Big Brew Returns May 2 With Gold Medal Homebrew Recipes

Big Brew 2026 will give homebrewers something more useful than a date on the calendar: three proven recipes, each carrying a National Homebrew Competition gold medal and a different level of challenge at the kettle. George and Aaron’s Pre-Prohibition Porter, Monk’s Ration Trappist-Style Single and Dark Cellar Imperial Stout will headline the May 2 brew day, giving brewers a clear choice based on their setup, their yeast handling and how much time they want to spend waiting for beer to mature.

This will be the 38th Big Brew, and the American Homebrewers Association is using it the way members asked, with “MORE” beer instead of a single featured recipe. May 7 was proclaimed National Homebrew Day in 1988, and Big Brew has become the annual way to mark it. The official page also points brewers toward recipe library material, tutorials, local supply shops and club resources, so the event is built to turn into an actual brew day rather than a calendar reminder.

For most homebrewers, George and Aaron’s Pre-Prohibition Porter looks like the easiest on-ramp. George Schwab IV of Conway, Arkansas, and Aaron McFarland won gold with it in Category 14: American Porter and Stout at the 2018 National Homebrew Competition Final Round in Portland, Oregon, where it finished best of 288 entries. That kind of pedigree suggests balance, not gimmicks. It is the recipe to reach for if you want one kettle, a straightforward grain bill and a beer that should come together without demanding a full Belgian fermentation chamber or months of patience.

Monk’s Ration Trappist-Style Single is the smarter pick for brewers who trust yeast character and can hold fermentation steady. Phil LaFleur of Loveland, Colorado, a member of the Weiz Guys homebrew club, won gold in Category 24: Belgian Ale at the 2023 National Homebrew Competition Final Round in San Diego, out of 114 entries. A Trappist-style single rewards a clean finish, careful temperature control and a light touch with specialty malts, so it fits a brewer who wants a polished beer without jumping straight into a giant grist or a barrel-strength project.

Dark Cellar Imperial Stout is the heavy hitter. Joel McGormley of Zionsville, Indiana, won gold in Category 22: Imperial Porter & Stout at the 2024 National Homebrew Competition Final Round, and the AHA describes the beer as delivering big roast and chocolate flavors with pitch-black darkness. That makes it the best match for brewers comfortable with larger grain bills, long boil days and a longer wait in the cellar. The technique to watch is restraint in the roast so the chocolate stays rich instead of acrid.

The competition history behind these recipes matters. The National Homebrew Competition is the world’s largest amateur homebrew competition, drawing 2,974 entries in 2025 from 1,086 AHA members across 48 states, Washington, D.C., and 7 countries. Since 1979 in Boulder, Colorado, more than 169,000 entries have been judged. With Homebrew Con set for June 19-20 in Asheville and the final round on June 17-18, Big Brew will serve as the first real benchmark of the season, and these three gold medal recipes give homebrewers a head start.