2025 Homebrew Highlights

It feels a bit wild to be writing another yearly highlights post - I've been brewing for nearly nine years now! As has become my Christmas tradition, here are some of the stand‑out batches, lessons learned, and new experiments that defined my brewing year.

Favourite Batch

My favourite batch this year has to be a Doppelbock that I've now brewed twice this year. Amongst my mates, it was a clear favourite and people kept on coming back for more. The keg kicked so fast that I just had to brew it again!

The other great thing about it was that it was a perfect winter warmer clocking in at around 6.6% ABV. Brewed with Munich malts, Maris Otter, Vienna and Honey - it's a rich, malty glass of pure delight. It was also my first foray into using Novalager yeast from Lallemand. The idea with this yeast is that you can ferment it slightly warmer than traditional lager yeasts with no off flavours and a faster turn around time. I was definitely impressed so far.

Most Fun New Style/Recipe to Try

The beer that I had the most fun brewing this year was my Saison brewed with Fonio grains. This ancient West African grain is not only sustainable and fast-growing, but it also doesn’t require milling and is said to impart Sauvignon Blanc-like flavours - crisp, fruity, and slightly herbal. What surprised me most was how easy it was to work with. No milling, quick gelatinisation, and it contributed a beautiful golden colour.

If you'd like to learn more about this beer, please head over to this link.

Best Technique Added to Repertoire

While it's not exactly beer, this year I have been experimenting with making wine. Fortunately, most of the equipment required is the same as brewing and I've also found that a lot of the techniques are similar. Wine yeast seems to behave in a different way to beer (to me at least!) and the whole process takes a lot more patience. The fermentation and conditioning times are months vs weeks.

This year I made a Chardonnay which turned out amazing - I was not expecting it to be so good! As I write this, I also have a red wine in the fermenter that I plan to bottle in 2026. Wine has taught me patience in a way beer rarely does.

Best Ingredients Added to Repertoire

One ingredient that really stood out for me this year was fonio. I’d experimented with it in my Saison, but working with it more closely really opened my eyes to how unique this ancient grain can be in brewing.

What surprised me most was how efficiently it behaved in the mash and how much character it brought to the wort. Fonio contributed a beautiful golden colour, a light grainy sweetness, and a gentle, almost wine-like fruitiness that I wasn’t expecting. For something so tiny and easy to handle, it added a ton of depth and personality to the final beer.

It’s definitely an ingredient I’ll be brewing with again, and I’m already thinking about how it might pair with other expressive yeasts or hop varieties in future recipes.

Favourite Book(s)

I read a handful of brewing books this year, but if I’m honest, none of them stood out enough to claim the “favourite” spot. What did surprise me, though, was how much value I found outside of traditional books.

One resource that really made an impact was the Quality-Focused Pro Brewers Podcast by Hendo. It’s not your typical homebrewing content - Hendo dives deep into the technical and quality‑control side of professional brewing. Topics like dissolved oxygen, yeast health, sensory evaluation, and process control are covered in a way that’s both approachable and packed with practical takeaways.

I’ve learned a ton from listening this year, and it’s genuinely helped me level up my understanding of brewing quality. If you’re the kind of brewer who likes going beyond “just follow the recipe,” I’d definitely recommend giving it a listen.

Overall Stats

This year I managed to brew 15 times which is slightly up from last year. My focus on brewing has been on quality this year and to be honest, I haven't branched out much into styles that I am not familiar with. Most of my focus has been on perfecting or dialling in styles that I have brewed before.

For 2026, I am also planning on entering a few more brewing competitions. I've entered in the past without ever winning - who knows, 2026 might be my year 😆

Cheers to brewing in 2025 and I hope you have a great 2026 🍻