17th Annual ESB Home Brew Competition 2026
Thanks to all who participated in the 17th Annual ESB Home Brew Competition 2026.
There were 82 entries judged and 41 registered participants, judges, and stewards.
Best of Show Winners
Best of Show – Beer
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Barry Cranston | RIS | 20C: Imperial Stout | Extra Special Brewers (ESB) [Australia] |
Best Brewer (28 Participating Brewers)
| Place | Brewer | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Score | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Arron Stephenson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10.02 | Flat Rock Brew Club |
| 2nd | Richard Geneave | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8.02 | |
| Matt Reed | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8.02 | Extra Special Brewers (ESB) [Australia] |
Scores and tie-breakers have been applied in accordance with the scoring methodology. Numbers reflected are rounded to the hundredth place. Hover over or tap the question mark icon () for the actual calculated value.
Best Club (9 Participating Clubs)
| Place | Club | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Extra Special Brewers (ESB) [Australia] | 2 | 3 | 2 | 21.07 |
| 2nd | Flat Rock Brew Club | 3 | 2 | 0 | 21.05 |
| 3rd | Northern Rivers Brew Club | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.01 |
| Bayside Brewers [Australia] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.01 |
Scores and tie-breakers have been applied in accordance with the scoring methodology. Numbers reflected are rounded to the hundredth place. Hover over or tap the question mark icon () for the actual calculated value.
Winning Entries
Table 1: Pale Lager - Sponsored by BeerCo (10 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Mark Davis MHP | Too Helles To Handle | 5C: German Helles Exportbier | Northern Rivers Brew Club |
| 2nd | Ian Mooney | Czech Premium Lager | 3B: Czech Premium Pale Lager | Extra Special Brewers (ESB) [Australia] |
| 3rd | Shinji Ogasawara | Hide Shine | 5D: German Pils | Mad House Brewing International |
Table 2: Amber & Dark Lager - Sponsored by Mogwai Labs (10 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Arron Stephenson | Dagobah Dunkel | 8A: Munich Dunkel | Flat Rock Brew Club |
| 2nd | Sebastian Pilz | Schwarz Bier | 8B: Schwarzbier | Extra Special Brewers (ESB) [Australia] |
| 3rd | Barry Cranston | Frank's Bock | 6C: Dunkels Bock | Extra Special Brewers (ESB) [Australia] |
Table 3: Pale Ale - Sponsored by Dad & Dave's (17 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Richard Geneave | Krushed It Ale | 18B: American Pale Ale | |
| 2nd | Richard Geneave | IPA | 21A: American IPA | |
| 3rd | Julian Chan | Cryo Me A River | 21A: American IPA | Inner Sydney Brewers (ISB) [Australia] |
Table 4: Amber & Brown Ales - Sponsored by Lallemand (6 entries)
Table 5: Porter & Stout - Sponsored by Grainmother (17 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Barry Cranston | RIS | 20C: Imperial Stout | Extra Special Brewers (ESB) [Australia] |
| 2nd | Tim Walker | Choc Stout | 16A: Sweet Stout | |
| 3rd | David Tetley | America, The Hoppy | 20B: American Stout | Extra Special Brewers (ESB) [Australia] |
Table 6: Belgian & Sour - Brewman (9 entries)
Past Winners
Judging Sessions
Club Rivers - Morning
25/07/2026 10:00, AEST.
Club Rivers - Afternoon
25/07/2026 13:00, AEST.
Account Registration Closed
Account registrations accepted 01/06/2026 10:00, AEST through 25/07/2026 10:00, AEST.
Registrations for judges or stewards accepted 01/06/2026 10:00, AEST through 25/07/2026 17:00, AEST.
Entry Registration Closed
Entry Drop-Off Closed
Please pay attention to the notes provided for each drop-off location. There could be earlier deadlines for some drop-off locations listed, particular hours when entries are accepted, certain individuals to leave your entries with, etc. All entrants are responsible for reading the information provided by the organizers for each drop-off location.