duce close fermentations into this country. It was tried in several places, but we have never heard of its having been permanently adopted. What may be denominated close fermentations are, however, still practised in many parts of the country. When the worts are gathered together in the tun, a certain portion of yeast is added; the gyle-tuns are then shut up as accurately as circumstances will permit, and fermentation is allowed to take its own course, until the yeast falls to the bottom; thus trusting the whole process to chance.

The beer so produced is invariably what is technically denominated foul or yeast-bitten, leaving a nasty disagreeable bitter on the palate; a taste to those unaccustomed to it, quite nauseous. It also, like all foul beer, stupifies without exhilarating, and produces, especially amongst sedentary people, heart-burn and head-ache. Custom, however, has so reconciled this unwholesome beverage to the palates of the consumers, that the stupifying quality is thought to proceed rather from the strength of the beer, than from its foulness from the yeast improperly combined with it, or perhaps sometimes from narcotics improperly introduced during the process. We trust, however, that other brewers, by following a more healthy process, and thus producing a better and more healthy beverage, will be able to convince those who follow the above mentioned unwholesome and erroneous mode of fer

mentation, that a more scientific process must be adopted.

Of Long and Short Fermentations.

We have always contended that long fermentations are more hazardous than the shorter processes, it being understood that the temperature of the fermenting tuns can be controlled by proper means. It cannot be disputed, that when worts are kept a fortnight, or perhaps more, in the gyle-tun, they are much more liable to be injured by the different atmospheric fluctuations which may take place during that period, both with regard to the influence of electricity and temperature, than they can possibly be in a period of from forty to seventy hours, or sometimes less. If, therefore, equally good, or perhaps even better results, both as to soundness and flavour, can be produced by the shorter process, it must be preferable. It saves both room and expense. Indeed, we have known beer brewed by a short process of fermentation, entirely consumed before beer by the long process was out of the gyletun. If worts be partially unsound, and the proper quantity of yeast added for a vigorous fermentation, it will no doubt often lead to the boiling and other erroneous fermentations, which do not, in the slow process, assume an appearance so alarming to the inexperienced brewer as the rapid. We generally find, however, that where the causes of unsound

ness have been traced and removed, and the quick fermentations introduced, they have been found to be not only much safer, but to lead to better results than any other, and they, in consequence, have been permanently adopted.

We know that vigorous fermentations always produce the best beer for consumption in warm climates. For stock beers, therefore, which have to stand the summer of this country, the same process will be found the more certain.

Skimming.

At what time the troublesome, tedious, and wasteful process of skimming the yeast off the gyle-tun was introduced, we do not exactly know. We have no doubt, however, that its introduction proceeded from unsoundness in the worts, and consequently fretful fermentations.

By frequently taking off the heads in a fretful fermentation, we no doubt ultimately produce a better appearance. This having been discovered, probably led to the general adoption of that system in certain parts of the country.

A better appearance of the head produced in this way will not, however, tend much to the production of better beer, unless the original cause of the prior ugly appearances have been removed. Indeed, we have seen beer which had been nearly a fortnight in the gyle-tun, undergoing the process of skimming,

and having apparently a fine, close, yeasty head, but at the same time smelling and tasting sour. In other instances, we have seen beer left in the gyletun to flatten, as it is called; instead of which, however, the beer was gaining heat from a second fermentation, which had distinctly taken place without the brewer being aware of it. The further progress in acidification was then put a stop to, by removing the beer to a colder atmosphere.

Skimming is also attended by a considerable waste of beer, as those who practise it well know. It also generally prevents the possibility of keeping the tun-room clean, splashes of yeast lying all over. We have heard many brewers state their want of confidence in themselves to attempt a vigorous fermentation; and at the same time express their astonishment at seeing it gone through successfully. We are led to conclude, therefore, that inexperience and want of confidence have principally led to the adoption of slow fermentations and skimming.

Fretting Fermentation.

The fretting, or fretful fermentation, proceeds either from using stale or languid yeast. It is often preceded by unsound worts. The first indication is soon after the tun has creamed over. Instead of rising to a curling top, blue patches make their appearance in different parts of the head, and no proper light yeasty change takes place. In about

eight or ten hours a sort of undulating motion is apparent all over the top of the worts, and soon after this the head, which has never been above three or four inches high, begins to drop, and is replaced by large and rather opaque air-bells, which always denote acidity.

There are various ways of making the appearances more healthy. But prevention is better than cure; and, as we have already stated, the causes may be easily traced and removed. The beer so fermented will be either mawkish or yeast-bitten, or perhaps both.

Yeast-bitten Fermentation.

As this term may not be thoroughly understood, we shall endeavour to explain its meaning. Some beer, when drunk, leaves a very unpleasant bitterness on the palate, which hangs there for a considerable time. This bitter taste is supposed by many to proceed from hops; the hop bitter, however, is quite different, being highly aromatic and pleasant, and, technically speaking, goes clean off the palate.

This disagreeable bitterness proceeds from using stale, languid yeast, which, instead of carrying on the fermentation properly, seems to get so incorporated with the beer, as to become a component part of it, which cannot be discharged, as happens after a proper fermentation. Such beer, therefore,