Belma hops, a varietal from Puterbaugh Farms in Washington State, are versatile hops with moderate alpha acid levels typically ranging from 8-12%. It was released by Hops Direct and Puterbaugh Farms in 2012 and has received favorable reviews from virtually everyone who tries them.
This hop variety has a pleasant aroma that includes a range of fruits, such as orange, melon, strawberry, and pineapple, with a subtle hint of grapefruit. They have gained popularity chiefly among homebrewers and are often used in Pale Ales, IPAs, Blonde Ales, and many other styles.
| Usage: | Dual-Purpose |
| Country of Origin: | United States |
| Hop Growers Code: | N/A |
Where To Buy Belma Hops
Belma Flavor And Aroma
Belma is a dual-purpose hop that is often described to have the following aroma characteristics:
orange, grapefruit
strawberry
melon, pineapple
Belma Hop Oil Breakdown
Hop oils can vary from year to year and farm to farm but based on our research, here are the typical values we have seen reported. This information comes from various hop farms, The Hop Aroma Compendium, and For The Love Of Hops.
| Alpha Acid % (AA) Alpha acids are what is isomerized when boiling to create bitterness in beer. | 9.4% – 12.1% |
| Beta Acid % Beta acids are what give hops their more aroma and flavor compounds. | 4% – 8% |
| Alpha-Beta Ratio This ratio of alpha acids to beta acids determines how quickly bitterness fades during aging. Lower ratios are common for aromatic varieties. | 1:1 – 3:1 |
| Co-Humulone as a % of Alpha Higher numbers are said to impart a harsher bitterness. | Data Not Available |
| Total Oils (mL/100g) With more total oils, typically comes a more complex hop profile but these are highly volatile compounds. | 1mL – 2.5mL |
| Myrcene green, resinous | 65% – 68% |
| Humulene woody, piney | Data Not Available |
| Caryophyllene woody | Data Not Available |
| Farnesene floral | Data Not Available |
| Other Oils: Includes beta-ionine, beta-pinene, limonene, linalool, geranoil & selinene | 32% – 35% |
| Hop Storage Index (HSI) The HSI indicates the percent of alpha and beta acids lost after 6 months of storage at room temperature (68°F or 20°C). | Retains 72% of its alpha acid after 6 months of storage at 20ºC (68ºF). |
| Hop Storage Index (HSI) Rating | Good |
Belma Hop Substitutions
Replacing one hop for another is seldom straightforward but sometimes you don’t have the right hop or the right quantity of hops for the beer you want to make. For those situations, we have made a comprehensive list of hops to substitute on brew day.
These substitutions aren’t perfect as hop chemistry is pretty complex.
We wanted to make this list of substitutions with varietals that are easy to find when possible. For Belma, we recommend substituting with the following hops:
Beer Styles
For the most part, any hop could have a place in just about any beer style. Based on popular beers, historical usage, and our own preferences, we would recommend using Belma for IPA, New England IPA, Pale Ale, Wheat Beer, Golden Ale. That being said, experiment and see what works best for you.
References
https://www.hopslist.com/
https://www.ars.usda.gov/
https://www.brewersassociation.org/
https://www.barthhaasx.com/
https://www.yakimachief.com/
Hieronymus, Stan. For The Love of Hops. Brewers Publications, 2012
The Hop Aroma Compendium. 2012
