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.
Brewery testimonial:
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.
Can it be repitched?
Yep! It also grows to high cell density which may make cropping pre-dry hop easier.
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 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.
Is it genetically modified?
No, this yeast was produced using a natural yeast breeding technique called rare mating - similar to how we made JÖTUNN (kveik x saison).
Why is the attenuation lower?
Hydra appears to have lost diastatic ability from the Cerberus parent but has also inherited its low maltotriose utilization.
Does it stop hop creep?
Hydra does not stop hop creep but its lower attenuation can help reduce the risk of your highly dry-hopped beer refermenting to a less desirable final gravity. We recommend performing a forced diacetyl test and monitoring specific gravity changes before cold-crashing any dry-hopped beer.