18B American Pale Ale
Greenbacker APA
Grain bill
| Gladfield American Ale Malt | 3 kg | 55.6% |
| Gladfield Munich Malt | 0.85 kg | 15.7% |
| Gladfield Wheat Malt | 0.85 kg | 15.7% |
| Gladfield Supernova Malt | 0.5 kg | 9.3% |
| Gladfield Sour Grapes Malt | 0.2 kg | 3.7% |
Adjuncts
| Irish Moss | half tsp @ 10 min |
| Yeast nutrient | half tsp @ 10 min |
Hop schedule
| Hop | 60 min | WP | DH#1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mosaic | 10g | · | · |
| Nelson Sauvin | · | 150g | 90g |
Yeast
| Mangrove Jacks M54 California Lager | 2 packets |
Water additions
| Calcium Chloride | 1 tsp in mash |
| Calcium Sulphate | 1 tsp in mash |
| Magnesium Sulphate | half tsp in mash |
Tasting notes
About This Beer
Greenbacker APA is Owen’s last kit-based brew before he stepped into original recipe design. Batch 19 in his notebook, brewed early December 2021 using the League of Brewers Greenbacker kit. Less than two months later he writes “OP recipe” at the top of batch 20 — the Hazy IPA I — and starts designing his own beers from scratch. This APA sits at a pivot point: a final, confident execution of someone else’s recipe before he moves on.
Grain Bill
Five Gladfield malts totalling 5.4 kg. American Ale Malt provides the base at 3.0 kg. Munich Malt at 0.85 kg adds the malt depth that gives an APA its backbone. Wheat Malt at 0.85 kg supports body and head retention. Supernova Malt at 0.5 kg contributes a light caramel character. The unusual touch is 0.2 kg of Sour Grapes Malt — a small acidulated addition for a subtle pH drop and a hint of sharpness in the finish rather than an overt sour note.
Hop Schedule
A restrained schedule for an APA:
- 10 g Mosaic at 60 min — bittering only
- 150 g Nelson Sauvin steep / whirlpool for 20 minutes
- 90 g Nelson Sauvin dry hop on day 3 from pitch, added during active fermentation
Calculated IBU is 12.71 — low for the style. The perceived bitterness comes mostly from the whirlpool Nelson Sauvin, while the dry hop carries the lifted aromatics. The decision to dry-hop into active fermentation rather than after primary completion is deliberate, with a margin note in the notebook reading “should produce a more intense aromatic (floral/fruity) taste.”
Fermentation
Two packets of Mangrove Jacks M54 California Lager pitched at 19.4 °C. M54 is technically a lager strain but ferments cleanly at ale temperatures, producing a lager-like, hop-forward profile without overt esters. At 19.4 °C it behaves more like a clean ale yeast than a true lager.
Water treatment in the mash: 1 tsp calcium chloride, 1 tsp calcium sulphate, ½ tsp magnesium sulphate — a balanced calcium profile with a small magnesium addition for yeast nutrition. Mash in 21 L at 67 °C for 60 minutes, mash out at 76 °C for 10 minutes. Sparge 15 L at 76 °C.
Boil additions at 10 minutes: ½ tsp Irish Moss for hot break clarification, ½ tsp yeast nutrient. 20-minute whirlpool with the 150 g Nelson Sauvin charge.
Packaging
130 g of sugar for bottle conditioning. Bottled 23.25 L. Final beer pH 4.6.
Numbers
| Stage | Target | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Mash + sparge | 36 L | 36 L |
| Pre-boil | 28 L | 30 L |
| Boil additions | — | 1 L |
| Post-boil | 28 L | 28 L |
| Into fermenter | 25.5 L | 26 L |
| Bottle | 23.0 L | 23.25 L |
| Target | Actual | |
|---|---|---|
| OG | 1.052 | 1.048 |
| FG | 1.011 | 1.011 |
| ABV | 5.38% | 4.8% |
OG came in 4 points short of target — likely the over-shoot on pre-boil volume (30 L vs 28 L planned) diluting the wort. FG hit the target exactly. Cost approximately NZD $62 ($2.66/L).
Tasting
- Nose: citrus
- Mouth: smooth
- Flavour: grapefruit
- Appearance: golden / light amber
The active-fermentation dry hop strategy delivered as intended — the citrus and grapefruit aromatic from Nelson Sauvin came through clearly in the finished beer.
Lineage
Owen first brewed the Greenbacker kit back in July 2020 (batch 5); this December 2021 brew is his return to it as his final kit before designing his own beers. The platform then re-emerges as Owen’s own APA Greenbacker (2024) — a self-designed take on the same style.