[Sca-cooks] Hogshead was Mrs. Penn's Apple Beer...

[Terry Decker]

A hogshead is a measure of volume for liquids.  It was equivalent to 48 
gallons of ale, 54 gallons of beer, 60 gallons of cider, 63 gallons of oil, 
honey or wine, or 100 galolons of molasses.  These are not Imperial gallons, 
but the traditional British gallon which is equivalent to the U.S. gallon. 
The U.S. currently defines the hogshead as 2 barrels or 63 gallons.  the 
U.S. hogshead mesures 14553 cubic inches or about 8.422 cubic feet (238.48 
liters).  In Imperial measure it is 1/2 butt or 52.5 Imperial gallons, being 
8.429 cubic inches (238.67 liters).  The modern US and Imperial hogsheads 
are functionally equivalent.

Mrs. Penn's hogshead is probably 54 gallons.

Bear

> Awk! My first thought was that I've seen 15th and 16th Century recipes 
> which were more understandable. But after re-reading it a couple of times 
> it is clearer. "put it upon the malt" must mean pour it through malted 
> grain. Lots of figuring out still to do, like "worke it like other bere". 
> What is the volume of a hogshead?
>
> Stefan