Hi
Can anyone tell me how to ascertain the amount of beer in an open barrel and the amount of spirits in an open bottle for the stock take of a working men's club.
Many thanks
Replies (15)
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Materiality
Estimates are likely to be enough. Does the bottle look about half-full. Does the barrel appear to be about half-used. The amounts involved are likely to be small enough that putting down a bottle as two-thirds full that is only three-quarters full will not be material, even across several bottles.
Alternative option. Finish any open bottles/barrels yourself. Then you will be sure how much was left. As long as you get someone else to write down how much you drank that is. :-)
Most licensed premises use specialist stocktakers to do just that. They do what you are asking about all day and every day. Why re-invent the wheel?
Reliance on an external expert
Presumably because taking a specialist stocktakers opinion requires reliance on an external expert. There are all sorts of additional checks required if you are going to do that in an audit.
Says it all
Presumably because taking a specialist stocktakers opinion requires reliance on an external expert. There are all sorts of additional checks required if you are going to do that in an audit.
In order to rely on the professional who does this all day everyday, you need to fill out more checklists than for the auditor to do it themselves (who have to ask on a forum how to measure the remaining beer in a barrel - Purchase an auditing dipstick from the ICAEWS approved supplier list. Make sure you clean it between barrels though?).
I don't recall the Big Four trying to blame their numerous failures on corrupt/incompetent stocktakers. Surveyors, lawyers and bankers are another matter.
This is what you need
One of these will do the job.
http://www.caskwidge.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_...
Other dipsticks are available.
As for materiality the poster has not stated the stock take period. Previous answers have assumed it is a year in which case they maybe correct about materiality, however if the stock take is a month period you will need accurate measurements. If you have 7 barrels on at one time you do not want a 3.5 barrel (308 pint) variance; your GP will be all over the place.
I hope this is sarcasm
One of these will do the job.
http://www.caskwidge.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_...
Other dipsticks are available.
My previous post coincided with this one but I was being sarcastic.
It's the rules guvnor
@Roland195
I never said it wasn't just a little bit nuts. It is just the way that auditing operates.
Though, to be fair, it is a case of checking that it really IS a professional doing it every day, and not Old Fred who normally sits in the corner drinking from dawn til dusk wearing an "I am a Professional Stocktaker" t-shirt.
Cant
But you cannot get a dipstick in a pressurized barrel. Most stock takers have a tool which fits on the rim of the barrel and is used to tilt the barrel the gage then weighs the contents and converts it to volume, bottles are done by eye most have a rough gauge cut into the label at 2/3, 1/2 and 1/3
No one mentioned an audit, did they?
I always attend the stocktake and participate in the count. It keeps the wine committee on their toes and justifies the consumption of beer afterwards.
Assumption
Assumed it was for audit purposes, but it may just be to keep a committee on its toes as you say pawncob. Either way, estimates are likely to be enough to detect any serious misappropriation.
The club should organise a party to empty the part filled barrels and bottles. Would be a good fund raiser
Go to the bathroom
Estimate the quantity in the bottles of spirits in tenths i.e half full is 5 tenths.
For the beer kegs use some bathroom scales. Weigh an empty barrel/keg to get the weight of an empty keg then (if your back can take it!) weigh the ones with some in and knock off the weight of an empty keg. 1 litre of beer = approx 1KG.
This only works with kegs. If they have any real ale casks lying on their sides up on racks you will need a dipstick which most clubs/pubs selling real ale would have.
As the others have said, estimates will suffice,
respect
Well done to all contributors on resisting any "dipstick" jokes. True professionals.
Unlike....
I think we got all those out of our system back in January.
https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/anyanswers/question/are-sex-toys-tax-ded...
.
Don't forget to insist on a measure of every single spirit and a taster of each beer to check its not just a coloured liquid. You can ignore the soft drinks.