Belma Hops

[bellmtbbq]

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

I have some coming in the mail.. How bad are the Caliente hops? I was hoping for a nice aroma hop

 

[eastoak]

I have some coming in the mail.. How bad are the Caliente hops? I was hoping for a nice aroma hop

the pound of caliente i got had ZERO aroma or flavor and i've seen other reviewers who have said the same thing. my first thought after opening the bag was that it needed some heat and water to bring out the aroma, so i made a hop tea...tasted and smelled like some kind of soup. not a good soup. it does have a clean bittering but i could not coax any pleasant taste or aroma out of the hops.

 

[bellmtbbq]

the pound of caliente i got had ZERO aroma or flavor and i've seen other reviewers who have said the same thing. my first thought after opening the bag was that it needed some heat and water to bring out the aroma, so i made a hop tea...tasted and smelled like some kind of soup. not a good soup. it does have a clean bittering but i could not coax any pleasant taste or aroma out of the hops.

That's a real shame. With aroma hops I prefer to buy them in leaf form but they didn't carry any. I am hoping for a delicate peach/cherry aroma... We will see when I open them tonight... I'm going to do an experimental IPA with Golden Promise and TF Amber malt... Belma, Caliente, and Mosaic hops... Three new varieties.

 

[FATC1TY]

That's a real shame. With aroma hops I prefer to buy them in leaf form but they didn't carry any. I am hoping for a delicate peach/cherry aroma... We will see when I open them tonight... I'm going to do an experimental IPA with Golden Promise and TF Amber malt... Belma, Caliente, and Mosaic hops... Three new varieties.

I bet ya the Mosaic just man handles them all and takes the front seat.

 

[bellmtbbq]

I bet ya the Mosaic just man handles them all and takes the front seat.

Probably ahaha. It's worth a shot


I'm thinking this schedule. I'd like that nice apricoty flavor you get from Fawcett Amber... especially with these fruity hops.

7 LBs Golden Promise, Scottland
12 oz Thomas Fawcett Amber Malt, England

0.2 oz Summit @ 60
1.0 oz Belma @ 10
0.5 oz Caliente @ 10
1.0 oz Mosaic @ 5
1.0 oz Caliente @ 0

WLP002

1.073 OG, 1.017 FG, 73 IBUs, 11 SRM, 7.4% ABV.

It's an English style IPA. All the dry/pale/extreme bitterness people, I thought I'd try something else

I'm debating not even dry hopping it since I brew my IPAs for others and pretty sure they don't give two hoots about the aroma.

 

[FATC1TY]

I'd dry hop it, aroma is flavor!

 

[sweetcell]

+1 to the dry hop, even if it's just a little like a half ounce of each hop.

also, i'd propose going half-and-half mosaic/caliente for 5 and 0 minutes. you really want some mosaic at flameout.

 

[one-L]

I got a lb of Belma, as so many others did, due to the cheap price. I will say that when they first came in, I did get a really oniony, earthy smell that some are reporting, and I don't think it is just from whatever they used to flush the bag with. I did not really get any of the melon or berry aromas that others have reported.

Brewed on 12/4/12

I based this one off of EdWort's fine Haus Pale ale recipe

Partial Mash
Mashed 1.5 lb munich and 0.5 lb Crystal 60 at 152 for 60 minutes.
Drained, sparged with 1 gal. of 170 deg. water for 15 minutes.
Drained again.

Topped off to 3.75 gals for the boil.

1 oz 2012 Cascade (7.4%) - 60 min.
0.5 oz Belma (11.3%) - 30 min.
0.5 oz Cascade - 30 min.
0.25 oz Belma - 15 min.
0.25 oz Cascade - 15 min.
0.25 oz Belma - 5 min.
0.25 oz Belma - 5 min.

Added 6 lbs Briess Golden Light DME at flameout.

Topped fermenter off with water to 5.5 gal.

OG - 1.060
FG - 1.018

Fermented for 3 weeks at 63ish with 1 packet of S-05

Transferred to corny onto 1 oz. Cascade and 1 oz. Belma dryhop

Was out of town for a while after transferring, but after about 2 weeks in the fridge, the result was DELICIOUS.

I was concerned about the oniony/funky aroma from the hops in the package, but pick up none of that in the finished beer. Mostly citrus with some subtle fruit in the nose, as well as some spiciness (not phenolic, but more like a rye spiciness and earthy aroma). Flavor is more of the same. Big, bright citrus from the cascade, and while I don't get the strawberry that some get, I definitely get some subtle underlying melon/berry fruit, more in the aftertaste than anywhere else, but mostly I think the Belma adds a very nice, again almost rye-like spiciness and earthy flavor that goes extremely well with Cascade.

And, as you can see from pics 1 and 3, another thing I think the Belma adds is HUGE head retention, moreso than I have gotten in any other beer I have brewed. 2-3 inches of huge, creamy, craggy foam, that hangs around until pretty much the last sip. Its almost meringue like in its consistency. This carries over into a definite creamy mouthfeel to the beer as well. I can see where some have gotten a "dreamsicle"ish report on their beers.

Overall, I think this resulted in one of my best beers to date, and I have gotten some of the most positive feedback on it as well to date. Have had several people say it reminded them almost of Stone Pale Ale. The hops have begun to fade somewhat, starting with the nose, and its now beginning to lose a little of spice and citrus on the tongue as well, but still very delicious, and won't be around much longer. I will definitely be brewing this again. Overall, I have been happy with the Belma, especially at the pricepoint. I haven't used it exclusively in anything yet, and don't know that I will due to reports from others and my experience thus far, but I think it makes an excellent support hop. I also have a Janet's Brown almost ready for dry-hopping, and I subbed Chinook and Belma for the Northern Brewer, so I will report back on that one once tapped as well.

 

[justkev52]

I saw a thread recently about hopsdirect's new belma hops. For five bucks a lb I couldn't resist and jumped on the bandwagon. Anybody drinking on a batch brewed with these yet? I won't be brewing for another week or two and was wondering what to expect.

I have 5 gallons of Belma Pale in the secondary now.
Kegging it in a few days.
Tasted the sample and it was amazing. Drank the whole sample. Almost took another sample. Almost kegged it right then. Decided to give in and wait a couple days for it to finish clearing up.
Just used 2-row and .25 lbs of melanoiden and .25 lbs of Victory.
Would have used some carapils instead but ran out.
I'm already a fan and haven't tasted the carb'd version yet.

 

[justkev52]

Those hops are great!!
Can't wait to use them again.

 

[FourSeasonAngler]

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!

 

[JonGrafto]

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!

Recipe please?!

 

[TNGabe]

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.

 

[AnOldUR]

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

What was your recipe? OG/FG?

 

[CadillacAndy]

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.

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.

 

[FourSeasonAngler]

Recipe please?!

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)

 

[TNGabe]

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

What was your recipe? OG/FG?

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

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.

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.

 

[JonGrafto]

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)

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...

 

[FATC1TY]

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.

 

[TNGabe]

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?

 

[CadillacAndy]

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?

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.

 

[DrunkleJon]

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

 

[one-L]

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.

 

[FATC1TY]

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.

 

[turvis]

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

 

[bleme]

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

 

[TNGabe]

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

 

[shoreman]

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

 

[jessup]

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

 

[FATC1TY]

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.