Why are ends painted different colours?
It would have been great if distillers had got together to decide that with each fill they would paint the end a different colour to show its usage, but no. Everyone adopted different colour coding and there is now so much exchanging going on there is no pattern to it. There was always the danger in the warehouse or cooperage that if they could not get the right colour end cask that someone would make it the right colour with a paintbrush! The guys in the filling store can t stop the whole production just because they don t have the right casks. LFW: How long to become an apprentice? It takes four years to become a master cooper. People making heads are not necessarily master coopers; the master cooper is the chap who can balance the staves, and direct what is happening on the floor. In a good day he can work 20 casks depending on what is required and that everything is to hand. LFW: Is a cooper well paid? Coopering is one of the few remaining industries where the men are paid by resul
