It looks like Puterbaugh Farms has a new hop variety for 2012!!!
http://www.hopsdirect.com/leaf/
They sound very interesting…Can’t wait to try some (and they are SUPER cheap!)!
Damn, I really hope this one stays in stock until the rest of their 2012 crop comes in. As good as the price is, I can’t justify spending 15 bucks on shipping for a $5 order.
Now if I can just find a source for Meridian and Mosaic this season…
I just organized a group buy for my homebrew club. I think that Belma hops sound great. Although, I don’t think I’ll be able to justify another order unless they get some Simcoe in stock.
For Meridian try Ted Hausotter at Hop Heaven in Baker City, OR.
Just ordered some. I’ll try these out soon and let you know my experience.
I just ordered some too, mostly because of the price point. I got a pound of Citra too, so it might be a while before I get around to using the Belma.
We’ll first see what they smell like then i’ll decide when and what I’ll us them in. I wonder if they have any more info on them as far as the cohumulone and what not. Wondering if at 12.1% AA they might be a decent bittering hop.
they won’t get simcoe.
Ok, just got 2lbs. today. Now I need to decide my hop schedule. My plan is to do a low gravity APA/hoppy blonde with the new Northern Brewer Marris Otter extract for an 0G approx. 1.042, 20 minute boil.
Orginally I was planning:
14g @ 10min
28g @ 0min
14-28g dry hop
But, since these are whole hops I am contemplating using the Blichmann hop rocket. Do I keep the same hop schedule or just do 2oz in the hop rocket at flame out, and maybe dry hop?
I think your schedule will be OK, but you may want to make the first addition a little earlier if you want to get a bit more flavor from the hops. For my batch of all-extract single-hopped pale ales, I dissolved the extract as the wort came up to temp, then threw in 40 IBU’s of hops (calculated as a 20-minute addition) once the temp was in the 150F range to approximate a FWH addition. I was surprised at how much different the flavor components of certain hops were compared to their aromas. I was also able to pick out some differences in bittering character between the different varieties I used. I’m not so sure that would be as noticeable from a later addition.
Since you’re doing a short-boil extract brew, it may be a good idea to do another batch or two with hops you are familiar with for comparison. Citra is a good benchmark to compare how strong the aroma is.
I also like your choice of MO for the extract. That extra bit of maltiness will give you a better picture of how the hops balance a bit of malt.
I had a considered a 7g addition at 20 min and a 30 min boil. I may put that back in. I don’t really want to do a true bittering addition or a FWH addition, especially based on your experiences with Calypso. I orginially planned this brew for Calypso, but didn’t get it done last week and the Belma’s arrived. So, I changed my plan. I am trying to keep my IBUs around 20. The whole hops have kind of thrown me on what I want to do for a hop schedule, because I really want to use the hop rocket. It’s not that I have to use 2oz, but would like too. I am mainly doing this for the following reasons:
- Try out different hop flavor and aromas.
- Propagate yeast for a wee heavy (using scottish ale yeast)
- I am familiar enough with hops like Amarillo, Simcoe, Citra, Nelson, etc. to know what to expect from their flavor/aroma profile.
Decisions, decisions, decisions…thank for the insight erockrph 
Interesting aromatics from a freshly opened bag: dank, musty, wet grass. None of the aroma/flavor descriptors from the website. Curious to see how this changes in the wort and beer…
I had a similar experience with Caliente. I ended up getting an awesome fresh peach/plum aroma in the finished beer that I didn’t get off the hops themselves. I did find that with quite a few hops the aroma off the raw hops was closer to the flavor I got in the beer than the aroma.
Had a very light pale ale (4%) sitting on an ounce of Belma since last Friday, so 5 days. Took a sample, fairly disappointing… especially compared to the other kegs I had also just dry hopped (2 other 4% pale ales, 1 with US Goldings, the other with Citra).
Pretty much duplicated my observations when smelling all 3 packages of hops last week, the Belma was by far the mildest and least interesting.
Kegged a batch of American Wheat made with Belma today. I like this hop, citrussy with an orange character. Check my blog, Penrose Picobrewery for recipe.
It’s extremely mild and soft. Sure it is pleasant, but 1oz in a 4% pale ale contributed virtually zilch.
I ordered a pound of Belma pellets (along with 3 others 
) yesterday and plan to make an all Belma IPA in the near future. Belmapocalypse IPATM here I come!
I have noted this as well. Compared to other high alpha aromatic hops, this one is VERY subdued. I will say, however, the flavor is pleasant and inviting despite being mild.
Did a low gravity Northern Brewer LME MO blonde with 1/4oz at 20min, 1/2oz at 10min, 2oz in hop rocket and 1oz. dry hop. The beer is pleasant and well balanced. The SO likes it, so that is a win. As mentioned, mild strawberry and melon flavors. Citrus/crisp when cold, but seems to fades as it warms. Low levels of grassy notes. I think it would definitely be a good compliment to a strawberry wheat or blonde, but other hops would be better used in a hop forward beer like APA or IPA…
I got my (pound) in this last week…How did they cram that much greenry
into that mylar…man this was what i would call a LONG pound.
Thank-you Hops Direct! Thank you forum members for the information and insight!
Brew day forthcoming just not sure when…better get busy cause the world
is going to end next month!
I was thinking about the same thing, an all Belma IPA. That name is great!
But then as 1vertical said…
[quote]better get busy cause the world is going to end next month!
[/quote]
How many _end of the world IPA_s are going to be brewed this month?
And should I take the hops schedule I was going to use and just double it? :