Inert Fermentation.
This is perhaps the most dangerous, because it is the most deceitful. This fermentation, to inexperienced, and even to many experienced brewers, has every appearance of proceeding remarkably well, and they of course think that all is right. The beer, however, will always taste mawkish and heavy, and without vinosity, although the attenuation may have been carried to its proper extent. There can be no doubt of its proceeding from some of the causes of unsoundness already mentioned. It first makes its appearance in the second change, viz. the curling top, which, instead of assuming the fine cauliflower appearance, diverges into long flaky curls hanging downwards; as soon as the "stomach" or smell of the gas begins to rise, a mawkish want of pungency and vinosity is discoverable by those who are acquainted with the proper odour.
The light yeasty head, instead of rising with a rocky appearance, is smooth all over; it, however, often drops regularly, as in a healthy fermentation. The proper close, yeasty head never rises, instead of which, if it does again rise, we have the same frothy appearance as before, smooth all over, with no appearance of air-bells as in a healthy process. The "stomach" also retains the same mawkish want of pungency and vinosity.
We have been thus minute in describing the pro-
