US Liquid Barrel (bbl (US))

US customaryTraditional unit (still used in some regions)

31.5 US gallons (119.24 L). The standard US barrel for liquids such as beer.

1 US liquid barrel = 119.2404712 liters (approximately).

About the US liquid barrel

Most American fluid barrels are set at 31.5 US gallons, which works out to about 119 litres (119.24 L as used here). That is a half of the old 63 gallon wine hogshead, so the liquid barrel is a direct descendant of the English wine-gallon system rather than of any grain measure. Beer is the best known use, though the common US beer keg barrel is slightly smaller at 31 gallons, about 117 litres.

The English name came from French baril. Colonial and later American law treated the barrel as a trade unit for wine, beer, cider and spirits, but other liquids, from molasses to petroleum, were sold in containers of other sizes, so the phrase barrel never meant a single universal amount.

Confusion with its neighbours is common. It is roughly 3 percent larger than the dry barrel of 7,056 cubic inches, and well short of the 42 gallon barrel used for oil. The 63 gallon hogshead is exactly twice its size.

Sources: Wikipedia: Barrel (unit); Wikipedia: Hogshead

US Liquid Barrel conversion chart

1 US liquid barrel expressed in every other volume unit:

More US customary units

• US gallon (volume)
• US quart (volume)
• US pint (volume)
• US cup (volume)
• US fluid ounce (volume)
• US tablespoon (volume)
• US teaspoon (volume)
• US gill (volume)
• US fluid dram (volume)
• US minim (volume)
• US legal cup (volume)
• US bushel (volume)
• US peck (volume)
• US dry quart (volume)
• US dry pint (volume)
• US dry barrel (volume)

All US customary units

Browse all volume units.