The British Malting Industry since 1830 is the first overall account of malting, dealing with the processes, products and sales, owners and employees, and with the evolution of what in 1830 were almost all small, local businesses. The industry provides a good example of the benefits and limitations, so typical of British industry, of family ownership. The modern malt industry has survived a series of crises and powerful foreign competition to become a significant exporter.

No industry provides more household names than brewing; none retains a firmer place in British culture; and at the height of the temperance movement none was more controversial. Yet this volume provides an extended account of brewing in the modern period. Thoroughly based upon research in brewing archives, it surveys the industry from 1830 to 1980, tracing its development from one in which there were thousands of firms producing beer to one now dominated by half a dozen large companies. It is an account which carries the reader from the porters, ales and stouts, the vast vats, drays and myriad beer houses of early Victorian England, to the draught lagers, giant fermenters, beer tankers and theme pubs of the late twentieth century. In this wide-ranging book the authors discuss free trade in beer, the impact of temperance, and the emergence of the great Victorian breweries together with their acquisition of public houses and company status. In the twentieth century, they examine the impact of two World Wars, the movement for improved public houses, the sobriety of the 1920s, and the revolution sweeping the industry since the 1950s.

The Buildings of the Malting Industry is a fascinating book on the buildings that have helped make our much loved beer over the centuries. Malt is one of the main ingredients of beer, yet the buildings in which it was and is now produced have received very little attention, although most towns and many villages had their own malthouse and kiln. This is the first book to address the paucity of detail on maltings which historically were to be found in all English counties. Today evidence for a malthouse may just be a name on a building or street. However, where they survive the pyramidal roofs clearly demonstrate the presence of a malthouse as do other less recognisable features. This book gives details of early malt kilns and shows how they changed over the centuries. Early buildings were essentially vernacular ones but by the mid-19th century some firms were using specialist architects. Then in the 20th century there was more engineering input to new maltings, in particular with the development of the pneumatic process. This once widespread industry is now mainly confined to the eastern side of the country. Elsewhere surviving maltings have been converted to other uses and examples of these are given. There are illustrations of the exteriors and interiors of malthouses and kilns which show some of the developments and how some buildings have been reused.

Often playing second fiddle to hops in the minds of craft beer drinkers, malt is the backbone of beer: “No barley, no beer.” Malt defines the color, flavor, body, and alcohol of beer and has been cultivated for nearly as long as agriculture has existed. In this book, author John Mallett explains why he feels a book on malt is necessary, taking the reader on a brief history of malting from the earliest records of bappir through to the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period. When Mallett touches on the major changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution and beyond, he illustrates how developments in malting technology were intertwined with politics and taxation, which increasingly came to bear on the world of maltsters and brewers. Of course, no book on malt would be complete without a look at the processes behind malting and how different malts are made. Mallett neatly conveys the basics of malt chemistry, Maillard reactions, and diastatic power—the enzymes, starches, sugars, glucans, phenols, proteins, and lipids involved. Descriptions of the main types of malt are included, from base malt, caramel malts, and roasted malts through to specialty malts and other grains like wheat, rye, and oats. Information is interspersed with the thoughts and wisdom of some of America's most respected craft brewers. Understanding an ingredient requires appreciating where it comes from and how it is grown. The author condenses the complexities of barley anatomy and agriculture into easy, readable sections, seamlessly combining these details with high-level look at the economic and environmental pressures that dictate the livelihoods of farmers and maltsters. Mallett explains how to interpret—and when to rely on—malt quality and analysis sheets, an essential skill for brewers. There is a summary of the main barley varieties, both modern and heritage, from Europe and America. The book finishes with what happens to the malt once it reaches the brewery, addressing issues of malt packaging, handling, preparation, storage, conveyance, and milling in the brewhouse.