Dammit Yeast!

Well, fermentation of my Old Stock Ale was going pretty good, but it seems to have slowed as expected and stalled at a specific gravity of 1.025 (I was hoping 1.018 or even less in the end). That puts the alcohol/vol % at about 6.8. Not bad, but I was aiming for at least 8%. But a lot can happen in the month or two before I bottle it.

The fermentation is still going slowly, so I'm going to let it sit in primary until after the new year then throw it into a glass carboy. The yeast should slowly attenuate the less-desirable sugars over time.

I was thinking, however, that the recipe does contain a large degree of dextrinous sugars (largely unfermentable by yeast, at least not quickly). 14 % Crystal malt is quite high... it will add lots of flavour but not much fermentable sugars. Plus the other unfermentables in the other malts and the beer kit, I may have 20% unfermentable.

So, maybe a final SG > 1.020 is the natural based on the recipe. Regardless, I'll give it another day or two, maybe they will ferment a few more sugars :).
Cheers and Happy New Year!