Barrel

A barrel is a decorative block which can be used as an alternative to storing items in a chest. They were added to Minecraft as part of update 1.14.

Source

Barrels can generate within the fishing cottage buildings in villages.

Uses

Barrels can be used to store items or blocks in compact spaces. Unlike chests, Barrels can be accessed even if there is a block directly on top of it.

Similarities to Chests

• Barrels can be used by hoppers to transport items into and out of them.
• They are considered immovable objects, which means it cannot be moved by pistons.
• Using the /data merge block command, players can lock barrels using the {Lock:} NBT tag.

Differences from Chests

Barrels have different properties than chests. For example:

• Unlike chests, setting two barrels side-by-side will not make a double barrel.
• Unlike chests, barrels can be opened regardless if there is a solid or transparent block directly above it.
• In the Bedrock Edition, barrels can be used as fuel to smelt 1.5 blocks in a furnace.

If a village has a barrel but no fisherman, any nearby villager without a profession has a chance to become a fisherman.

Crafting

Barrels can be crafted with six planks and two slabs of any wood type.

Barrel Java Edition				Barrel Bedrock Edition
Wood Planks	Wooden Slab	Wood Planks		Stick	Wooden Slab	Stick
Wood Planks	None	Wood Planks		Stick	None	Stick
Wood Planks	Wooden Slab	Wood Planks		Stick	Wooden Slab	Stick

History

Barrels were added in snapshot 18w44a, however, they could not be interacted with unless a player was in spectator mode, and they could not be crafted. Barrels were able to generate in plains villages in snapshot 18w48a, ice and savanna villages in snapshot 18w49a, and taiga and desert villages in snapshot 18w50a. Barrels were also given an inventory that was similar to that of chests, a crafting recipe, and could also be interacted with in snapshot 18w50a.

Trivia

• Barrels originally could not emit a Redstone signal while items were stored inside. This was later fixed in snapshot 19w02a (MC-140986).
• Despite being made out of wood, barrels are not flammable.
• Barrels are a little cheaper than chests, as they cost a wood plank less in crafting (1 wood plank = 2 wood slabs).

Gallery

The barrel GUI.

An unused fish texture for the barrel.

An unused open texture for the barrel.

Add a photo to this gallery

Blocks
Natural	Air • Stone • Granite • Andesite • Diorite • Bedrock • Clay ( Terracotta) • Cobblestone ( Moss) • Cobweb • Dirt • Gravel • Coarse Dirt • Bone • Ice ( Packed • Blue) • Spawner • Sand ( Red) • Sandstone ( Red) • Obsidian • Snow • Sponge • Wet Sponge • Stone Bricks ( Cracked • Mossy • Chiseled) • Prismarine ( Dark • Brick) • Sea Lantern • Pumpkin • Bee Nest • Grass Path • Infested Block • Snowier Snow
Manufactured	Bookshelf • Bricks • Wool ( Carpet) • Concrete( Powder) • Conduit • Dried Kelp Block • Fence • Glass ( Pane) • Stained Glass ( Pane) • Glazed Terracotta • Hay Bale • Iron Bars • Jack o' Lantern • Ladder • Painting • Scaffolding • Slab • Smooth Stone • Cut Sandstone • Smooth Quartz • Smooth Red Sandstone • Slime • Snow • Stairs • Walls • Wood Planks • Wood • Beehive • Honey Block • Honeycomb Block • Polished Diorite • Polished Granite • Polished Andesite • Red Nether Brick • Quartz Bricks • Polished Blackstone
Ore	Coal Ore • Diamond Ore • Emerald Ore • Gold Ore ( Nether) • Iron Ore • Lapis Lazuli Ore • Redstone Ore • Ruby Ore • Nether Quartz Ore • Ancient Debris
Mineral Blocks	Block of Diamond • Block of Emerald • Block of Gold • Block of Iron • Lapis Lazuli Block • Block of Quartz • Block of Redstone • Block of Coal • Block of Netherite • Block of Ruby
Utility	Bed • Brewing Stand • Cake • Cauldron • Chest • Shulker Box • Crafting Table • Enchantment Table • Furnace • Jukebox • TNT • Anvil • Blast Furnace • Barrel • Bell • Campfire • Cartography Table • Composter • Fletching Table • Grindstone • Lantern • Lectern • Loom • Smithing Table • Smoker • Stonecutter • Target • Respawn Anchor • Lodestone
Bartering with piglins only	Crying Obsidian
Redstone/Travel	Button • Dispenser • Redstone Lamp • Door • Fence Gate • Lever • Note • Piston ( Sticky) • Pressure Plate • Rail ( Powered • Detector • Activator) • Redstone ( Wire • Torch • Repeater • Comparator) • Trapdoor ( Iron Trapdoor) • Trapped Chest • Hopper • Dropper • Daylight Detector • Tripwire Hook • Observer • Redstone Ore • Block of Redstone
Plants	Cactus • Dead Bush • Chorus Plant • Flowers • Wither Rose • Grass( Grass • Fern) • Leaves • Lily Pad • Melon • Mushrooms( Huge)  • Mycelium • Podzol • Nylium • Pumpkin • Saplings • Sugar Cane • Vines • Cocoa Pods • Wheat • Log • Corals • Kelp • Sweet Berry Bush • Nether Roots • Fungus • Weeping Vines • Twisting Vines
Liquids	Lava • Water
Non-Solid	Fire ( Soul Fire) • Sign • Torch ( Soul Fire) • Banner
The Nether	Glowstone • Shroomlight • Netherrack • Nylium • Nether Brick ( Cracked • Chiseled • Fence) • Nether Quartz • Nether Gold • Ancient Debris • Nether Wart • Nether Roots • Weeping Vines • Twisting Vines • Fungus • Soul Sand • Soul Soil • Basalt • Magma Block • Blackstone
The End	Dragon Egg • End Stone • Purpur( Pillar) • Endstone Brick • End Rod • Dragon Head • Ender Crystal
Creative only	Barrier • Structure Block • Jigsaw • Command Block ( Repeating • Chain)
Bedrock Edition only	Stonecutter (old) • Nether Reactor • Light Block • Glowing Obsidian
Technical	Piston Arm • Block 36 • Burning Furnace • Glowing Redstone Ore • Off-state Redstone Torch • Active Redstone Repeater • Flowing Water • Flowing Lava • Farmland • Pumpkin Stem • Melon Stem • Block 97 • Portal • End Portal Frame • End Portal • End Gateway (block) • Missing Texture Block
Unused	Locked Chest
Removed	Cog • Dirt Slab • Cyan Flower • Camera(BE) • Wax Block
Unimplemented	Crying Obsidian (old) • Wax Block
Education Edition only	Element Constructor • Material Reducer • Compound Creator • Hardened Glass • Border • Underwater TNT