Helderberg League Winning Recipes – 2025

Best Bitter

Sessionable, balanced, and endlessly drinkable. Toasty British malt, gentle caramel, and earthy-floral hops come together with a soft bitterness and dry finish. A brewer’s calibration beer – dial in mash, yeast character, and water profile to achieve that elusive pub-perfect pint.

Hazy IPA

Juicy, saturated hop character with a pillowy mouthfeel and low bitterness. Think tropical fruit, citrus, and stone fruit wrapped in a soft, opaque body. Ideal for mastering biotransformation, dry hopping regimes, and protein-rich grists – freshness and process control make this style shine.

Pre-prohibition Lager

A historical hybrid: crisp lager fermentation meets a grain bill often cut with corn for a lighter body and subtle sweetness. Firm bitterness balances the profile. Brew it to explore heritage techniques – adjunct mashing, classic American hops, and a snappy, refreshing finish.

Saison

Expressive, dry, and highly attenuated, with peppery phenolics and fruity esters dancing over a rustic malt base. Effervescent and refreshing despite complexity. A playground for yeast-driven character, temperature ramping, and creative grists – embrace variability and let the yeast lead.

Cherry Cider

Bright apple acidity layered with lush cherry character – tart, juicy, and refreshing. Light-bodied with a crisp finish and vibrant colour. Perfect for experimenting with fruit additions, fermentation timing, and balance between sweetness and acidity – an approachable yet nuanced alternative to beer.

Helderberg League Winning Recipes – 2024

Czech Premium Pale Lager

Soft, decoction-like malt depth meets spicy Saaz elegance in this ultra-balanced classic. Crisp yet rounded, with a firm bitterness and long, clean finish. A rewarding test of process precision, water chemistry, lagering, and patience, yields a beer that’s deceptively simple and endlessly refined.

SMASH American Pale Ale

A focused showcase of rich, biscuity Maris Otter and explosive Mosaic—think mango, pine, and citrus in high definition. Clean fermentation lets the hop shine while the malt adds depth. Perfect for dialling in hop timing and fermentation control with minimal variables, maximum flavour impact.

Chocolate Bourbon Pastry Stout

Indulgence dialled up: velvety dark malts layered with cacao, vanilla, and bourbon warmth. Full-bodied, sweet, and dessert-like, with a luxurious mouthfeel. Ideal for experimenting with adjuncts, barrel alternatives, and balancing richness without cloying – brew it bold and let it age into decadence.

British Golden Ale (with fruity hops)

Bright, easy-drinking, and quietly complex. A crisp golden base supports vibrant fruity hop notes, stone fruit, citrus, maybe a touch of berry, over a gentle malt backbone. A versatile canvas for modern UK hop expression, with quick turnaround and broad appeal.

Mixed-fermentation Sour

A terroir-driven project: local grains, South African hops, and ripe strawberries layered into a mixed-culture fermentation. Expect tart, funky complexity with evolving fruit character. Perfect for adventurous brewers keen to explore wild microbes, extended ageing, and uniquely South African flavour expression.

Helderberg League Winning Recipes – 2023

Saison

Paul Groenewald’s Saison recipe for February 2023

Sweet Stout

Neal de Kock’s Sweet Stout recipe for April 2023

Irish Red Ale

Hennie Groenewald’s Irish Red Ale recipe for June 2023

American IPA

Paul Groenewald’s American IPA recipe for September 2023

Belgian Dark Strong

Koos Bosman’s Wooded Belgian Dark Strong Ale for October 2023

Helderberg League Winning Recipes – 2022

English IPA

This winning recipe went on to win the Fools and Fans 2022 National Club Championship, due to its fantastic malt backbone, balanced with traditional English East Kent Gold and Fuggles hops and a clean English yeast profile.

Dark Mild

This winning recipe went on to an honorable mention in the low ABV comp at nationals.

Tropical Stout

A very dark, sweet, fruity, moderately strong ale with smooth roasty flavors without a burnt harshness.

California Common

Effervescent beer made by fermenting lager yeasts at warmer ale yeast temperature. Floral and spicy with a slight toasty malty aroma. Medium to full body with some toasty caramel notes.

Czech Amber Lager

Beautiful amber with white head, light malty nose, clean fermentation, well-balanced taste with light toasty notes. Easy drinking w/o being boring. A very enjoyable beer.