SIBA Homebrew Beer Awards 2026

October 22, 2025| Barry Watts | Homebrew

Click here to enter the SIBA Homebrew Beer Awards 2026

Important Information:

• You must be a SIBA Homebrewer member to enter. You can join here
• Please read the competition detail below before submitting your entry form
• Closing date for registering Friday 23 January 2026

For the 2026 SIBA Homebrew Beer Awards, SIBA has joined forces with cutting edge hop merchants Charles Faram, The Malt Miller and Copper Beech Brew Co to get homebrewers’ hands on some new experimental British hops that are not yet commercially available.

The hops CF243 are reportedly offering flavours of orange peel, spearmint and intense honey. Still in their testing phase, SIBA homebrew members are challenged to brew a Single Mash and Single Hop (SMaSH) beer to bring out the unique flavours of this hop. Your feedback on how it performs will help decide the future plans for this new hop variety.

Courtesy of Charles Faram, each entrant will get 100g of the experimental hop via The Malt Miller and all you have to do is pay the postage and packaging. SIBA will provide each entrant with a code to use on The Malt Miller website which can be used to order the hops.

Copper Beech Brew Co will host the winner at their site in Worcester where you’ll get to use their 1400 litre brew kit to brew the beer on a commercial scale. The beer will then be packaged and available in their taproom.

Important Information – Please Read

The Beer Style

The Single Mash and Single Hop (SMaSH) beer can be any style you want but must only contain the experimental hop provided for free via The Malt Miller (postage and packaging costs apply) and one malt and yeast chosen by you with a target strength of 4-6% ABV.

Entrants must send 3x bottles or cans (any size). When sending your bottles or cans of beer in for judging you will also be asked to supply information on what style you have chosen (referencing the appropriate BJCP style), whether the beer is bottle conditioned, whether it is meant to be hazy and what the estimated or target abv is.

Entering

Please enter using the registration form, providing your details and agreeing to allow SIBA to share your details with The Malt Miller who will be sending you the hops. On registering you will be sent a code which can be used on The Malt Miller website. You’ll only have to pay postage and packaging and may wish to order other ingredients at the same time.

You must send 3 x bottles or cans (any size) to the collection point which must arrive by Friday 6 March 2026. 

Judging will take place at BeerX on Wednesday 18 March and all Homebrewer members get free entry to BeerX.

Click here to enter the SIBA Homebrew Beer Awards 2026

The prize

The winner will have the opportunity to brew the winning beer at Copper Beech Brew Co in Worcester during the summer of 2026. SIBA will cover hotel and travel for the winner to attend a day at Copper Beech. You’ll need to record and provide a copy of your recipe. The beer will be brewed and packaged and made available through the taproom.

National Homebrew Beer Awards 2026 Terms and Conditions

1. The National Homebrew Beer Awards 2026 is open to all SIBA Homebrewer members and only one entry is permitted per member in a given year.
2. SIBA Homebrewer members must complete a registration form to enter. The form must be completed between 22 October 2025 and by 23 January 2026 (midnight). Any entry that is late, incomplete or inappropriate will be deemed invalid at the discretion of SIBA.
3. SIBA takes no responsibility for any technical failures that may result in any entry being lost, broken in the post or not properly registered. No responsibility will be taken for damaged or lost entries.
4. This is restricted to 100 entries to be judged at BeerX 2026. At the discretion of the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) entries may be extended with initial judging take place at an earlier stage.
5. The Awards will be judged at BeerX by a panel of judges compiled by SIBA and include professional brewers using SIBA’s Beer Award style guide. Each entrant will receive via email judges’ feedback. The judges’ decision will be final.
6. All entries must be received at the collection point by 6 March 2026. Any received after this date will not be eligible for entry into the competition.
7. The names of winners will be published on the SIBA website and social media.
8. Any personal data submitted to SIBA will be processed in accordance with any applicable data protection legislation and SIBA’s Privacy Notice which is available at http://www.siba.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SIBA-Privacy-Notice-April-2018.pdf
9. Entrants agree for SIBA to share their details with The Malt Miller so that hops for the competition can be provided.
10. The overall winner will have the opportunity for their recipe to be brewed at a SIBA participating brewery, subject to approval of the brewer. Submitting an entry means that the entrant agrees to provide a copy of the recipe used to brew the beer in an eligible format and that SIBA and the SIBA participating brewery are licenced to use, change, brew and sell the beer made from the recipe.
11. SIBA reserves the right to replace the prize with alternative prizes of equal or higher value if necessary and to cancel, amend or suspend the competition, or any part of it (including these Terms and Conditions) as required by circumstances.
12. The winner will be announced at BeerX and notified by email by telephone or in writing (using the details provided at entry) and will be invited to arrange a brew day with the SIBA participating brewery. SIBA will not be liable for any failure or inability to contact a winner nor the brewers’ availability to attend a brew day on the dates provided.
13. SIBA cannot accept responsibility for or liability arising from entrants taking part in the competition. SIBA give no warranty or guarantee in relation to the prize and accept no responsibility or liability for the prizes being amended. To the fullest extent permitted by law, SIBA exclude liability for all loss, damage or claim arising as a result of a participant’s entry into the Competition or use of the prizes (save in the case of death or personal injury caused by the negligence of SIBA).
14. By entering the Competition, entrants agree to hold SIBA harmless for liability, damages or claims for injury or loss to any person or property, relating to, directly or indirectly, participation in this Competition, or claims based on publicity rights, third party intellectual property rights, defamation or invasion of privacy.
15. SIBA reserves the right to refuse entry or to refuse to award a prize to anyone in breach of the Rules.
16. These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law. Disputes arising in connection with this Competition shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
17. The promoter is the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA), Springfield Garage, Dallamires Lane, Ripon, HG4 1TT.

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