Charles Faram Experimental Hops in This Year’s UK Homebrew Beer Awards

Experimental hops from the Charles Faram Hop Development Programme have been chosen for the UK Homebrew competition.

Homebrewers have their chance to help decide the future of a new hop variety by entering this year’s SIBA competition. Entry into the Society of Independent Brewers National Homebrew Beer Awards opened on the 22nd October.

Article adapted from SIBA Homebrew Beer Awards press release.

Deciding the future of a new hop variety

The Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) has partnered with hop merchants Charles Faram to give UK homebrew experts and enthusiasts 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 Malt 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.”

How will the latest hops fare when upscaled?

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. After completing quality checks, the brewery will then release the finished beer in the Copper Beech 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. Competing gives amateur brewers the chance to have their beers judged by the UK’s best professional and experts at BeerX. This is the UK’s biggest beer and brewing trade event in March 2026.

Benefits besides being a pioneer in new hops and flavours

“By entering the Awards, you also get to join SIBA as a homebrewer member. The membership 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.”

Competition entrants will be able to get hold of the experimental hops via The Malt Miller.

“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. Membership is a great resource for those who want to improve their brewing skills. Besides entry to the brand new Homebrew Beer Awards, membership includes a quarterly magazine. Inside the magazine, there is a dedicated home brew section edited by Andy Parker of Elusive Brew. In addition, members also get access to SIBA’s brewing tools and advice, and access to SIBA events and beer judging.