Altitude Brewing is a rad little brewery & taproom located on the shores of Lake Wakatipu looking up at the mighty Remarkables.
 
We've been big fans of these guys for a long time, and after we started working with Garston Hops it made a lot of sense to work with Altitude too (as they're possibly Garston's biggest supporter). Eliott generously offered up their Mischievous Kea IPA as a great recipe using 100% Garston Hops.
 
Altitude's flagship brew (and one of their most successful beers ever), the Kea is where it all started back in 2013. This is an all NZ hopped English style IPA where the ABV is lower and the malt presence is higher than other modern counterparts. This beer has been refined over many years (and many brews!) and is an example of finding the perfect balance between malt and hops. An orange brown pour with a dense white head displays a medley of NZ hop aromas like citrus, floral and pine. Some caramelly melanoidins back up this frangrance and deliver the toasty, malty palate expected from an English style. Medium to full body with an assertive bitterness. Now you can brew this delicious beer at home, and the great thing is you can grab a can to see how well yours compares!
 
Warning: This recipe contains 410g of Garston Hops!
 
Estimated Results:
ABV: 5.5%
IBUs: 75 (Tinseth)
Colour: 21 EBC
Time (Brewday until Ready to Drink): 14 days fermentation (plus carbonation time). Eliott recommends a further 30 days conditioning, but feel free to drink sooner as it's going to be tasty!
 
Recommended Yeast* (Included):
SafAle™ US-05 – Versatile Neutral Ale Yeast for a clean and crisp finish - Altitude's Pick
*One is included per 23L, if you want more, grab it using the link above
 
Alternatives:
Dried Lutra® – Super-Clean Neutral Kveik Yeast for a shockingly clean beer with unrivaled speed
LalBrew BRY-97™ – West Coast Ale Yeast for an IPA with a neutral yeast profile and bolstered hop aroma through biotransformation
*Can be purchased seperately for a different yeast profile
 
Mark & Merit Recipe Kits
 
Love the quality and individuality all grain brewing brings? Long for a relaxed brew day where everything is effortless and organized? Want a recipe pack that you can rely on again and again to come out with consistent results?
 
With our kits, we’ve made it Easy As:
We supply a straightforward recipe sheet including fermentation information, customized for your brewing set-up and recipe volume.
We vacuum pack all hops in mylar pouches, separated according to their role. No weighing or measuring required!
We'll calculate the necessary water adjustments using your local water supply’s available data and will measure out and include them for your mash water (as needed).
We include a measured amount of yeast nutrient and protofloc (if required) to add with 15 minutes left in your boil.
We recommend yeast options but allow you the freedom to choose your own based on your preferences.
 
We clearly lay out your brew day schedule in our easy to understand instructions. All you need to do is set your alarms to remind you to complete the steps.
 
We don’t compromise when it comes to fresh ingredients and quality. While we encourage you to use your kit as soon as possible (especially if we’ve milled the grains prior to sending), the ‘un-milled’ kits can last for months when stored correctly – grains in a cool place out of direct sunlight, yeast in the fridge, and hops in the freezer. All grains are packed in airtight bags, and hops / yeast are vacuum packed to preserve their freshness. We include an ice pack with the hops and yeast to keep them cold for the standard shipping durations.
 
Your kit is triple checked to ensure you have all the ingredients you need on your brew day. Everything is then packed securely to prevent any damage during shipping. Where possible, we send using next day shipping with couriers that have a proven track record to get it to you quickly. Unfortunately, delays have been occurring due to restrictions associated with the pandemic, so we do encourage you to order well in advance of your brew day.
 
We guarantee the yeast we supply will work for you, first time. While the recommended temperature ranges vary depending on the yeast selected, most ale yeasts fall within the 18˚C to 22˚C range without risk of off-flavours. If for some reason you’re fermentation doesn’t start, and you suspect it’s a yeast issue, we will overnight another pack to you free of charge.
 
These all-grain ingredient kits are 100% customized to your set-up. For first timers: You will need
a way to control your mash temperature (for up to an hour, can be as simple as a chilly bin)
a way to separate the grains from the malt sugar infused liquid (wort) - can be muslin cloth, a mesh grain basket, etc.
a pot large enough to hold that wort
a heat source strong enough to bring it to a boil.
 
You’ll also need a vessel (or multiple vessels) to ferment in that can hold the final volume of your wort plus allowing some headspace for your yeast activity (often an additional 30% of your wort volume – example, a 30L fermenter can comfortably hold ~23L of beer).