How do you measure the amount of beer in barrel without measuring device?

Question

Two farmers were staring into a large barrel partly filled with ale. One of them said: “It's over half full!” But the other declared: “It's more than half empty.” How could they tell without using a ruler, string, bottles, or other measuring devices if it was more or less than exactly half full?

Answer 1

Kymm was close ...

Tilting the barrel until the beer is about to pour out will either show some, all, or none of the bottom of the barrel.

If NONE shows, the barrel is more than half full.

If SOME or ALL shows, the barrel is more than half empty.

(Picture a diagonal line going from the lip where the beer is about to pour out to the ooposite edge of the barrel's bottom. This is the "half way" mark on the barrel!)

Answer 2

Drill a hole half way down the barrel. If beer comes out it is more than half full. (Just make sure you have a proper-sized cork to put into it afterward.)

Another way: get another equally sized barrel, and fill it more than half-way. Seal it up. Roll it on the ground along with the beer barrel. If they stop at the same place then the beer barrel is more than 1/2 full. If the beer barrel doesn't roll nearly as far as the water barrel, then it is less than 1/2 full. (Because of inertia and internal friction.)

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Answer 3

Visual Calculations

Answer 4

tilt it on an angle, until the beer is just about to pour out.

if you can see the entire bottom of the barrel, its more than half empty. If you cant see the entire bottom, its less than half empty.

Answer 5

Tap it a different points down the side until the tone changes.

Answer 6

depends on what kind of beer it is

Answer 7

Weigh it.