Belma Hops

[Piratwolf]

I appear to have made the worst beer in the world using a mix of Willamette, Belma, and West Yorkshire Ale yeast from White Labs. Tastes like rotting strawberries dipped in mud. I think it's the combination, though, not the Belma itself.

 

[chiteface]

I ended up getting five pounds of the stuff, did essentially a zombie dust knock off and added an ounce of galena at the end. Will dry hop with 3 oz of whole chinook hops today, but It smells amazing right now.

 

[bellmtbbq]

BTW this hop sounds perfect matched up to Mosaic- both very berry and fruity.

If anyone out there felt like they over ordered on Belma and would like to help a one gallon brewer out, I'd be willing to buy3-4 oz off someone plus shipping. A pound is just too much for a one gallon brewer.. Please PM me if you can help me out! Thanks

 

[CadillacAndy]

BTW this hop sounds perfect matched up to Mosaic- both very berry and fruity.

If anyone out there felt like they over ordered on Belma and would like to help a one gallon brewer out, I'd be willing to buy3-4 oz off someone plus shipping. A pound is just too much for a one gallon brewer.. Please PM me if you can help me out! Thanks

I bought 2 pounds and am not a huge fan. I'm on my phone and can't seem to pm, so if you want to shoot me a message. I have pellets and cones. I'll gladly just send you some.

 

[Gear101]

I bought 2 pounds and am not a huge fan. I'm on my phone and can't seem to pm, so if you want to shoot me a message. I have pellets and cones. I'll gladly just send you some.

What didn't you like about it? Cheers

 

[rje]

Got everything ready to brew a English Mild with belma tomorrow to see how it holds up as just a bittering hop. When I opened the bag I was pleasantly surprised at the smell of berry and the citrus/floral notes.

Anyways, here's what I'm brewing - will post again when it's done:

Belma Mild
11-A Mild



Size: 6.0*gal @ 68*°F
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 120.57*kcal per 12.0*fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.036 (1.030 - 1.038)
|====================#===========|
Terminal Gravity: 1.009 (1.008 - 1.013)
|===========#====================|
Color: 14.65 (12.0 - 25.0)
|===========#====================|
Alcohol: 3.57% (2.8% - 4.5%)
|===============#================|
Bitterness: 15.3 (10.0 - 25.0)
|=============#==================|

Ingredients:
7*lb (84.8%) Maris Otter - added during mash
.25*lb (3.0%) Pale Chocolate Malt - added during mash
.5*lb (6.1%) Crystal 40 - added during mash
.5*lb (6.1%) English Brown Malt - added during mash
.5*oz (100.0%) Belma (9.8%) - added during boil, boiled 60*m

 

[CadillacAndy]

What didn't you like about it? Cheers

I made 2 different beers with it. An all Belma APA and a Belma/Cascade APA. The all Belma APA was plain and boring, even with 5oz of Belma, all late boil or dry hopped. The Belma/Cascade was creamy... like if you'd put cascade pellets in a glass of milk.

Neither were bad, but I have about 20lbs of hops in the freezer that I like much more than this one. I'd use it for bittering, but I have 2lbs of Magnum that I'm partial to.

I'll keep the cones to and use them in an American strawberry wheat. I think that might be a good combo.

Overall I'm certainly not knocking a $5/lb hop, but it's not something I'd choose over Citra, Amarillo, Northern Brewer, Centennial, EKG, etc.

 

[TNGabe]

I made 2 different beers with it. An all Belma APA and a Belma/Cascade APA. The all Belma APA was plain and boring, even with 5oz of Belma, all late boil or dry hopped. The Belma/Cascade was creamy... like if you'd put cascade pellets in a glass of milk.

Neither were bad, but I have about 20lbs of hops in the freezer that I like much more than this one. I'd use it for bittering, but I have 2lbs of Magnum that I'm partial to.

I'll keep the cones to and use them in an American strawberry wheat. I think that might be a good combo.

Overall I'm certainly not knocking a $5/lb hop, but it's not something I'd choose over Citra, Amarillo, Northern Brewer, Centennial, EKG, etc.

If you like saisons and feel like giving Belma another shot, I've been quite happy with the combo. I think the flavors in Belma have more yeast interplay than many other varieties.

 

[hoptualBrew]

Just bottled an Imperial IPA made with Belma, Calypso, and Crystal hops. Nose is amazing; floral, berry, white grape, slight resin. I actually had it pouring on tap at a local brewery who asked me to bring it in & got feedback from a few people relating it to walking through northern grape fields in western New York from their childhood and stuff. Brewer said he could tell the strawberry character and attributed it to the Belma. Overall, I like the hop & for the price, it's well worth playing around with it.

 

[FATC1TY]

I'm happy with it. I had family and friends raving over my IPA recipe. It was something I tossed together on a whim one morning, really simple and so good.

Nice balance, and great bittering from it. For the price, I'm happy with it, and will keep it around to use in stuff. Looking forward to making some lightly hopped blondes for the wussy drinkers that come to my house, and some intense saisons in the spring to sip on!

 

[DrunkleJon]

I am thinking about throwing some into my Pale Ale which for some reason only bittered. I don't know why but none of the flavor/aroma additions seem to have done anything but bitter. A little Belma/Cascade dry hop to test them out.

 

[emmdubb23]

I'm still waiting for mine to come in, going to make an IPA, when they do.

 

[shoreman]

I am thinking about throwing some into my Pale Ale which for some reason only bittered. I don't know why but none of the flavor/aroma additions seem to have done anything but bitter. A little Belma/Cascade dry hop to test them out.

I like cascade/Belma combo - a few people have mentioned my APA tastes like a creamy Sierra Nevada

 

[Cbaddad]

Found it here: http://www.brews-bros.com/topic/70189-belmapocalypse-ipa/
It's a very light IPA... would go down really good on a hot summer day chilled to about 34F.

Thanks!

Might just give this a try.

 

[DrunkleJon]

I like cascade/Belma combo - a few people have mentioned my APA tastes like a creamy Sierra Nevada

Well, that is definitely what I will do then. Now to rig up a in keg dry hopping bag.

 

[shoreman]

Well, that is definitely what I will do then. Now to rig up a in keg dry hopping bag.

I hit it with 4oz whole in the keg - they've been in there for a month and still no grassy flavors at all

 

[bobbrews]

I wouldn't say Belma has grassy off-flavors akin to dryhopping for too long or using old hops.

Rather, grass is just a trait of this hop. At its very basic, it offers grass, spice, pineapple, orange zest, and some get strawberry.

 

[TNGabe]

Bottled wheatwine hopped with belma, nelson, and brewer's gold today. Smelled like kool aid. Tastes pretty much exactly like I wanted flat. Fruity, strong, wheaty, and the wlp 530 shines through nicely. Looking forward to sending some out for the Belma swap and holding onto most of the rest of them for at least a year.

 

[FATC1TY]

I wouldn't say Belma has grassy off-flavors akin to dryhopping for too long or using old hops.

Rather, grass is just a trait of this hop. At its very basic, it offers grass, spice, pineapple, orange zest, and some get strawberry.

I will echo this. The grassy note is something that actually melds well with other hops, but might not with some that tend to get grassy on their own.

The spice and pineapple with the ripe red berry note is something I get with Belma as well.

 

[shoreman]

I wouldn't say Belma has grassy off-flavors akin to dryhopping for too long or using old hops.

Rather, grass is just a trait of this hop. At its very basic, it offers grass, spice, pineapple, orange zest, and some get strawberry.

I was mentioning this as a positive - I've had hops that I've left in the keg for 3 weeks and had lots of grassy off flavors and aromas

 

[Gear101]

Ok with summer a couple months away, what about a Belma Hefeweizen? Off to my LHBS today to get supplies and what nots, thinking out with the stouts in with summer beers.

 

[shoreman]

Ok with summer a couple months away, what about a Belma Hefeweizen? Off to my LHBS today to get supplies and what nots, thinking out with the stouts in with summer beers.

I think it would work well and in wit biers - especially the creaminess of the hop with oats in the bill

 

[Gear101]

I think it would work well and in wit biers - especially the creaminess of the hop with oats in the bill

All I have to do is come up with a bill and hop offering now. Plus make the starter this morning. LOL

 

[sweetcell]

Ok with summer a couple months away, what about a Belma Hefeweizen? Off to my LHBS today to get supplies and what nots, thinking out with the stouts in with summer beers.

personally i like my hefs fresh, so i'm holding off on those for now. if i have time in my schedule i'll do a belgian blond or belgian pale - also nice summer sippers that don't mind a little aging.

 

[tomthacher]

belma hops give your ale a fruity aroma and plesant mouth I brewed a smash to get pointed results and that is what I got

 

[nukebrewer]

Ok, so I just cracked my first carbonated Belma/2-row SMaSH IPA. Belma is quite underwhelming on it's own. I want to brew it again, but with Conan like I read on a blog (I believe it was linked somewhere in this thread). The aroma was solid, but not intense. Pineapple and strawberry mostly. It has a smooth bitterness due to all late hops. Flavor is where I think this hop really falls flat. Even with hop bursting and a 2 oz dry hop charge there wasn't much hop flavor to speak of. Definitely not going to use this on its own again. I can see it playing well with other fruity hops like Citra, Nelson, Motueka and Calypso. I can also see it marrying nicely as a balancing hop for your piney/floral type hops.

 

[FATC1TY]

Ok, so I just cracked my first carbonated Belma/2-row SMaSH IPA. Belma is quite underwhelming on it's own. I want to brew it again, but with Conan like I read on a blog (I believe it was linked somewhere in this thread). The aroma was solid, but not intense. Pineapple and strawberry mostly. It has a smooth bitterness due to all late hops. Flavor is where I think this hop really falls flat. Even with hop bursting and a 2 oz dry hop charge there wasn't much hop flavor to speak of. Definitely not going to use this on its own again. I can see it playing well with other fruity hops like Citra, Nelson, Motueka and Calypso. I can also see it marrying nicely as a balancing hop for your piney/floral type hops.

I think from the people weighing in, this is pretty much the consensus. It needs a partner.

I absolutely love it with Galaxy and Cascade tossed in there. Love the berry and pineapple notes I get with the passionfruit and light citrus notes from the other hops.. I could bathe in this beer and still drink it!!

 

[LabRatBrewer]

I made 7 gallons. I first wort hopped, bitter'ed and flavored all with BELMA. After reading this thread, I decided to split off one gallon as a straight Belma SMaSH, one gallon dry hooped with Centennial, and 5 gallons dry hopped with Belma, Casade, and Citra. I kegged the 5 gallons (and I will bottle the 2 one gallon batches). I 5 gallon batch is very good. Lots of citrus and fruit flavors. I can necessarily pick out water melon or pineapple, but perhaps they are the fruit flavor. My neighbor likes the brew, and claims he tastes mainly the citra.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Well as an update on my experience. My stupid Pale Ale which for some odd reason only bittered and had no aroma or flavor hops left. I put 2 oz Belma in for a dry hop and 4 days later.... nothing. I am very underwhelmed. Will play around more with Belma/random hop remenants next.

 

[eastoak]

belma, zythos and caliente were all very much underwhelming hops for me.