Belma Hops

The two beers I brewed with Belma each had 8oz per 5 gallon batch in the boil/FWH alongside Cascade and another 4oz per 5 gallons in dry hop. They turned out stunning and have become my new favorite flavor.

Use Belma in excess and pair it with Cascade, it's downright sinful!

FourSeasonAngler said:

The two beers I brewed with Belma each had 8oz per 5 gallon batch in the boil/FWH alongside Cascade and another 4oz per 5 gallons in dry hop. They turned out stunning and have become my new favorite flavor.

Use Belma in excess and pair it with Cascade, it's downright sinful!

Click to expand...

Recipe please?!

Man oh man. Tried my first bottle of Belma Wheatwine last night. Thought I'd nailed it when I botted, but it's picked up intense berry aroma and wierd creamy flavor that gives it a strawberry milkshake thing I didn't like.

You're scaring me. Just did a huge (expensive) Wheatwine that was single hopped with Belma.

What was your recipe? OG/FG?

TNGabe said:

Man oh man. Tried my first bottle of Belma Wheatwine last night. Thought I'd nailed it when I botted, but it's picked up intense berry aroma and wierd creamy flavor that gives it a strawberry milkshake thing I didn't like.

Click to expand...

The creamy part is what I didn't like about it in the apas that I made. Like a bitter milkshake.

I haven't given up in it. I think it would go very nicely with peach or real strawberry. Looking forward to the spring to brew them up.

JonGrafto said:

Recipe please?!

Click to expand...

11 gal batch (split into 2 6gal carboys)
Est. 1.068 OG (16.6 Plato)
Est. 1.016 FG (4.3 Plato)
Est. 16 SRM
Est. 58 IBU
Est. 6.8% ABV


23 lb. Canada Malting 2-row
2.0 lb. Briess crystal 40L
1.5 lb. Victory malt
1.0 lb. Briess crystal 120L
6 oz. Pale chocolate malt 200L

2oz Belma FWH
2oz Belma (60 min.)
2oz Cascade (10 min.)
2oz Belma (10 min.)
2oz Cascade (1 min.)
2oz Belma (1 min.)

Per carboy:
2oz Belma (Dry-hop 3 days)
1oz Cascade (Dry-hop 3 days)
2oz Belma (Dry-hop 7 days)
1oz Cascade (Dry-hop 7 days)

AnOldUR said:

You're scaring me. Just did a huge (expensive) Wheatwine that was single hopped with Belma.

What was your recipe? OG/FG?

Click to expand...

Pale Malt - 8.5
Red Wheat Malt - 3.25
Flaked Wheat - 3.25
Carawheat - 1.75
Midnight Wheat - 1.25
Dark Syrup - 1
Sugar - 1
Brewer's Gold - .633oz FW, .299@90
Nelson/Belma - 1.25oz (ea) @10, .625@10, 1/2oz Nelson & 1oz Belma dryhop
Nel/Bel/BG - .834oz Flameout
oaked
WLP530
1.080OG
1.010FG

cadillacandy said:

The creamy part is what I didn't like about it in the apas that I made. Like a bitter milkshake.

I haven't given up in it. I think it would go very nicely with peach or real strawberry. Looking forward to the spring to brew them up.

Click to expand...

I think it has to do with the yeast strain. I've used it with a brett saison blend and didn't get the creminess, but I also used way less hops in a smaller beer.

FourSeasonAngler said:

11 gal batch (split into 2 6gal carboys)
Est. 1.068 OG (16.6 Plato)
Est. 1.016 FG (4.3 Plato)
Est. 16 SRM
Est. 58 IBU
Est. 6.8% ABV


23 lb. Canada Malting 2-row
2.0 lb. Briess crystal 40L
1.5 lb. Victory malt
1.0 lb. Briess crystal 120L
6 oz. Pale chocolate malt 200L

2oz Belma FWH
2oz Belma (60 min.)
2oz Cascade (10 min.)
2oz Belma (10 min.)
2oz Cascade (1 min.)
2oz Belma (1 min.)

Per carboy:
2oz Belma (Dry-hop 3 days)
1oz Cascade (Dry-hop 3 days)
2oz Belma (Dry-hop 7 days)
1oz Cascade (Dry-hop 7 days)

Click to expand...

Couple questions...

Are you using a standard yeast like 1056 or WLP001?

What Mash temp and I am assuming just a 60 minute mash?

what efficiency are you using? I am not getting the numbers that you are and I have 70% put into my calculator.

Also for the IBU's.. I am getting a lot higher than 58 IBU's. Mine comes out to 91 IBU's...

I used BRY-97, and while I still like my IPA, and it's close to having the keg kick, the beer has gotten even more intense berry flavor now, and the beer does indeed seem to bring the word "creamy" to my mind when I drink it. I thought that before I read these comments. Has a thicker mouthfeel to it for sure I think.

I'm hoping the creamy ages out. I didn't get it at all from the fermenter, I'm wondering if it's from the Cuvee yeast I bottled with. It's a damn long thread and I don't want to go back, so who all has creamy beers and who doesn't and what yeast(s) did you use?

TNGabe said:

I'm hoping the creamy ages out. I didn't get it at all from the fermenter, I'm wondering if it's from the Cuvee yeast I bottled with. It's a damn long thread and I don't want to go back, so who all has creamy beers and who doesn't and what yeast(s) did you use?

Click to expand...

US-05 is what I used. I made 2 different American pales. One with all late Belma leaf and one with Belma and Cascade. Both were creamy.

When i dry hopped it into my PA, it actually caused the noted creaminess and also really assisted head retention and lacing.

Also used US-05, and as you can see from the pics I posted, head on it reminds me of Cool-Whip and definitely a thicker mouthfeel, but not unpleasantly so in the pale I made.

That is really interesting.

Look under my name for my Belma's Galaxy IPA.. Look at the head of the beer, the retention is amazing, and the lacing goes all the way to the last drop.

My belma APA have a creamy ness to it and good head retention as well.

So instead of adding a bit of wheat, we could just add a little late Belma? Sounds like 2 birds with 1 stone...

I wonder what Belma would do in a Brett beer. Anyone tried that yet?

The creaminess fades with age

My London ale iii yeast had alot of it
My la chouffe yeast was more earthy

Same exact beer but I dry hopped the London ale yeast

looks like belma is adding this creamy berryish flavor all around! my wheat IPA (35% dark wheat) has a definite creamy berriness going on. great head retention and lacing. belma pellets were used in combo with cascade, centennial and chinook - bittering and aroma additions @ 60, 10 & 0 minutes. 53 ibu's & it's flipping delicious!! i think i like belma more than the nelson sauvin and NZ hops i bought recently and for $5/lb you really can't go wrong

I'm gonna do my next brew with some more Belma and something else. I'm curious if I do.. Amarillo and Belma in a Pale if I get the same lacing I got with my last IPA.

It's just flat out perfection once it sticks to the glass.

FATC1TY said:

I'm gonna do my next brew with some more Belma and something else. I'm curious if I do.. Amarillo and Belma in a Pale if I get the same lacing I got with my last IPA.

It's just flat out perfection once it sticks to the glass.

Click to expand...

Can hops really have an impact on lacing?

I'd say that an excess use (or as I'd like to call, normal use) of oily post-boil and/or dry hops are a big contributor to that sticky type of lacing we see in IPAs.

I made a five gallon batch of all belma ipa as follows:

10# 2row
1/2# honey malt
1/2# crystal 60l

Mashed @152 for 60 min.

1oz belma pellets @ FWH
.5oz belma pellets@ 60min
1oz belma pellets@ 10 min
1oz belma pellets@ 5min
.5oz belma pellets@ 1min
1oz belma whole @ flameout 200F
1oz belma whole @ flameout 170F

2oz belma whole dryhop
1 rehydrated pack of US 05 and a 60 second blast of pure o2.
Og 1.060
Fg 1.014

I found the flavor and aroma of this hop to be fantastic. One member of my homebrew club said that it reminded him of an orange flavored starburst. I think that the hop is a bit one dimensional by itself but can be used with other citrusy hops that complement each other well. Great hop for the 5.25 I paid for a whole pound!

I am still incredibly stoked about the lacing the belma added. Tis a beautiful thing

You need to take bigger sips.



I agree on the lacing. It's flat out stupid how well it laces and sticks to the glass. I have to assume that Belma is at blame for this.

True, but this is the pale ale I made that for some reason was all bitter. I added Belma for an aroma dry hop in the keg which produced the lacing/head retention and did nothing for aroma, so i added some of what I believe was Cascade from an open pouch from a previous batch which gave it smell but no flavor. Its good, its just not that balanced which makes it take longer to drink. Was my first full boil AG, so it is still a success in my eyes, just not what I planned on. I am still amazed with the change that adding it did though.

Any high oil content, high alpha West Coast hop will add that type of lacing if you use enough of it late and in the dryhop. I've personally seen it with Amarillo, Chinook, Columbus, Citra, Simcoe, Centennial, Summit, Belma, etc.

Just tapped a Belma, Galena, Chinook(all dry hops) IPA...Tastes suspiciously like two hearted with maybe a bit more fruit and citrus. Will mix it up and dry hop with belma next time.

I took a Belma APA to our local homebrew club meeting last night... Excellent reviews all around. There are a lot of competitions coming up excited to use this hop.

My Belma with Centential, Belma with Cascade, and Belma with Centential, Cascade and Simcoe all were nice. I did not care too much for the Belma SMASH.

Just brewed an all-belma hopbursted APA (3oz total, 1@ 20, 10, 0). I was going to do a centennial blend but SWMBO convinced me to just do the Belma to get the best handle on its character. Already looking forward to it.

Has anyone used Belma as a 15-min or later addition in a Hefe? Wondering if you might get a nice berry note alongside your banana with these hops?

Just kegged my Belma Smash IPA... Waiting for it to carb up to get an accurate tasting on it.

Here is the recipe I used:

12# 2-row
1# Caramel/Crystal 60L

Mashed @152 for 60 min
(Mash was a little high - Maybe 154/155)

1 oz Belma Leaf @ FWH
1/2 oz Belma Leaf @ 60min
1 oz Belma Leaf @ 10 min
1 oz Belma Leaf @ 5min
1/2 oz Belma Leaf @ 1min
2 oz Belma Leaf @ Flameout

2 oz Belma Leaf Dryhopped for 7 days

I used a WLP001 1800 ml starter
OG 1.058
Fg 1.014

JonGrafto said:

Just kegged my Belma Smash IPA...
12# 2-row
1# Caramel/Crystal 60L

Click to expand...

ummm.....

daksin said:

Just brewed an all-belma hopbursted APA (3oz total, 1@ 20, 10, 0). I was going to do a centennial blend but SWMBO convinced me to just do the Belma to get the best handle on its character. Already looking forward to it.

Click to expand...

Thats pretty similar to what I used except I used 4 oz
1 @ 30, 20, 10, 5

emmdubb23 said:

Thats pretty similar to what I used except I used 4 oz
1 @ 30, 20, 10, 5

Click to expand...

Any more detailed notes from your club meeting as to what to expect? I was thinking of a 2oz dry hop for this APA. Did you dry hop at all?

JustLooking said:

ummm.....

Click to expand...

I know.. not a true SMASH, but I wanted some caramel 60 in there for color and a little backbone for the 2Row... Nice catch though!!!!

JonGrafto said:

I know.. not a true SMASH, but I wanted some caramel 60 in there for color and a little backbone for the 2Row... Nice catch though!!!!

Click to expand...

I didn't say anything since I had nothing nice to say. That would be a SMATH :wrist flop:

Well SMaSH still works. Some Malt and Single Hop...

Piratwolf said:

Has anyone used Belma as a 15-min or later addition in a Hefe? Wondering if you might get a nice berry note alongside your banana with these hops?

Click to expand...

If you do make sure you add a good amount - a little does not go a long way with this hop