hog's head
- A butt is also called a "pipe" - Madeira and Port wine traditionally aged in butts
- Firkin comes from Dutch "vierdekijn" (little fourth)
- The phrase "a peck of trouble" refers to a surprisingly large amount!
- Imperial and US measures differ - UK pints are 20% larger than US pints