METHOD FOR INSPECTING BEVERAGE AND INSPECTION UNIT USED THEREFOR

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inspecting method and an apparatus with respect to property inspection of a barreled beverage wherein accurate sample inspection can be performed without waste in the beverage and free from troubles of a preservation space and handling heavy objects. SOLUTION: An inspection unit 1 which can flow on a beverage filling line for barrels is used. The inspection unit 1 comprises a holding barrel 2 having the same appearance as that of a normal barrel and a storage container 3 which is smaller than the holding barrel 2 and has a transparent portion on at least a part. The holding barrel 2 allows the storage container 3 to be detached from its center. The storage container 3 has a filling port 3i to which a spear valve (not shown) is attached, wherein the valve has a filling port to be engaged with a nozzle (not shown) of a barreling machine on the line, and the filling port 3i is at the same position as that of a beverage filling port of the normal barrel when it is attached to the holding barrel 2. The inspection unit 1 is made to flow in the line, and after the storage container 3 is filled with the beverage, the container 3 is removed from the holding barrel 2. The storage container 3 is used to preserve the beverage. The beverage in the container 3 is inspected after a predetermined period has elapsed.