Page:A Practical Treatise on Brewing (4th ed.).djvu/247

Rh of chains of pipes, be powerfully concentrated and directed to the worts with which such pipes are connected, and that thus an agent is rendered deleterious by being so collected, which would, under ordinary circumstances, have little effect.

From these observations it is evident that the great want of uniformity in the process of brewing, now so much objected to, and the consequent injury to the beer, can never be fully got the better of until these causes of failure are in some way or other removed. I shall, in the mean time, beg leave to refer to what has been previously said upon this subject in a former part of this work, and shall now proceed to state some curious effects which have also come under my notice, with regard to the influence of atmospheric electricity upon fermentation.

Dr. Cumming’s observations as to the preservative qualities of negative vessels for worts or beer, are well worthy of attention; if negative utensils tend to prevent acidity in worts, which they no doubt do, they must have the same effect on beer, with this further advantage, that, as it retards fermentation, it must prevent fret, which is a spurious or second fermentation, proceeding from an increase of temperature, or other atmospherical changes. It has been always found, that the more isolated vats, or casks in which beer has to be kept, can be rendered, the better chance has the beer of not being