Homebrewers to get hands on with the latest experimental hops in this year’s Homebrew Beer Awards
Homebrewers have their chance to help decide the future of a new hop variety by entering this year’s National Homebrew Beer Awards which opens for registration today (22 October 2025).
The Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) has partnered with hop merchants Charles Faram to give homebrewers access to the latest experimental British hops called CF243. Early feedback shows it offers orange peel, spearmint and intense honey flavours. Entrants will have the chance to brew a Single Mash and Single Hop (SMaSH) beer with the new hops and provide valuable intelligence on how they perform.
“We have a pioneering hop development programme which breeds new unique varieties to find the next generation of hops,” explains Paul Corbett, Managing Director at Charles Faram. “We’re looking forward to placing some of these in the hands of homebrewers to see what they can do with them. Their feedback will be vital in determining the future of this new variety.”
The SIBA National Homebrew Beer Awards 2026 will give the winner the opportunity to scale up their recipe on Copper Beech Brewing Company’s 1,400 litre brew kit, with the beer being made available in their taproom.
“At Copper Beech we pride ourselves on using locally sourced ingredients and we’re really looking forward to trying out the latest cutting edge British hops and seeing what our innovative home brewers can make with them,” said Dan Lawson, Director at Copper Beech Brewing Company.
The competition is free for SIBA Homebrewer members and is now in its fourth year. It gives amateur brewers the chance to have their beers judged by the UK’s best professional brewers, sommeliers and experts at BeerX in Liverpool – the UK’s biggest beer and brewing trade event in March 2026.
“By entering the Awards you also get to join SIBA as a homebrewer member which gives you access to a range of opportunities to pursue your brewing aspirations,” said Barry Watts, Head of Public Affairs at SIBA. “We’re really fortunate to have the chance to access these special hops this year but also give homebrewers the opportunity to share their insights to develop them further.”
Homebrewers who have registered for the competition will be able to get hold of the experimental hops via The Malt Miller, with also have a wide range of ingredients available.
“The SIBA Awards not only give homebrewers the opportunity to put their skills to the test, but also to become part of the wider brewing community. We’re excited to see how they use these new hops, and their insights and experiences will be just as valuable to us all as the innovative beers they create,” said Robert Neale, Managing Director of The Malt Miller.
SIBA’s Homebrewer membership was launched in 2022 and is open to all amateur brewers across the UK who want to improve their brewing skills. Along with entry to the brand new Homebrew Beer Awards, membership includes a quarterly magazine with a dedicated home brew section edited by Andy Parker of Elusive Brew and access to SIBA’s brewing tools and advice as well as access to regional and national SIBA events and beer competition judging.
For more information on SIBA Homebrewer membership or to join please visit – http://www.siba.co.uk/homebrewer/
More information on the 2026 Homebrew Beer Awards can be found here – https://www.siba.co.uk/2025/10/22/siba-homebrew-beer-awards-2026/
