A firkin is a unit of

volume Volume is a measure of regions in three-dimensional space. It is often quantified numerically using SI derived units (such as the cubic metre and litre) or by various imperial or US customary units (such as the gallon, quart, cubic inch) ...

mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

used in several situations. Its etymology is likely to be from the Middle English ''ferdekyn'', probably from the Middle Dutch diminutive of vierde 'fourth' (a firkin originally contained a quarter of a barrel). Firkin also describes a small wooden cask or tub for butter, lard, liquids, or fish.

American unit of dry volume

A firkin was an American unit of

dry measure Dry or dryness most often refers to: * Lack of rainfall, which may refer to ** Arid regions **Drought * Dry or dry area, relating to legal prohibition of selling, serving, or imbibing alcoholic beverages * Dry humor, deadpan * Dryness (medica ...

. 1 firkin = 9 US

gallon The gallon is a unit of volume in British imperial units and United States customary units. The imperial gallon (imp gal) is defined as , and is or was used in the United Kingdom and its former colonies, including Ireland, Canada, Australia ...

s = 34

litre The litre ( Commonwealth spelling) or liter ( American spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metres (m3). A ...

s American naturalist John Burroughs (1837–1921) in his boyhood memoir described a firkin as weighing 100 pounds when loaded with salted butter.

British unit for butter and cheese

A firkin was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

unit for the sale of

butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of Churning (butter), churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 81% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread (food ...

and

cheese Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...

. 1 firkin = 56 pounds = 25

kilogram The kilogram (also spelled kilogramme) is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one thousand grams. It has the unit symbol kg. The word "kilogram" is formed from the combination of the metric prefix kilo- (m ...

British unit of volume for beer and wine

A firkin was also a British unit for the sale of

beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...

. It is one quarter of a

barrel A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden stave (wood), staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers ...

and its value depends on the current size of a barrel, but at present: 1 firkin = 0.25 barrel = 9 imperial gallons = 10.8 U.S. gallons = 41

s A wine firkin was much larger: 1 wine firkin = 70 imperial gallons.

References

{{portal bar, Food Units of volume Customary units of measurement Butter Cheese

American unit of dry volume

British unit for butter and cheese

British unit of volume for beer and wine

See also

References