New Hop Variety: Belma- Puterbaugh Farms

[FATC1TY]

it's quite clean when used for bittering. save it for that.

I agree. It's super for bittering. I really love the bittering I get from it in my IPA.

I'm extremely happy with the way mine turned out, but I paired it with Galaxy and Cascade.

I think Chinook and Belma, as FWH for bittering, then hit both of them mid boil, and toss in some Simcoe and Amarillo.... Yes ma'am... Spicy, Piney, Earthy, Berry and Citrus.

 

[jammin]

I agree. It's super for bittering. I really love the bittering I get from it in my IPA.

I'm extremely happy with the way mine turned out, but I paired it with Galaxy and Cascade.

I think Chinook and Belma, as FWH for bittering, then hit both of them mid boil, and toss in some Simcoe and Amarillo.... Yes ma'am... Spicy, Piney, Earthy, Berry and Citrus.

would drink/10

 

[FATC1TY]

would drink/10

Might be my next brew, actually. I have a ton of Chinook leaf, and 2 lbs of Belma, a mini boatload of Amarillo, and I can pick up plenty of Simcoe from my LHBS.. Might give it a go, in a nice simple IPA, with some 2 row, munich, vienna, and a mix of C40/C60.

 

[LuckyBeagleBrewing]

After tasting mine, I agree this has bittering and some aroma. As for flavor, it is way, way too light to stand on its own. I am going to let a few people try mine as is but after they do, I am going to put an ounce of Citra in each keg for 10 days. The flavor is like rinsing watermelon rind in water then drinking it. Bitterness is very nice and smooth. Aroma is almost orange/strawberry mix. I think something like a Citra or Galaxy combo with this would make a super summer beer.

 

[FATC1TY]

After tasting mine, I agree this has bittering and some aroma. As for flavor, it is way, way too light to stand on its own. I am going to let a few people try mine as is but after they do, I am going to put an ounce of Citra in each keg for 10 days. The flavor is like rinsing watermelon rind in water then drinking it. Bitterness is very nice and smooth. Aroma is almost orange/strawberry mix. I think something like a Citra or Galaxy combo with this would make a super summer beer.

Great comparison.. The watery melon flavor. I get that. I don't get quite watermelon, as I hate watermelon, but I do get the light melon, berry flavor from it.

Anyways.. Galaxy and Belma are a killer, killer combo. Balance the two ends with something everyone loves, like Citra or Cascade and it's good.

Amarillo would make me squeal with it.

 

[chuckstout]

Just kegged my Belma Blond/Pale. I ended up dry hopping a little longer then wanted 8 days
1.042SG, 1.008FG
7lbs pilsner
1lb C10
75 min mash 149
90 min boil all flower hops
A pinch of Belma@FWH
.5 Belma@20
.5 Belma@10
2 Belma@0 and waited 10min before started chilling
1oz DH
US-05
Ended with 5G in the Keg
I will post back here in a week or so on flavor up dates when i can sit down to a pint or two

 

[Loneleigh]

Ok I will.

 

[chuckstout]

Well as everyone else described very light melon berry quality, for my late additions still had a nice clean bitterness. Seemed to add extra pleasent mouthfeel. I used leaf hops they seemed to be a little browned around the edges, maybe the pellets have better aroma. All things aside if theres any left(havnt checked) im going to order some pellets to sub anywhere I would have used magnum before, for bittering

 

[shoreman]

One thing to add to the conversation - I've been dry hopping 4oz whole hops in the keg now for about 3 weeks with zero grassy flavors-super clean

 

[allenH]

One thing to add to the conversation - I've been dry hopping 4oz whole hops in the keg now for about 3 weeks with zero grassy flavors-super clean

Mine smelled super grassy when I racked to the keg, after 10 days on gas, I didn't get any grassiness at all (1oz FWH, 1oz @ 10 and 2oz dry hop).

 

[squeekybobo]

I just kegged a belma IPA tonight. I used 2-row and c-15 for a base, 1.5 oz Columbus fwh, and 4 additions of 1.5 oz of belma at 20, 15, 10, and 5. Dry hopped with about 3 oz belma for 6 days. It smelled melony, almost like Granny Smith apples too, for whatever reason. Put it on 30psi gas until Monday, and I'll pull a sample New Year's Eve to try it out. I'll post notes then...

 

[chuckstout]

Ive had a couple more pints of the Belma Blond I think im starting to really in joy its flavor. I just want to keep bringing the glass to my lips, then its empty. I just bought a saison strain (i believe wlp565) and from some of the suggestions to go this route im going to use the same recipe just sub the us-05 with wlp565, cheers

 

[FATC1TY]

Yeah, my Belma/Galaxy IPA is half gone already.. I took some out of town in some growlers and it was the first gone of the mix.

Anyways- I'm thinking a Saison will be the next thing I do with this.. Thinking a spicy and fruity saison. Chinook, Amarillo and Belma.

 

[squeekybobo]

I took a taster of mine tonight... Aroma was a little melon, and a little fruity. Taste was mild, but not bad. Would be good in a cream ale vs IPA, unless you throw in some galaxy or citra too. The Columbus, in retrospect, wasn't a great idea, but not a terrible beer by any means. I'll use it for bittering for sure, though.

 

[jheld00]

I just dry hopped a pale/amber ale with 2oz Belma and .65oz Centennial. I can't wait to drink it.

 

[shoreman]

Anyone use it as bittering in a mild yet?

 

[Herky21]

American Cream Ale with Belma and Hallertauer mittelfrueh won a silver medal in cat 23 at the IBU open. Guess this hop is good at something.

 

[954surfer]

Im tasting my single hop belma ipa. I FWH'd it, kettle hopped and dry hopped. The dry hop is def on the berry-fruity side (as opposed to citrus or pine), and the bittering has a spicy side. I don't agree that its subtle, but its not strikingly distinctive like all-simcoe would be. So, it was a good exercise and at $5/lb a nice hop!

 

[doublebogey10]

A friend just gave me a bag of Belma pellets and, having not heard of them before, I stumbled across this thread in research.

Am I wrong in thinking that, after a ton of excitement for Belma, it wasn't all that great in the end? There seemed to be a lot of "I just brewed this and can't wait to report back." And then not as many reports.

Anyone try bittering or hop bursting a summer wheat beer with Belma? That's where I was thinking of going with what I was given. Or bittering my white IPA, which dry hops with lemongrass and sage.

 

[kaconga]

I like belma a lot. I think people were expecting the next citra/simcoe but it is not that kind of hop. It adds a spicy note when used mid boil, a berry note when used as aroma, and a nice creaminess when used as a dry hop. None of those things are bad, but they aren't going to make it a great stand alone hop either. YMMV

 

[FATC1TY]

I like belma a lot. I think people were expecting the next citra/simcoe but it is not that kind of hop. It adds a spicy note when used mid boil, a berry note when used as aroma, and a nice creaminess when used as a dry hop. None of those things are bad, but they aren't going to make it a great stand alone hop either. YMMV

Agreed. I went in open to the hop, and came out a bit.. lackluster.

It's a good smoother bittering hop, it does add a spicy berry note, and it does leave a full creamy feel when I dry hop with it. Obviously it can't stand up to some bigger hops, so the flavor gets tossed to the back seat.

I'll be using me late in the boil with other hops for blondes and fruity IPA's. I've used it in a Saison that came out really well too, and find that it shines in the lighter more sessionable beers where you want to layer the flavor.

 

[daksin]

Love this hop, bummed it's out of stock.

 

[roguemc]

Kolsch I made came out great, very smooth hop. Am going to make a SMASH with MArris Otter.

 

[motleybrews]

I made an APA with a pound of belma. Very disappointed in the results as it really lacks the hop character I was after. However the same beer with a pound of legacy turned out great

 

[Herky21]

After using it in an Amber, an IPA, and a Cream Ale, and reading everyone elses uses, I'd say lighter session beers are where Belma Shines. ANd Bittering additions. In a Cream Ale with a nearly distilled water profile you could really taste the strawberry flavors. In an IPA, it's pretty meh.

 

[doublebogey10]

Thanks for the responses. I'm moving from extract to BIAB but I still have some extract on hand. Thinking about doing a honey blond with it.
6# NB Pilsner LME
1# Briess Bavarian Wheat DME
1# honey (10 mins)

.25 oz Chinook 13AA at 60
1 oz Belma 9.8AA at 5
1 oz Belma 9.8AA at 1

Either US-05 or I have a Wyeast American Wheat I need to use.

Seems like a decent way to empty out the extract I have left and check out Belma.

 

[954surfer]

I think I already posted on this thread, but I was looking at my recipe for my single hop IPA that I did with belma and now drinking it...
Its fine for bittering, sucks for aroma. But I think where this one shines is for flavor additions. It has a really unique berry flavor, but in my beer its just so subtle because for this IPA recipe I just didn't do enough flavor additions. But I would love to try an APA with a "flavor bomb" addition with this hop. I'm sure it would be very unique, fruity and tasty.

 

[LuckyBeagleBrewing]

This is my second round with this hop and I have to say it grows on you. The melon bitterness with the berry side note just makes a perfect summer beer. Once I can afford to fix my water problems I will have an even better version of this beer.

I will definitely order these hops again this year.

 

[roguemc]

Just kegged the SMASH I made, although the beer is not fully carbonated yet it is very good. The Belma has nice subtle flavor characteristics to it, was 90f out yesterday and was smooth going down. I am with Lucky Beagle... will order these hops again

 

[doublebogey10]

I made an extract honey blonde ale with belma. Split the batch and bottled 2.5 gallons after a dry-hop with the belma. Took the other 2.5 gallons and added ~ 1 ounce of strawberry flavoring at bottling. Had both today and both are very nice summer beers. The honey ale, I can pick out the melon notes from the belma but not much with the strawberry tones that others are getting.
The strawberry honey blonde ale (with the flavoring) is a really nice fruity beer on its own.
Belma is not the greatest hop in the world but it has a place.