The price of malt

I've written quite a bit of my next book this week. About 5,000 words. And pruned out a lot of stuff which I never intended to be in the final book. But just as reference material while I'm writing it.

Not sire how many of you give a fuck about my writing process. On with the real topic of this post.

Some brewing records, Barclay Perkins, for example. are very detailed.So detailed, that I can't easily record all the information in my spreadsheet.Things like the prices which they handily supply for all the ingredients.

Having decided to look at the costs of the different malts for the new book, a renewed trawl through the Barclay Perkins brewing records was in order. Not too much work, really. Just as well given how lazy a sod I am. 

Not that I have much else to do, other than watch Homes Under the Hammer and Come Dine With Me, now that I'm unemployed.

After a few hours of not particularly taxing work, I'd assembled some fun tables. One of which I'm about to share with you. How much Barclay Perkins paid for their malts during the war.

In general terms. the movement of the prices isn't what you'd expect. That is, rising steadily throughout the war. But that's not what happened. After peaking in 1942, prices fell and remained fairly constant through the end of hostilities and beyond. 

There's a very simple explanation for why that occurred: the government stepped it and imposed a maximum price for malting barley. Even so, the cost was about treble the prewar value.

Barclay Perkins malt prices shillings per quarter (336 lbs) 1939 - 1945
date	pale	mild	SA	PA	crystal	amber	brown	lager
Jun. 1939	47	50	49	55	46.5	51.5		53
Jun. 1940	61	89	52	93.5	79	90	84	80
Apr. 1941	56	116		124	83	91	84	118
May 1942		185		195	230	280	185	125
Jan. 1943		155	195	190	158	180		153
Nov./Dec. 1944			150	164	146	146		154.5
Apr. 1945		142	142	157	146	161	152
Aug. 1946		142	142	153	131	147.167	136
1947		147	142	157	131	147.167	136
Source:
Barclay Perkins brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number ACC/2305/01/623, ACC/2305/01/624, ACC/2305/01/625 and ACC/2305/01/627.