What would a Maltster actually do??

[Ann12]

Hi,

A gggg uncle of mine (William Josceline or Josolyne) was a Maltster when he died aged around 82 in 1842.  Unfortunately, the 1841 census only gives brief details - all I know is that that he lived in London Colney, Herts (no house address :-() According to his Will, he distributed around 1000 pounds (about 44,000 these days) in cash to family, so I guess he had a little money stashed away!

My question is, was a Maltster a crop farmer, brewer, Inn keeper etc?  Unfortunately, I cannot find any other records for him pre 1841 census that could point me in the right direction.  I thought if I could narrow his occupation down, I could scan old maps looking for farms or PH in this village and then search online for any connections.

Thanks
Anna

[teaurn]

somebody whose job involves producing or selling malt

[Berlin-Bob]

Have a look at the answer to a similar question here:
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Beer-2269/Maltster.htm

The maltster selected cereals,mainly barley,from the growing fields,for malting.The barley could also be grown on a brewers premise.The maltster would then modify the barley,using nature as part of the process,to allow the brewmaster to be able to make beer from it.The barley was malted to the brewmasters specification,to ensure the brewmaster being able to produce the beer flavor,and alcohol content he desired.

It continues, and gives a link with more information.

Bob

[Ann12]

Many thanks!

I shall take a look at the link :-)

Anna

[newburychap]

A maltster who left £1000 in 1842 was probably the owner of a large malthouse or three.  Not very likely to be doing the shovelling.

Malting is a simple process - soak some barley in water, spread it on the floor of a long room (ie a malthouse). For a few days shovel it along the floor turning as you go.

The barley begins to germinate (ie starts to grow).  The first step in germination is the conversion of starch to sugar, which happens within the barly grain.

When it gets to the end of the malting floor it has been germinating for a few days and is about to sprout.  Brewers (the main customers for malt) don't want shoots, they want the sugar that the yeast will turn into alcohol. So the germinated grain is roasted to stop further growth and preserve the sugar.

The longer it is roasted the darker the malt (you need a light malt for a nice pale ale, a dark one for a stout like Guiness).

In 1842 malting was big business, lots of people made lots of money, including the government as malt was heavily taxed.  Beer was drunk by virtually everyone and brewers needed a lot of malt.

[robbo43]

Malting was a major industry in Hertfordshire.  Barley was purchased from Cambridgeshire and Norfolk farmers, malted and sold to the big London brewers. W. Branch Johnson's "Industrial Archaeology in Hertfordshire" (pub by David & Charles) has much of a chapter dedicated to the malting and I think there have been other publications on malting in Hertfordshire.  The county's musuem service/libraries/archives might be worth contacting.

Robert

[Trees]

Ok so did the village maltster actually brew the beer and then sell it in his ale/beer/public house? I have several farmer inn keepers on the tree so presumably they were growing barley I also have some Maltster&  Victuallers were these the Maltster inn keepers.
Was it a seasonal job processing the harvested barley in autumn or does the grain keep a length of time? How much barley would he work with?
Was there one blanket occupation the brewing and supplying of beer from seed to grain to malt to beer to a jolly mine host, with the one giving the most income being the one he gave when the census came around?
In other words did my country malsters keep beer houses and Inns and Taverns or did they only work with grain?
Trees

[robbo43]

Hi Trees,

The answer is probably yes, no and maybe!

Farming, malting, brewing and selling beer were all separate occupations, but sometimes people combined two or more of them.  The farmer/innkeepers may have malted their own barley and then brewed beer from it and sold the beer in the inns or they might have contracted out either or both of the malting & brewing processes or simply sold the barley and brought in the beer.

Quantities vary from a few hundredweight from small vilage maltsters to many tons for the large brewer maltsters.  Not necessarily a seasonal operation as both barley and malt will store, but often an autum/winter process. Many East Anglian farmworkers migrated to Burton in the winter to work in the maltings there, as there was no farm work at that time of year, so much of the malting was done in winter there.

Bear in mind also that many ale/beer/public house licencees had another full time occupation and ran the licenced premises in name only, it was their wife/daughter/sister/mother/girlfriend who actually ran the business.

Robert

[Trees]

Thanks Robert would it be common for a village maltster to also be a brewer? that would extend his  income.
 I think I need to go back and check if I have assumed a maltster kept a pub but I don't think I have I have found most of the Inn names
Trees a bit tipsy with over 50 pubs to identify let alone many maltsters