A stillage is like a

pallet A pallet (also called a skid) is a flat transport structure, which supports goods in a stable fashion while being lifted by a forklift, a pallet jack, a front loader, a jacking device, or an erect crane. A pallet is the structural foundat ...

or skid, but with a cage or sides, or some form of support specifically tailored to the material it is intended to carry. Some are designed to be stackable. Stillages are mainly used to transport goods, raise products off the ground, and can help to separate goods in transit without the need to load and unload the product being carried, which saves time and decreases the chance of damage. An example is the use of stillages in glass manufacturing, where they are shaped like an upright "A"; the

plate glass Plate glass, flat glass or sheet glass is a type of glass, initially produced in plane form, commonly used for windows, glass doors, transparent walls, and windscreens. For modern architectural and automotive applications, the flat glass is s ...

leans inward and is strapped to the stillage ready for transport. Stillages are usually manufactured using

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

, and are a popular storage and logistic solution in the following fields: engineering, automotive, warehousing, and logistics. For return logistics, demounted stillages, or "post pallets" as they are also often referred to, help to occupy minimal vehicle space, helping to reduce transportation costs.

Beverage and alcohol field

A stillage is any device on which a

cask A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, u ...

ale Ale is a Type of beer, type of beer brewed using a Warm fermentation, warm fermentation method, resulting in a sweet, full-bodied and fruity taste. Historically, the term referred to a drink brewed without hops. As with most beers, ale typicall ...

is placed for service. Unlike

keg A keg is a small barrel. Wooden kegs made by a cooper were used to transport nails, gunpowder, and a variety of liquids. A keg is normally now constructed of stainless steel, although aluminium can be used if it is coated with plastic on th ...

s, which can be simply stood upright on the floor, casks are used lying on their sides. This allows the beer to run from the tap under gravity, with room in the "belly" of the cask below the outlet for the

finings Finings are substances that are usually added at or near the completion of the processing of brewing wine, beer, and various nonalcoholic juice beverages. They are used to remove organic compounds, either to improve clarity or adjust flavor or ar ...

to collect. The

shive {{Refimprove, date=November 2009 A shive is a wooden or plastic fitting used in ale casks. It is found on the curved side of the cask, arranged so that when the cask is on its side and the keystone is at the lowest part of the rim, the shive ...

with the

spile A spile is a small wooden or metal peg used to control the flow of air into, and carbon dioxide out of, a cask of ale. Spiles can also be used to broach water from trees. Ale use Cask ale is dispensed without the addition of externally supplied ...

will then be the highest point on the cask. As the beer clears (see

), the inside of the cask becomes coated with sediment. It is important that the stillage holds the cask absolutely still with no rocking or shaking; otherwise, the sediment will be shaken into suspension and the beer will be cloudy. A stillage need not be complicatedanything that will support a cask (preferably on three points to avoid any wobbling) will do. At temporary events, sturdy tables or frames made of

scaffolding Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings, bridges and all other man-made structures. Scaffolds are widely use ...

and planks might be used, with the casks placed on wooden wedges (two at the front, one at the back). By contrast, many pub cellars use specially-made steel racking, often with two rows of casks, one above the other. Some pubs have brick or stone stillages, sometimes quite ancient, built into the wall of the cellar. As the cask empties, it needs to be gently tilted to obtain the last of the beer. With wooden wedges, moving the rear wedge forward will achieve this; purpose-built metal units often have springs incorporated that automatically tilt the cask as it becomes lighter. This requires less effort from bar staff, and also helps beer qualitythe lift is so smooth and gradual that there is no danger of stirring up the lees and making the beer cloudy.

References

{{reflist Beer vessels and serving Freight transport