Food Control Manual

WW I is so much fun. From the safety of nigh on a hundred year gap. I doubt people at the time were chortling quite so much.

Have I told you how wonderful this interweb thing is? Just in case I haven't: this interweb thing is wonderful. This week I found digitised copies of the Food Control Manual. They list all the Orders of the Food Controller. (I can't help but think of Thomas the Tank Engine every time I see a mention of the Food Controller.) Some orders dictated the maximum price of bacon, ham and lard. Others the price of Dutch cheese or Persian dates. He was a very powerful man, the Food Controller.

Why am I boring you with this? There is a reason. And it's beer-related. Can't guess? I'll give you a clue: Porter.

What's that story about the disappearance of Porter again? That they weren't allowed to make roasted malts in WW I and so couldn't brew Porter. I've already demonstrated that Porter was brewed right through the war. Now I'm on the track of these putative restrictions on malt roasting.

That's where the Food Control Manual comes in. It lists all the Fat Contoller's diktats. Including the ones relating beer and malting. Not seen anything restricting the types of malt that could be made yet. But I haven't got through all the Manuals.

It could take some time. You'll have to bear with me on this one.