They were a Dublin-based malt roaster. And, most importantly, pretty much house roaster to Guinness.
As this testimonial attests.
James's Gate Brewery, Dublin, 25th February, 1873
"Dear Mrs. Plunkett,
We have the pleasure of stating that we are purchasing considerable quantities of your Patent Brown Malt, and find it of very good quality. We would alio say that our connection with your Firm and that of your husband, the late Mr. Randal Plunkett, and his father, extends over fifty years, during which we have had large and satisfactory transactions.
ARTHUR GUINNESS, SONS & CO.
Mrs. Eliza Plunkett, Belle Vue.
The above text comes rom a Plunkett Brothers advertisement in "The Theory and Practice of Modern Brewing" by Frank Faulkner, 1888. By which time Guinness hhad probably swapped out the Patent Brown Malt for roast barley. I know for certain that they were using roast barley in 1894, because I've seen it in a bbrewing record.
Plunkett Brothers produced an impressive range of roast grains:
Chocolate Finest Patent Malt Roasted for Flavor.
Finest Patent Malt Roasted for flavor and color.
No. 1 Patent Roasted Black Malt for color.
No. 2 Patent Roasted Black Malt for color.
Patent Roasted Barley.
Patent Roasted Maize (Patent granted June, '80)
Special “Candied” Malt (Registered March 31, '85)
Golden Finish Malt.
No. 1 Amber Brown Malt.
No. 2 Amber Brown Matt.
High-dried Pale Malt.
I wonder what roasted maize was like? And what the hell it was used for.
And Plunkett is one of a handful of maltings that get a chapter in Barnard's Noted Breweries.
ReplyDeleteI guess once you have a patent roasting machine, why not run some maize through and see if anyone bites. Did big Victorian breweries have pilot kits to try this stuff out?
I wondered what candied malt was, and it looks like you found a little information back in 2010:
ReplyDeletehttp://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2010/08/patent-malt.html
It was apparently somewhat different from crystal, but it's not clear how different. If you ever find out more it would be interesting to hear.
Was candied malt like crystal malt?
ReplyDeleteThe Beer Nut,
ReplyDeleteBarclay Perkins had a small kit that they used for less popular beers and experimental brews.
I wonder when they got gobbled up by Guinness or went into liquidation?
ReplyDeleteOscar
Looks like 1967. The headline article in The Irish Times on 18th February 1967 is that Guinness is unhappy with the poor technological progress being made by Ireland's 18 malting companies, for whom it was the biggest customer and to whom it was therefore was able to dictate terms. Guinness had proposed to the Maltsters' Association that the industry consolidate into just three companies, plus Guinness was putting in its own high-tech maltings. Six of the 18 didn't have a place in the plan, and Plunkett is one of them. I wonder did they get bumped because Guinness planned to use their space at Belle Vue?
ReplyDeletePlunkett does seem to have continued as a shareholder in other firms. There's a report in The Irish Times on 11th December 1974 (p.15) which mentions Midland Malting (presumably one of the three companies created in 1967), and that "ex-malting firm" Plunkett's is one of the shareholders.