Description

About Hydra:

Hydra is a new genetic hybrid of two of our favourite strains (Cerberus x Vermont). Hydra offers you lower attenuation (65-72%) for more JUICE coupled with strong mango and citrus aromatics. We think it will especially shine in lower-ABV, hop-forward beers.

The lower attenuation can help combat the unexpectedly high attenuation resulting from hop creep that results in unbalanced hazy IPAs.

Hydra was test-driven by Steamworks Brewery to make their Beach Potion Pale Ale. Here’s what Brett Jamieson, R&D Manager at Steamworks had to say:

Even with a pretty thorough step mash and some hop creep we ended up at 74.7% apparent attenuation – from 12.27°P to 3.11°P. The aroma before we added the dry hops was big on apricot, unripe mango, lime Gatorade powder (from the dried limes), hint of rum, and an herbal wooden character. Now that the dry hops are in, it smells like a slushy tropical drink you’d get in a massive novelty cup at a Margaritaville – sweet tropical fruits, coconut, punchy citrus, and a bit of baking spice along with that mellow rum character.

FAQ:

• Is it diastatic? No. this yeast is STA1 negative despite one of the parents (Cerberus) being STA1 positive. However, it does grow on LCSM agar, potentially due to inheriting copper resistance from the Cerberus parent.

• Is this one of the thiol-forward strains Escarpment has been working on?No, but it’s good at terpene and thiol biotransformation. Keep your eyes peeled for more hop-accentuating IPA yeast options with higher attenuation and thiol release.
• Does it produce stable haze?Yes. We have stress-tested this yeast and found it to produce stable haze on par with Foggy London Ale.
• Is it genetically modified?No, this yeast was produced using a natural yeast breeding technique called rare mating.
• Why is the attenuation lower? Hydra appears to have lost diastatic ability from the Cerberus parent but has also inherited its low maltotriose utilization.

Escapment Labs, Canada

We are a team of  brewers and scientists

Founders Angus Ross, Nate Ferguson, and Richard Preiss met while working in a yeast research lab at the University of Guelph. A collective love for beer and brewing led them to founding Escarpment Laboratories, with the goal of adding value to the craft beverage landscape, and getting to hang out in breweries for a living. Since 2015, Escarpment Laboratories have helped hundreds of breweries achieve their fermentation targets.

We were brewers first. Our founders and many staff come from a brewing background. We know how brewing works, all the way from resetting a mash bed to repitching a yeast culture.

Stress less, brew more. Our exceptional customer support team is available to all of our clients to answer questions and troubleshoot any issues.

Quality ferments.  We believe that fresh yeast is the best yeast. We do not sell old or contaminated yeast, and we will ship you the right amount for your beer.