. There are a surprising number of wooden Vats in the UK and Eire, used in the modern Chemical Industry as well as in the more traditional beverage industries such as Cider, Vinegar, Wine, Beer and Whisky.They are also used for water storage as well as for testing sonar equipment As an extension of their traditional Cooperage operations, Joseph Brown (Vats)Dufftown repair and manufacture many wooden vats every year.

Cooperage, often called the “Second Oldest Profession” is the term for making and repairing barrels or casks. A “barrel” is in fact a measure (36 gallons, [ ~ 163 litres ] in UK) but is often used as a term for all sizes of cask. Joseph Brown(Vats) Dufftown make any size required: they often have quaint names such as “Firkin” ( a 9 gallon cask ).

In addition to the very few wooden casks used in Breweries, Joseph & Brown(Vats) Dufftown barrels are used for decoration.

Look at some of the photographs attached to recognise the diversity of coopered items.