Saudi Ceramic Company said net profit rose 17% against the same period last year, though fell by the same margin against the second quarter.
The country’s biggest supplier of tiles, porcelain and bathroom fixtures made SAR 54.2m ($14.45m) after tax between July and September, up 17.3% against the SAR 46.2m ($12.31m) posted last year. Gross and operating profits rose 19% and 15% respectively as production efficiency improved at its Riyadh facilities. The company has also opened new production lines in this time and expanded its international network of sales.
“These positive results and increases of the third quarter of 2011 compared with the same period of the last year reflect the company’s ability in sales and production as well since the new factories started the production.”
Net profit for the first three quarters of 2011 rose 10% against last year – SAR 179.5m ($147.856m) from SAR 162.5m ($43.32m) – with gross and operating profits rising 16% and 14% respectively.
Saudi Ceramic Company has benefitted from the higher levels of construction activity in Saudi Arabia, including the hotel projects in the country’s major cities and the thousands of homes under construction across the country.
This year the company has expanded its operations. In January the company test-ran a new pipe-making facility that it is running in conjunction with a subsidiary, Ceramic Pipe Company. In September, it completed the construction of its fourth tile factory, boosting the total capcity to 52m2 and adding an estimated SAR 150m ($40m) to revenue.
Earlier this month, the company said it is planning a second factory that will produce bathroom fixtures, investing SAR 120m ($32m) in the first phase out of the company’s own cash flow from the Saudi Industrial Development Fund and commercial banks. The new factory is estimated to contribute SAR 75m to revenues when at full capacity.
2011年10月13日星期四
2011年10月12日星期三
The biggest problem with tile floors? The grout
Tile floors have been the standard for luxury installations for more than 2,000 years. But in the last decade, in particular, new materials and building techniques are challenging this method, because of both appearance and long-term performance.
First, let's talk about the biggest problem with tile floors. They have three main weaknesses: grout, grout and grout. Grout is integral to tiling floors, and while there is nothing wrong with the product itself, it has some inherent weaknesses in how we use it in our modern homes.
Modern-house floor construction (with smaller-dimension lumber and greater spacing between supports) is more flexible than you'll find in older homes. If you compare a new 2 x 6 versus a 2 x 6 from 50 years ago, you will see a big difference. In places where framing was once spaced 16 inches on centre, now it's common to see them spaced 24 inches on centre. All of this adds up to a framed house that has more "give" in it. Structurally speaking, the frame is still strong enough to do the job, but this added flexibility doesn't take into consideration the effect it has on a tile floor. That flex will cause grout to crack.
However, ceramic, porcelain, slate, and other types of floor tile require absolute rigidity in their support. One of the biggest complaints from new homebuyers is cracking floor grout. The builders are diligent in coming back and repairing the grout during the warrantee period, but the reason for the cracking grout has not been addressed. Without addressing the frame flex, the cracked grout will more than likely return over time.
Depending on the situation, the fix can be as simple as adding more blocking to the floor joists directly under the tile floor. This works where there are small areas, such as a powder room or front entrance. For areas where there is more tile coverage over a greater span, the joists may need to be laminated, or doubled up, in order to reduce the floor flex.
I think many people are drawn to a tile and grout floor because of its lasting durability, over alternative flooring systems. But durability depends on investing in high-quality materials. One option is the use of a decoupling membrane, such as the orange waffle sheets I recommend, which will allow for the flex. But these products aren't cheap, and many people don't want to spend the money for something they can't see. The smart money isn't spent properly.
There's another tile floor product that causes a lot of grief: the material that bonds the tile to the floor. The product I use is called Thinset. It comes in powder form and there is a big cost difference between cheap, low-quality product that doesn't adhere well over time, and expensive product that has excellent adhesion, and durability. Ultimately, the difference is in the longevity: The cheap stuff only performs for a few years and the expensive stuff can last a lifetime.
Since builders and contractors don't have any vested interest in seeing your tile floor last a lifetime, only a few invest on your behalf in buying the high-quality Thinset.
And when it comes to the DIY crowd, I'm never surprised when I'm at a big-box store and the shelf with the cheap product is always almost empty, while sitting on the shelf right beside it is the expensive product. I don't have to tell you that it's stocked full. Even when homeowners have the choice, they still opt for the cheap stuff without understanding the consequence of their decision.
If you've ever dropped anything hard, such as a cooking pot, on a tiled kitchen floor, you'll know the tile or gout it hits can crack or chip. That's one reason vinyl floors are so popular for kitchens: They're more forgiving. But vinyl flooring doesn't look like tile.
But now you can buy a peel-and-stick vinyl tile product that you can put grout in between in order to make it look like real tile, without the expense. Not a good idea. I would like to remind everyone that "crap plus crap equals crap".
Grout depends on rigidity and good adhesion, and grout also needs to be a certain thickness to gain its maximum strength. If you look at the sides of a ceramic or porcelain tile, you will notice it has a certain thickness to it and the sides are left unfinished. This is so the grout can better stick to the edges of the tile and enough of the product gets down in between the tile to give it some strength.
A groutable vinyl tile is just half the thickness, and because the vinyl tile has rounded edges, there's even less space for the material to work itself in between. This is not a good situation.
First, let's talk about the biggest problem with tile floors. They have three main weaknesses: grout, grout and grout. Grout is integral to tiling floors, and while there is nothing wrong with the product itself, it has some inherent weaknesses in how we use it in our modern homes.
Modern-house floor construction (with smaller-dimension lumber and greater spacing between supports) is more flexible than you'll find in older homes. If you compare a new 2 x 6 versus a 2 x 6 from 50 years ago, you will see a big difference. In places where framing was once spaced 16 inches on centre, now it's common to see them spaced 24 inches on centre. All of this adds up to a framed house that has more "give" in it. Structurally speaking, the frame is still strong enough to do the job, but this added flexibility doesn't take into consideration the effect it has on a tile floor. That flex will cause grout to crack.
However, ceramic, porcelain, slate, and other types of floor tile require absolute rigidity in their support. One of the biggest complaints from new homebuyers is cracking floor grout. The builders are diligent in coming back and repairing the grout during the warrantee period, but the reason for the cracking grout has not been addressed. Without addressing the frame flex, the cracked grout will more than likely return over time.
Depending on the situation, the fix can be as simple as adding more blocking to the floor joists directly under the tile floor. This works where there are small areas, such as a powder room or front entrance. For areas where there is more tile coverage over a greater span, the joists may need to be laminated, or doubled up, in order to reduce the floor flex.
I think many people are drawn to a tile and grout floor because of its lasting durability, over alternative flooring systems. But durability depends on investing in high-quality materials. One option is the use of a decoupling membrane, such as the orange waffle sheets I recommend, which will allow for the flex. But these products aren't cheap, and many people don't want to spend the money for something they can't see. The smart money isn't spent properly.
There's another tile floor product that causes a lot of grief: the material that bonds the tile to the floor. The product I use is called Thinset. It comes in powder form and there is a big cost difference between cheap, low-quality product that doesn't adhere well over time, and expensive product that has excellent adhesion, and durability. Ultimately, the difference is in the longevity: The cheap stuff only performs for a few years and the expensive stuff can last a lifetime.
Since builders and contractors don't have any vested interest in seeing your tile floor last a lifetime, only a few invest on your behalf in buying the high-quality Thinset.
And when it comes to the DIY crowd, I'm never surprised when I'm at a big-box store and the shelf with the cheap product is always almost empty, while sitting on the shelf right beside it is the expensive product. I don't have to tell you that it's stocked full. Even when homeowners have the choice, they still opt for the cheap stuff without understanding the consequence of their decision.
If you've ever dropped anything hard, such as a cooking pot, on a tiled kitchen floor, you'll know the tile or gout it hits can crack or chip. That's one reason vinyl floors are so popular for kitchens: They're more forgiving. But vinyl flooring doesn't look like tile.
But now you can buy a peel-and-stick vinyl tile product that you can put grout in between in order to make it look like real tile, without the expense. Not a good idea. I would like to remind everyone that "crap plus crap equals crap".
Grout depends on rigidity and good adhesion, and grout also needs to be a certain thickness to gain its maximum strength. If you look at the sides of a ceramic or porcelain tile, you will notice it has a certain thickness to it and the sides are left unfinished. This is so the grout can better stick to the edges of the tile and enough of the product gets down in between the tile to give it some strength.
A groutable vinyl tile is just half the thickness, and because the vinyl tile has rounded edges, there's even less space for the material to work itself in between. This is not a good situation.
2011年10月11日星期二
Home appeared on Property Brothers and Decked Out
One night last December, Raun Kaul was on Facebook and saw an ad for a new W Network renovation show called Property Brothers. He clicked on the ad and read what the show’s producers were looking for. “We fit their description to a T,” Mr. Kaul says. “I sent them an email and they responded right away. We were accepted.”
Mr. Kaul and his wife, Jasprit, got possession of their house on Jan. 7, and filming of the renovation began the next week. It was a three-week process with a reveal date of Jan. 31 and an air date of March 31. Things moved quickly.
The Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott, renovated four rooms. “We worked closely with the designer and were pleased with the result. We hired the same contractor and designer from the show to complete the house,” he says.
The best features of the house are the red oak open staircase, custom-made German tilt-and-turn windows and a modern fireplace, says Mr. Kaul of Re/Max 2000 Realty, who has co-listed the property with Mark Ianni. The windows are “not only incredible for sound but they keep the house cool in summer and warm in winter. They’re functional as well for cleaning,” Mr. Kaul says.
The chef’s kitchen has a white island and a walkout to a deck. Custom built-ins and custom blinds in the living room, Italian ceramic tile floors in the dining room and built-in closets in the master bedroom are highlights. The bathrooms have floating Philippe Starck toilets and pocket doors.
When filming of the Property Brothers wrapped, that was not the end of their renovation story. “The director of our episode of Property Brothers became a friend. Over the summer he was recruited to another production company and became director of the new HGTV show Decked Out. He thought our deck would be perfect for the show.”
Mr. Raul says he and his wife wanted a “very cool, chic Miami-vibe deck that was an extension of their indoor living space. We loved the white, the stainless steel and the color of our indoor hardwood and [host] Paul Lafrance was able to design an incredible deck that included those features outdoors and much more,” he says.
The 360-square-foot deck has a custom 12-person cabana that has built-in seating and a remote-control awning. The cabana is wired for surround sound and satellite television. A 13×8-foot custom pergola has a remote control awning.
“At night, the deck comes alive with over 95 LED lights, Mr. Kaul says. Stainless steel panelled walls along with custom stone veneer panelled walls are other deck highlights.
Mr. Kaul and his wife, Jasprit, got possession of their house on Jan. 7, and filming of the renovation began the next week. It was a three-week process with a reveal date of Jan. 31 and an air date of March 31. Things moved quickly.
The Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott, renovated four rooms. “We worked closely with the designer and were pleased with the result. We hired the same contractor and designer from the show to complete the house,” he says.
The best features of the house are the red oak open staircase, custom-made German tilt-and-turn windows and a modern fireplace, says Mr. Kaul of Re/Max 2000 Realty, who has co-listed the property with Mark Ianni. The windows are “not only incredible for sound but they keep the house cool in summer and warm in winter. They’re functional as well for cleaning,” Mr. Kaul says.
The chef’s kitchen has a white island and a walkout to a deck. Custom built-ins and custom blinds in the living room, Italian ceramic tile floors in the dining room and built-in closets in the master bedroom are highlights. The bathrooms have floating Philippe Starck toilets and pocket doors.
When filming of the Property Brothers wrapped, that was not the end of their renovation story. “The director of our episode of Property Brothers became a friend. Over the summer he was recruited to another production company and became director of the new HGTV show Decked Out. He thought our deck would be perfect for the show.”
Mr. Raul says he and his wife wanted a “very cool, chic Miami-vibe deck that was an extension of their indoor living space. We loved the white, the stainless steel and the color of our indoor hardwood and [host] Paul Lafrance was able to design an incredible deck that included those features outdoors and much more,” he says.
The 360-square-foot deck has a custom 12-person cabana that has built-in seating and a remote-control awning. The cabana is wired for surround sound and satellite television. A 13×8-foot custom pergola has a remote control awning.
“At night, the deck comes alive with over 95 LED lights, Mr. Kaul says. Stainless steel panelled walls along with custom stone veneer panelled walls are other deck highlights.
2011年10月10日星期一
Stoke-on-Trent children to create 2012 'wonderwall'
Children in Stoke-on-Trent are being challenged to design their own ceramic tile - to become a permanent reminder of the London 2012 Olympics.
An Olympic themed "wonderwall" will be put together as a piece of art using the winning tiles.
Designs can be created using computer graphics, digital photography, line drawing and painting.
And the council wants every child in Stoke-on-Trent to think about what the Olympic Games means for them.
Images will be on show in a temporary exhibition to coincide with the 2012 Games before the creation of the permanent work.
The winning designs will be hand painted onto tiles by artists from Anita Harris Art Pottery.
The competition is open to all children, schools, colleges and youth organisations.
Tile designs must be on a piece of paper or card sized 30cm by 20cm and entries need to be returned by 9 December this year.
Cabinet member for children's services Debra Gratton said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for our young people to create something unique and everlasting for an event in this country which may never come again in our lifetime.
"I'm looking forward to seeing the winning entries and potentially unearthing some more untapped artistic talent."
The locations for the temporary exhibition in Stoke-on-Trent and Cheshire and the permanent piece of public art for the city have not been decided.
An Olympic themed "wonderwall" will be put together as a piece of art using the winning tiles.
Designs can be created using computer graphics, digital photography, line drawing and painting.
And the council wants every child in Stoke-on-Trent to think about what the Olympic Games means for them.
Images will be on show in a temporary exhibition to coincide with the 2012 Games before the creation of the permanent work.
The winning designs will be hand painted onto tiles by artists from Anita Harris Art Pottery.
The competition is open to all children, schools, colleges and youth organisations.
Tile designs must be on a piece of paper or card sized 30cm by 20cm and entries need to be returned by 9 December this year.
Cabinet member for children's services Debra Gratton said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for our young people to create something unique and everlasting for an event in this country which may never come again in our lifetime.
"I'm looking forward to seeing the winning entries and potentially unearthing some more untapped artistic talent."
The locations for the temporary exhibition in Stoke-on-Trent and Cheshire and the permanent piece of public art for the city have not been decided.
2011年10月9日星期日
Home repair: Best flooring for a sunroom
The 16½-by-14-foot sunroom at the west end of my house is floored with stick-on tiles over plywood, probably lauan, placed over thick planks that were the original flooring. The stick-on tiles are peeling up and breaking. I’ve wondered if the new flooring was put down because the previous owner thought the gaps between the boards were too big. Sun pours in through the windows much of the day on two sides (a maple shades the third windowed side), so I think heat is the problem.
The sunroom isn’t heated in winter. Last year, we put fiberglass insulation under the floor and nailed black building board under that. The porch siding is now Hardie fiber-cement board from the ground up to the windows. There is insulation between the studs, and the inside walls are covered with bead-board-effect wood sheets. All gaps were sealed (no cluster flies or other bugs this year). The ceiling is aluminum strips that look like boards, with no insulation above. The windows slide open to expose screens, and there’s a ceiling fan.
I’d like to remove the ceiling and just paint the support structure and underside of the roof to decrease the summer heat in the room and for the spacious effect. I don’t use the room much in the winter, and I doubt this would affect the rest of the house enough to raise heating bills noticeably.
The problem is, what about flooring? My contractor wants to take up thetile and paint the plywood, which he thinks is nailed down, but I doubt it will wear well, and I don’t think it would look particularly nice.
I’d prefer to take up the plywood, grout between the boards if necessary, and use porch paint on them. Laminate flooring that mimics wood might not survive the heat and sun of summer. I don’t want carpet, because after seeing the dirty throw rugs, I’d think of it as a grime deposit. A flooring rep told me I’d have to use expensiveceramic or porcelain tile because the room’s unheated in winter and sun-beaten in the summer.
Aside from the expense, the depth oftile , or another layer of real wood planks, would interfere with opening the door to the outside. But is sheet vinyl an option? What about linoleum tile , or bamboo flooring? Or are there other options that won’t break the bank? This room is also the main entry to the house, so it does get foot traffic, including a large dog.
I like seeing the view from the sunroom through the window wall of the room to which it’s attached, so putting blinds on the large expanse of windows in the sunroom isn’t an option, plus opening and closing them daily would be a chore.
A: I am not clear about something. Is the roof of the sunroom all glass? If it is, why the aluminum strips? And if it is glass, I am not sure that just painting it is going to reduce the heat in the summer. An effective shield is one of the 3M films. A shade shop may also suggest a gray shade that would lessen the heat gain but that you could see through.
I agree with you that the lauan plywood would not be a great surface for heavy traffic. Once the lauan plywood is removed, you may be surprised to find that the original boards are OK, but if there are spaces between them, the way to tackle those will vary with the size of the cracks.
If you remove the lauan plywood, which is probably ¼- inch thick, will that give you enough room for an engineered or bamboo floor? I would think that either of those would stand up to the stresses of high heat and sun exposure.Ceramic or quarry tiles would be a great option, and they are ¼-inch thick, whereas wood flooring is 5/8 inch or more.
The sunroom isn’t heated in winter. Last year, we put fiberglass insulation under the floor and nailed black building board under that. The porch siding is now Hardie fiber-cement board from the ground up to the windows. There is insulation between the studs, and the inside walls are covered with bead-board-effect wood sheets. All gaps were sealed (no cluster flies or other bugs this year). The ceiling is aluminum strips that look like boards, with no insulation above. The windows slide open to expose screens, and there’s a ceiling fan.
I’d like to remove the ceiling and just paint the support structure and underside of the roof to decrease the summer heat in the room and for the spacious effect. I don’t use the room much in the winter, and I doubt this would affect the rest of the house enough to raise heating bills noticeably.
The problem is, what about flooring? My contractor wants to take up the
I’d prefer to take up the plywood, grout between the boards if necessary, and use porch paint on them. Laminate flooring that mimics wood might not survive the heat and sun of summer. I don’t want carpet, because after seeing the dirty throw rugs, I’d think of it as a grime deposit. A flooring rep told me I’d have to use expensive
Aside from the expense, the depth of
I like seeing the view from the sunroom through the window wall of the room to which it’s attached, so putting blinds on the large expanse of windows in the sunroom isn’t an option, plus opening and closing them daily would be a chore.
A: I am not clear about something. Is the roof of the sunroom all glass? If it is, why the aluminum strips? And if it is glass, I am not sure that just painting it is going to reduce the heat in the summer. An effective shield is one of the 3M films. A shade shop may also suggest a gray shade that would lessen the heat gain but that you could see through.
I agree with you that the lauan plywood would not be a great surface for heavy traffic. Once the lauan plywood is removed, you may be surprised to find that the original boards are OK, but if there are spaces between them, the way to tackle those will vary with the size of the cracks.
If you remove the lauan plywood, which is probably ¼- inch thick, will that give you enough room for an engineered or bamboo floor? I would think that either of those would stand up to the stresses of high heat and sun exposure.
2011年10月8日星期六
Warming to idea of in-floor heating
The London Home Builders' Association hosted the annual Parade of Renovations last weekend in London.
The event was an opportunity for the public to view some of the amazing work done during the last year by RenoMark Certified renovators who showcased the innovative products and technologies available for homes.
Of particular interest to me were the number of homes that utilized in-floor heating systems to complement or replace the conventional forced-air heating system.
Once considered exclusive, expensive and overly complicated, this technology has become commonplace in the residential housing market for good reason. It's relatively easy to install for professionals, it's extremely economical to operate, and it can be used in the smallest of areas, or throughout the entire house, making it one of the most flexible and versatile home heating choices available.
In-floor heating also has many attractive features not available with any other type of forced-air system. It does not require ductwork, and therefore will not require bulkheads in a finished basement ceiling. Because there is no air being forced through a duct and register, there is no noise from moving air, and it's less dusty, making it perfect for allergy sufferers.
There are two main types of in-floor heating: electric, typically used in a small area such as a bathroom and to complement a forced-air heating system; and liquid systems that pump warmed liquid through a closed loop.
Most hydronic in-floor heat systems work on the thermal mass principle, where a dense material such as concrete or gypsum is heated by pipes passing through or under it. Hydronic systems also work well with geothermal and solar, making in-floor heating an environmentally conscious choice. The dense material can be finished on its own but is usually covered with other dense materials such as ceramic tile.
Although in-floor heating is often referred to as radiant heat, it actually uses radiation, convection and conduction in harmony to warm the floor, the air and your body.
In a nutshell, heat radiates from the floor to the air, or from an area of higher heat to lower heat. That's the radiant part.
The warmed air rises, warming the whole room from the bottom up. That's the convection part.
Last, the floor surface is as warm or warmer than our body temperature, and therefore prevents us from losing body heat through conduction, or "touching" a cold surface. This is what makes the floors so comfortable to walk on.
In-floor heating also provides a consistent and controlled temperature, unlike a conventional forced-air system where air temperature is measured by a thermostat at a single location. The thermostat doesn't consider that bedrooms or living areas can feel warmer or cooler depending on our activity level.
Furthermore, thermostats are designed to detect when the temperature has cooled off enough for the furnace to come on, but this can sometimes be up to three degrees cooler than the preferred temperature. This cycle of heating up and cooling off combined with cool and overly warm areas may result in occupant discomfort.
In-floor heat is set to a consistent monitored temperature that never varies. Even in the event of a power blackout, the thermal mass of the floor would hold the heat for a long time before it would cool off.
In-floor heat is ideal for garages, workshops and even patios, making it perfect for hobbyists and outdoor enthusiasts alike. It's also ideal for foyers, mudrooms and bathrooms because wet floors dry on their own almost instantly.
The event was an opportunity for the public to view some of the amazing work done during the last year by RenoMark Certified renovators who showcased the innovative products and technologies available for homes.
Of particular interest to me were the number of homes that utilized in-floor heating systems to complement or replace the conventional forced-air heating system.
Once considered exclusive, expensive and overly complicated, this technology has become commonplace in the residential housing market for good reason. It's relatively easy to install for professionals, it's extremely economical to operate, and it can be used in the smallest of areas, or throughout the entire house, making it one of the most flexible and versatile home heating choices available.
In-floor heating also has many attractive features not available with any other type of forced-air system. It does not require ductwork, and therefore will not require bulkheads in a finished basement ceiling. Because there is no air being forced through a duct and register, there is no noise from moving air, and it's less dusty, making it perfect for allergy sufferers.
There are two main types of in-floor heating: electric, typically used in a small area such as a bathroom and to complement a forced-air heating system; and liquid systems that pump warmed liquid through a closed loop.
Most hydronic in-floor heat systems work on the thermal mass principle, where a dense material such as concrete or gypsum is heated by pipes passing through or under it. Hydronic systems also work well with geothermal and solar, making in-floor heating an environmentally conscious choice. The dense material can be finished on its own but is usually covered with other dense materials such as ceramic tile.
Although in-floor heating is often referred to as radiant heat, it actually uses radiation, convection and conduction in harmony to warm the floor, the air and your body.
In a nutshell, heat radiates from the floor to the air, or from an area of higher heat to lower heat. That's the radiant part.
The warmed air rises, warming the whole room from the bottom up. That's the convection part.
Last, the floor surface is as warm or warmer than our body temperature, and therefore prevents us from losing body heat through conduction, or "touching" a cold surface. This is what makes the floors so comfortable to walk on.
In-floor heating also provides a consistent and controlled temperature, unlike a conventional forced-air system where air temperature is measured by a thermostat at a single location. The thermostat doesn't consider that bedrooms or living areas can feel warmer or cooler depending on our activity level.
Furthermore, thermostats are designed to detect when the temperature has cooled off enough for the furnace to come on, but this can sometimes be up to three degrees cooler than the preferred temperature. This cycle of heating up and cooling off combined with cool and overly warm areas may result in occupant discomfort.
In-floor heat is set to a consistent monitored temperature that never varies. Even in the event of a power blackout, the thermal mass of the floor would hold the heat for a long time before it would cool off.
In-floor heat is ideal for garages, workshops and even patios, making it perfect for hobbyists and outdoor enthusiasts alike. It's also ideal for foyers, mudrooms and bathrooms because wet floors dry on their own almost instantly.
2011年10月7日星期五
The Great American Beer Festival
The Oxford Companion to Beer in hand, I took off for three days at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver last week. This beer-lovers Mecca boasts the largest collection of American beer ever served, its popularity growing with each passing year. In 1982, the festival’s first year, there were 800 attendees in a 5,000 square foot festival hall. This year’s festival sold out 50,000 tickets in the first week tickets went on sale. A small pavilion at the back of the convention center recreated the layout of the original 1982 festival for this year’s GABF 30th anniversary, and looking at that modest room against the backdrop of the Denver Convention Center was like looking at a tiny ceramic tile within an extensive mosaic. In 1982 Charlie Papazian, a legend in the beer world, chose a rather audacious name for the festival he founded. But that name has proved visionary in 2011.
So who are these hordes who flock to Denver for GABF each year? Mostly hardcore beer fans, of course, and there are many of them. One gauge might be to look at the number of homebrewers in the country. The American Homebrewers Association estimated that there were around 750,000 active American homebrewers in 2010. I asked a few individuals if they had anything fermenting back home, and heard everything from honey porters to seasonal spiced and pumpkin ales. The strangest answer was from a man brewing a lager using 7Up as a sugar source. He claimed it was a big hit with his friends.
Not everyone at the GABF was a professional or amateur brewer, but everyone was passionate about beer, and that passion manifested itself inventive ways. At the first session I attended on Thursday, I saw a group of men waiting in line dressed in Where’s Waldo outfits. I entered the floor to find a bevy of costumed attendees. There were lederhosen and kilts, of course, and beer maids in traditional Bavarian attire. But there were also more unusual beer garments. “Hop heads” wore rubber hop cones on their heads, or laurels made from hop vines. Three men wore cut-outs of actual kegs around their waists. There were the sillier costumes that had no discernible connection to beer, but contributed to GABF’s celebratory atmosphere. A group of grown men wore white bathrobes. A convincing Charlie Chaplin tapped his cane and tipped his top hat for photographs. Tigger the Tiger bounced about beside a group of twenty-somethings dressed as monks. Halloween came early for me this year.
But for all there was to see at GABF, it was the beer that took center stage. Try a flight of beers at a good beer bar, or drink a few beers from a well-stocked refrigerator, and you get some variety. It is another thing entirely to walk about the GABF floor armed with a single ounce plastic tasting glass, sipping 30 or 40 beers in a session. It was a bit like the first time I visited the Boston Aquarium as a child. I thought I had a pretty good handle on fish, but when I went to the aquarium and saw luminescent squid, Moray Eels, and colorful reef dwellers, the huge range of these creatures that I thought I had known overwhelmed me. The rows of brewery tables were like those fish tanks, demanding that I pay attention, because beer is more plentiful, more exotic, just more than I knew existed.
The most unusual beer I tried? That would be the Humidor IPA, brewed by Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, FL. Aged on Spanish cedar, the same wood used for cigar boxes, this beer smelled and tasted exactly like a Cuban cigar. It was so odd, but delicious, and proved the endless creative potential inherent in beer. Further proof was everywhere I looked. The Grapefruit Jungle beer brewed by the Sun King Brewing Company in Indianapolis is an IPA that uses three hops with grapefruit-like characteristics. It has a subtle aroma that builds slowly and convincingly – you can really smell, and taste, the grapefruit. Kriek, a sour beer flavored with cherries, is a style that I had heard of but never tried, until I stopped by the Sam Adams booth for their American Kriek. It tasted to me like sour cherry soda, and I while I didn’t love it, I was amazed that beer could taste this way.
So who are these hordes who flock to Denver for GABF each year? Mostly hardcore beer fans, of course, and there are many of them. One gauge might be to look at the number of homebrewers in the country. The American Homebrewers Association estimated that there were around 750,000 active American homebrewers in 2010. I asked a few individuals if they had anything fermenting back home, and heard everything from honey porters to seasonal spiced and pumpkin ales. The strangest answer was from a man brewing a lager using 7Up as a sugar source. He claimed it was a big hit with his friends.
Not everyone at the GABF was a professional or amateur brewer, but everyone was passionate about beer, and that passion manifested itself inventive ways. At the first session I attended on Thursday, I saw a group of men waiting in line dressed in Where’s Waldo outfits. I entered the floor to find a bevy of costumed attendees. There were lederhosen and kilts, of course, and beer maids in traditional Bavarian attire. But there were also more unusual beer garments. “Hop heads” wore rubber hop cones on their heads, or laurels made from hop vines. Three men wore cut-outs of actual kegs around their waists. There were the sillier costumes that had no discernible connection to beer, but contributed to GABF’s celebratory atmosphere. A group of grown men wore white bathrobes. A convincing Charlie Chaplin tapped his cane and tipped his top hat for photographs. Tigger the Tiger bounced about beside a group of twenty-somethings dressed as monks. Halloween came early for me this year.
But for all there was to see at GABF, it was the beer that took center stage. Try a flight of beers at a good beer bar, or drink a few beers from a well-stocked refrigerator, and you get some variety. It is another thing entirely to walk about the GABF floor armed with a single ounce plastic tasting glass, sipping 30 or 40 beers in a session. It was a bit like the first time I visited the Boston Aquarium as a child. I thought I had a pretty good handle on fish, but when I went to the aquarium and saw luminescent squid, Moray Eels, and colorful reef dwellers, the huge range of these creatures that I thought I had known overwhelmed me. The rows of brewery tables were like those fish tanks, demanding that I pay attention, because beer is more plentiful, more exotic, just more than I knew existed.
The most unusual beer I tried? That would be the Humidor IPA, brewed by Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, FL. Aged on Spanish cedar, the same wood used for cigar boxes, this beer smelled and tasted exactly like a Cuban cigar. It was so odd, but delicious, and proved the endless creative potential inherent in beer. Further proof was everywhere I looked. The Grapefruit Jungle beer brewed by the Sun King Brewing Company in Indianapolis is an IPA that uses three hops with grapefruit-like characteristics. It has a subtle aroma that builds slowly and convincingly – you can really smell, and taste, the grapefruit. Kriek, a sour beer flavored with cherries, is a style that I had heard of but never tried, until I stopped by the Sam Adams booth for their American Kriek. It tasted to me like sour cherry soda, and I while I didn’t love it, I was amazed that beer could taste this way.
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