About Metric To Imperial Beer Cask Units
Modern micro- and small-breweries in the UK often buy brewing equipment that produces in metric units, but the beer produced is packaged for dispensing in traditional cask units (i.e. a firkin). This calculator will help convert between metric and the traditional imperial-standardised cask units. Note that beer cask units in the UK are a different standard volume than wine cask units..
Tun
A beer tun is exactly 216 imperial gallons or 981.95544 litres. This is twice the size of a beer butt. Casks of this size are no longer used.
Butt
A beer butt is exactly 108 imperial gallons or 490.97772 litres. This is twice the size of a beer hogshead and half the size of a beer tun. Casks of this size are no longer widely used, but butt is fun to say.
Hogshead
A beer hogshead is exactly 54 imperial gallons or 245.48886 litres. This is one and a half time the the size of a beer barrel and half the size of a beer butt. Casks of this size are no longer widely used.
Barrel
A beer barrel is exactly 36 imperial gallons or 163.65924 litres. This twice the size of a beer kildirkin and two-thirds the size of a beer hogshead.
Kildirkin
A beer kildirkin is exactly 18 imperial gallons or 81.82962 litres. This is twice the size of a beer firkin and half the size of a beer barrel.
Firkin
A beer firkin is exactly 9 imperial gallons or 40.91481 litres. This is twice the size of a beer pin and half the size of a beer kildirkin.
Pin
A beer pin is exactly 4.5 imperial gallons or 20.457405 litres. This is half the size of a beer firkin. A pin sized container is often called a polypin due to it usually being made of polyethylene material.
