Dont Be Afraid of the Dark Homebrew Competition: Past Winners – AfraidOfTheDark2026
Thanks to all who participated in the Dont Be Afraid of the Dark Homebrew Competition.
There were 115 entries judged and 101 registered participants, judges, and stewards.
Best of Show Winners
Best of Show – Beer
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Guy Gallington | Ravens Flock | 21B2: Black IPA | Anglian Craft Brewers |
| 2nd | Chris Aplin | Nutty Slack | 16C: Tropical Stout | |
| 3rd | Mark Rink | Pass The Porter | 9C: Baltic Porter | Anglian Craft Brewers |
Winning Entries
Table 1: Strong Continental Beers (8 entries)
Table 2: Continental Beer (12 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Chris Cameron | The Beig | 8B: Schwarzbier | |
| 2nd | Dave Matthews | Round The Ragged Rauch, The Ragged Rascal Ran. | 6B: Rauchbier | Hereford Amateur Brewers |
| 3rd | Keith Bailey | Schwarz It | 8B: Schwarzbier | Anglian Craft Brewers |
| HM | Andrew Aitchison | Vikender | 3D: Czech Dark Lager | Scottish Craft Brewers |
Table 3: British Beers (20 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Rich Jones | Old Money | 14A: Scottish Light | Bristol Craft Brewers |
| 2nd | Keith Bailey | 1909 Porter | 13C: English Porter | Anglian Craft Brewers |
| 3rd | Elliott White | Toe Path | 13A: Dark Mild | Jersey Homebrewers |
Table 4: Black and Brown IPA (8 entries)
Table 5: Imperial Stouts (10 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Muhis Elwan Co-Brewer: Roope Ruuhonen | Deep Sleep | 20C: Imperial Stout | Panomaju |
| 2nd | Ian Benfell | Rumpy Pumpy | 20C: Imperial Stout | Barnsley Homebrew Club |
Table 6: American Ales (9 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Dan Turner Co-Brewer: Adam O'Neil | Hoiyahama | 19C: American Brown Ale | Jersey Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Paul Willis | Mountaineer Porter | 20A: American Porter | Homebrew Collab (Bristol) |
| 3rd | Richard Swindells | Whispers In The Wind | 20B: American Stout | Anglian Craft Brewers |
Table 7: Speciality Beers (9 entries)
Table 8: Belgian Beers (7 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Guy Asaert | Quadable | 26D: Belgian Dark Strong Ale | London Amateur Brewers |
| 2nd | Marc Hannewald | Titania | 23C: Oud Bruin | Norwich Amateur Brewers |
Table 9: Stouts (12 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Chris Aplin | Nutty Slack | 16C: Tropical Stout | |
| 2nd | Henri Rinta-Piirto | Oat Again | 16B: Oatmeal Stout | Panomaju |
| 3rd | Luke Russell | Orla's Original | 15B: Irish Stout | London Amateur Brewers |
Table 10: Strong British Beer (10 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Markku Leminen | Tasty Stuff | 17D: English Barley Wine | Panomaju |
| 2nd | Chris Aplin | The Hammer And The Thistle | 17B: Old Ale | |
| 3rd | Kevin Surridge-Dines | Moominpappa's Secret Stash... | 17A: British Strong Ale | Anglian Craft Brewers |
| HM | Mark Hopkins | Sir Ivor | 17D: English Barley Wine | London Amateur Brewers |
Table 11: Wood Aged Beers (10 entries)
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Past Winners
- 2024AllAmericanShowdown
- AfraidOfTheDark2026
Judging Sessions
Saturday Morning
22/11/2025 10:15, GMT.
Saturday Afternoon
22/11/2025 13:30, GMT.
Extra Session
20/11/2025 13:00, GMT.
Saturday Interim
21/11/2025 12:00, GMT.
Account Registration Closed
Account registrations accepted 15/06/2025 18:00, BST through 20/11/2025 13:00, GMT.
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.