Barrel

Barrel
Renewable	Yes
Stackable	Yes (64)
Tool
Blast resistance	2.5
Hardness	2.5
Luminous	No
Transparent	No
Flammable	No
Catches fire; from lava	Yes
Map color (JE)	; 13 WOOD

A barrel is a solid block used to store items. Unlike a chest, it cannot connect to other barrels. It also serves as a fisherman's job site block.

Obtaining

Breaking

Barrels can be mined with or without any tool, but axes are the quickest.

Block
Hardness	2.5
Tool
Breaking time (sec)^[A]
Default	3.75
Wooden	1.9
Stone	0.95
Copper	0.75
Iron	0.65
Diamond	0.5
Netherite	0.45
Golden	0.35
Options
Efficiency	000
Haste	001 1JEBE

Legend

incorrect tool, drops nothing
correct tool, drops nothing or something other than the block itself
correct tool, drops the block itself
italicized can be instant mined

↑ These durations ignore other influential factors (e.g. Mining Fatigue), and are measured in seconds. For more information, see Breaking § Speed.

Natural generation

Empty barrels can generate naturally in fisher cottages in villages. Up to 3 barrels can generate in a village fisher cottage.

In trial chambers, barrels containing loot can be found in the corridors, while empty barrels generate beneath hoppers at chamber entrances.

Generated loot

Item	Structure	Container	Quantity	Chance
Java Edition
	Village	Fisherman's chest	1–3	24.2% { "item": "Barrel", "stacksize": "1–3", "chance": 0.2418426461183103, "structure": "Village", "container": "Fisherman's chest" }

Crafting

Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Any Planks + Any Wooden Slab

Usage

Barrels can be moved by pistons.‌ Water and lava flow around barrels without affecting them. Lava can create fire in air blocks next to barrels as if the barrel was flammable, but the barrel does not actually catch fire and can't burn away.

Container

Barrels have a container inventory with 27 slots, which is the same as a single chest. Unlike chests, the action of opening a barrel is never prevented. They can be filled by droppers and both filled and emptied by hoppers. When broken, barrels drop the contents of the container and the barrel item itself.

To open the barrel interface, use the Use Item control. To move items between the barrel inventory and the player inventory or hotbar while the barrel interface is open, drag or shift-click the items. Holding ⇧ Shift and double-clicking while holding an item moves all items of the type clicked on in or out of the barrel to the extent that space is available for them.‌ To exit the barrel interface, use the Esc control.

By default, the interface of a barrel is labeled "Barrel". A barrel's GUI label can be changed by naming the barrel in an anvil before placing it or by using the /data command‌ (for example, to label a barrel at (0,64,0) as "Bonus Barrel!", use /data merge block 0 64 0 {CustomName:'"Bonus Barrel!"'}).

In Java Edition, a barrel can be "locked" by setting its Lock tag using the /data command. If a barrel's Lock tag is not blank, the barrel cannot be opened unless the player is holding an item with the same name as the Lock tag's text. For example, to lock a barrel at (0,64,0) so that the barrel cannot be opened unless the player is holding an item named "Barrel Key", use /data merge block 0 64 0 {Lock:"Barrel Key"}.

Profession

If a barrel has not been claimed by a villager, any nearby unemployed villager has a chance to change their profession to fisherman and claim the barrel as their job site block.

Fuel

Barrels can be used as a fuel in furnaces, smelting 1.5 items per block.

Note Blocks

Barrels can be placed under note blocks to produce "bass" sounds.

Piglins

Piglins become hostile toward players who open or break barrels.

Sounds

Generic

Java Edition:

v t e `wood` sound type
Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	`block.wood.break`	`subtitles.block.generic.break`	1.0	0.8	16
	Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	`block.wood.place`	`subtitles.block.generic.place`	1.0	0.8	16
	Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	`block.wood.hit`	`subtitles.block.generic.hit`	0.25	0.5	16
	Something falls on a block	Entity-Dependent	Falling on the block with fall damage	`block.wood.fall`	`subtitles.block.generic.fall`	0.5	0.75	16
	Footsteps	Entity-Dependent	Walking on the block	`block.wood.step`	`subtitles.block.generic.footsteps`	0.15	1.0	16

Bedrock Edition:

v t e `wood` sound type
Sound	Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
	Blocks	Once the block has broken	`dig.wood`	1.0	0.8-1.0
	Blocks	When the block is placed	`dig.wood`	1.0	0.8
	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	`hit.wood`	0.23	0.5
	Players	Falling on the block with fall damage	`fall.wood`	0.4	1.0
	Players	Walking on the block	`step.wood`	0.3	1.0
	Blocks	Jumping from the block	`jump.wood`	0.12	1.0
	Blocks	Falling on the block without fall damage	`land.wood`	0.18	1.0

Unique

Java Edition

Sounds
Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	Barrel closes	Blocks	When a barrel closes	`block.barrel.close`	`subtitles.block.barrel.close`	0.5	0.9-1.0	16
	Barrel opens	Blocks	When a barrel opens	`block.barrel.open`	`subtitles.block.barrel.open`	0.5	0.9-1.0	16
	Fisherman works	Friendly Mobs	Randomly while a fisherman is working	`entity.villager.work_fisherman`	`subtitles.entity.villager.work_fisherman`	1.0	0.8-1.2	16
	Chest locked^{[sound 1]}	Blocks	When a player attempts to open a barrel locked using the [NBT Compound / JSON Object] lock tag	`block.chest.locked`^{[sound 1]}	`subtitles.block.chest.locked`^{[sound 1]}	1.0	1.0	16

↑ ^a ^b ^c MC-98316 — Wrong subtitles caused by missing distinction

Bedrock Edition:

Sounds
Sound	Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
	Blocks	When a barrel closes	`block.barrel.close`	1.0	1.0
	Blocks	When a barrel opens	`block.barrel.open`	1.0	1.0
	Blocks	Randomly while a fisherman is working	`block.barrel.open`	1.0	1.0

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Block tags	Translation key
Barrel	`barrel`	Block & Item	`guarded_by_piglins`	`block.minecraft.barrel`

Name	Identifier
Block entity	`barrel`

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID	Form	Item ID^{[i 1]}	Translation key
Barrel	`barrel`	`458`	Block & Giveable Item^{[i 2]}	Identical^{[i 3]}	`tile.barrel.name`

↑ ID of block's direct item form, which is used in savegame files and addons.
↑ Available with /give command.
↑ The block's direct item form has the same ID as the block.

Name	Savegame ID
Block entity	`Barrel`

Block states

Java Edition:

Name	Default value	Allowed values	Description
facing	`north`	`down` `east` `north` `south` `up` `west`	The direction the barrel is facing.
open	`false`	`false` `true`	Whether the barrel is currently being looked at by a player; changes the texture on the top face.

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Metadata Bits	Default value	Allowed values	Values for Metadata Bits	Description
facing_direction	`0x1` `0x2` `0x4`	`0`	`0` `1` `2` `3` `4` `5`	`0` `1` `2` `3` `4` `5`	The direction the barrel is facing. 0:Down facing barrel 1:Up facing barrel 2:East facing barrel 3:West facing barrel 4:South facing barrel 5:North facing barrel
open_bit	`0x8`	`0`	`0` `1`	`0` `1`	Whether the barrel is currently being looked at by a player; changes the texture on the top face.

Block data

A barrel has a block entity associated with it that holds additional data about the block.

Java Edition:

[NBT Compound / JSON Object] Block entity data
- Tags common to all block entities see Template:Nbt inherit/blockentity/template
- [String] CustomName: Optional. The name of this container in JSON text component, which appears in its GUI where the default name ordinarily appears. Is not preserved when removed.
- [NBT List / JSON Array] Items: List of items in the container.
  - [NBT Compound / JSON Object]: An item, including the slot tag. Barrel slots are numbered 0-26, 0 starts in the top left corner.
    - An item see Template:Nbt inherit/item/template
- [NBT Compound / JSON Object] lock: Optional. An item predicate representing the "key" to open this container.
  - item predicate see Template:Nbt inherit/conditions/item/template
- [String] LootTable: Optional. Name of the loot table to use. If this is used in a chest-like container, the loot table generates its content when it is opened. Generating the items in the container removes both loot table tags ([String] LootTable and [Long] LootTableSeed). Is not preserved when removed.
- [Long] LootTableSeed: Optional. Seed for generating the loot table. The default value works similarly to the seeds for worlds, where value of 0 or an omitted value causes the game to use a random seed.

Bedrock Edition:

See Bedrock Edition level format/Block entity format.

History

Java Edition
1.14	18w44a	Added barrels.
		Barrels have been added to the Creative inventory.
		Barrels currently have the inventory of a chest, but there is no way to view this in-game.
		Barrels can currently be filled only by hoppers and droppers.
		Barrels can currently be emptied only by hoppers.
		Barrels currently do not drop the items they contain when broken.
	18w47b	The `facing=south` block state texture of barrels has been changed.
	18w48a	Barrel items are now found in chests in village fisher cottages.
	18w48a	Barrels can now generate naturally in villages in plains.
	18w49a	Barrels can now generate naturally in savanna and snowy villages.
	18w50a	Barrels can now generate naturally in desert and taiga villages.
		Barrels now act as a storage unit.
		Barrels can now be used in tight spaces, even if there is a block above it, unlike a chest.
		Barrels can now be crafted using 6 wood planks and 2 wood slabs.
	19w03a	Sounds have been added for barrels.
	19w07a	An `open` block state has been added to barrels.
	19w11a	Barrels now serve as fisherman villagers' job site block.
1.16	20w06a	Crimson planks and warped planks can now be used to craft barrels.
1.16	20w15a	Piglins now become hostile toward players who open or break barrels.
1.18	Pre-release 5	Bottom texture was changed.
1.19	22w11a	Mangrove planks can now be used to craft barrels.
1.19.3 Experiment Update 1.20	22w42a	Bamboo planks can now be used to craft barrels.
1.19.4 Experiment Update 1.20	23w07a	Cherry planks can now be used to craft barrels.
1.20.3 Experiment Update 1.21	23w45a	Barrels containing loot now generate in trial chambers.
1.21.2	24w33a	Empty barrels now generate beneath hoppers at chamber entrances in trial chambers.
Bedrock Edition
1.9.0	beta 1.9.0.0	Unused barrel textures are added, including textures titled "fish barrel" and "empty barrel."
1.9.0 Experiment Experimental Gameplay	beta 1.9.0.2	Added barrels which are currently behind Experimental Gameplay.
1.9.0 Experiment Experimental Gameplay	beta 1.9.0.2	A barrel can be used to smelt 1.5 items in a furnace.
1.10.0 Experiment Experimental Gameplay	beta 1.10.0.3	A crafting recipe has been added to barrels, which is different compared from Java Edition's crafting recipe.
1.10.0 Experiment Experimental Gameplay	beta 1.10.0.3	Barrels now generate in fisher cottages in villages.
1.11.0	beta 1.11.0.1	The functionality of barrels has been added.
1.11.0	beta 1.11.0.1	Barrels are now available outside of Experimental Gameplay.
1.18.10	beta 1.18.10.22	Changed the bottom texture to match the spruce planks.
1.20.10	Preview 1.20.10.20	The crafting recipe for barrels now use planks instead of sticks to match Java Edition.
PlayStation 4 Edition
1.91		Added barrels.

A close up of barrels.
An unused texture of a barrel of fish, found in a Bedrock Edition resource pack template.
How a barrel would look if the unused texture was on its top.
Prototype of a barrel menu in Ore UI.

Issues

Issues relating to "Barrel" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Trivia

In the 2022's April Fool's update, a barrel can be thrown onto a player and make them appear as if they were "wearing" or "hiding" under the block.

Gallery

Mojang screenshots

First image of barrels in a savanna village.
Barrels placed next to each other facing opposite directions.
A blast furnace, smoker, and a barrel.

In other media

A stack of barrels.
A bonus barrel, which randomly generates throughout the world in the April Fool's update 2019.
Player's vision while hiding inside a barrel in the April Fool's update 2022.
Barrels as they appear in Minecraft Dungeons, even including a fish barrel.
A barrel as it appeared on the 2022 Mob Vote Event.
A barrel as it appeared in the MCC x Minecraft 15th Anniversary Party.
Cubeez of a barrel.
Barrels as they appear in A Minecraft Movie.

References

External links

"Block of the Week: Barrel" by Duncan Geere – Minecraft.net, December 23, 2021.

Navigation

[breakingtimenote-1] These durations ignore other influential factors (e.g. Mining Fatigue), and are measured in seconds. For more information, see Breaking § Speed.

[lock-2] MC-98316 — Wrong subtitles caused by missing distinction

[bedrock-item-id-3] ID of block's direct item form, which is used in savegame files and addons.

[bedrock-give-available-4] Available with /give command.

[bedrock-item-form-5] The block's direct item form has the same ID as the block.

[A]

[sound 1]

[i 1]

[i 2]

[i 3]