Stuck in Beta Podcast

Bounty Bundle

In this super-sized episode of the Stuck in Beta podcast, Greg and Josh kick things off with a massive 2,000-calorie fast-food challenge: the new Mandalorian and Grogu Bounty Bundle from Burger King. The guys unbox the giant $25 meal and give a full, honest taste test of the Barbecue Bounty Whopper, Garlic Chicken Fries, and Grogu’s Blue Cookie Shake, while longing for the days of classic fast-food glassware. To wash it all down, they crack open a “Luggage Combination” Schwartzbier from Second Shift Brewing and discuss the unmatched superiority of “day dates”. Plus, Josh battles a stubborn kitchen sink clog at his rental property, the guys tackle Ford Explorer oil changes, and Peter somehow manages to completely destroy the back wheel of his bike. Wrapping things up, they talk UFL Battlehawks football, catch Steve Ewing of The Urge playing an acoustic set, and reveal the bucket-list bands they need to see before they retire. Another classic from Half-Assed Productions! Show Notes: The Bounty Bundle & Fast Food Nostalgia The Mandalorian Meal: Unboxing Burger King’s massive $25 Grogu Bounty Bundle, popping out the cardboard ears, and noting the movie’s May 22nd release perfectly aligns with Jeff’s birthday. The Taste Test: Reviewing the Barbecue Bounty Whopper (complete with chewy pickles), the Imperial Cheddar Ranch Tots, and Grogu’s Garlic Chicken Fries that tasted a little too much like dino nuggets. Sugar Rush: Trying out the intensely sweet Grogu Blue Cookie Shake. Bring Back the Glass: A nostalgic rant about the plastic 32-ounce promotional cup and wishing fast-food chains would bring back high-quality glassware like the classic Batman cups. Beer Thirty & Day Dates Luggage Combination: Reviewing Second Shift Brewing’s “Luggage Combination,” a Schwartzbier black lager featuring a hilarious Spaceballs reference right on the can. Day Dates: Celebrating afternoon outings with a trip to the Missouri Botanical Garden and drinks at Modern Brewery. Rental Rehab & Shop Talk Plumbing Woes: Josh’s rental property strikes again with a massive kitchen sink clog that finally forced him to call in a professional plumber. Garage Updates: Tackling a standard oil change on the Ford Explorer, and trying to figure out how to true a back bike tire after Peter managed to completely bend the wheel. Music, Sports & Streaming Battlehawks & Local Music: Discussing the 4-2 St. Louis Battlehawks UFL season, and catching a solo acoustic set from Steve Ewing at a local Taco Tequila bar. Bucket List Bands: The guys list the bands they desperately need to see live (Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Metallica) and reminisce about shooting a homemade music video for Metallica’s “One” back in the day. What We’re Watching: Catching up on Season 5 of Game of Thrones and reviewing the weird cult-like dynamic in the Netflix series Unchosen.

Bulk Trash

In this latest episode of the Stuck in Beta podcast, Greg and Josh kick things off with a massive 19.2 oz Elysian Juice Dust IPA. Greg recounts a recent date night with Molly at Candle Fusion Studio, where they blended their own custom wax scents. The guys also laugh about a local house that still has Christmas lights up in late April, and marvel at a neighbor attempting to toss a 750-pound hot tub out for bulk trash pickup. Josh shares his ongoing rental property struggles, including a frustrating 4-hour plumbing solder job. Plus, Milly finally ditches her training wheels, and the guys review the video game history documentary Game Changers, the scrapped Coyote vs. Acme movie, and do a taste test of Walmart’s massive knockoff Crumbl cookies. Another classic from Half-Assed Productions! Show Notes: Beer Thirty & Walmart Knockoff Cookies Juice Dust: The guys split a massive 19.2 oz can of Elysian Juice Dust IPA (8.2% ABV), noting its intense citrus notes and slightly bitter aftertaste. Knockoff Cookie Showdown: A super-sized snack segment featuring a taste test of Walmart’s brand of Chocolate Chunk and Confetti Birthday Cake cookies—massive, cake-sized treats meant to rival the popular Crumbl brand. City Wide Merch: Discussing the 10th anniversary of 4 Hands’ City Wide, their 4/20 specials, and a flashy new $50 button-down shirt covered in lions. Date Nights & Neighborhood Watch Candle Fusion: Greg details his date night with Molly at Candle Fusion Studio, blending a custom “Dreamsicle” candle using volcano fruit, vanilla, and coconut. Christmas in April: Questioning the sanity of the house just outside the subdivision that still has its Christmas lights fully displayed months after the holidays. Bulk Trash Fail: Laughing at a neighbor who hauled a massive 750-pound hot tub to the curb hoping the bulk trash pickup would somehow take it. Ditching Training Wheels: Milly finally learns to ride without training wheels after scoring a used 20-inch bike on Facebook Marketplace, inspired by the neighbor kids. Lawn Care Therapy: The guys discuss how mowing the lawn serves as the ultimate mental reset and quiet time away from the chaos. Shop Talk & Rental Rehab Flux Frustrations: Josh details a brutal plumbing repair at his rental property, spending four hours fighting with flux and solder to fix a leaking copper pipe under the sink. Movies, Music & Video Game History Game Changers: Reviewing the YouTube documentary series Game Changers, highlighting the fascinating historical timelines and rivalries of Atari, Nintendo, and Sega. Scrapped Movies: Discussing the bizarre Hollywood trend of completely scrapping finished movies for tax write-offs, including the live-action Coyote vs. Acme and Batgirl. Punk Nostalgia: Reminiscing about 90s punk rock, Green Day, and listening to the Faction Punk channel on SiriusXM.

Aldi IPA

In this episode of the Stuck in Beta podcast, Greg and Josh dive into the wild world of AI and DIY auto disasters in another classic release from Half-Assed Productions. Greg kicks things off by sharing his experience using Google’s NotebookLM to generate an eerie AI podcast based entirely on his resume. For Beer Thirty, Josh brings an Aldi find—the Great Pines American IPA—that looks suspiciously like Bell’s Two Hearted Ale but doesn’t quite hit the same mark. “Shop Talk” takes a stressful turn as Josh details his ruined weekend trying to replace his truck’s rotors, ending in stuck bolts, blown brake cylinders, and emergency caliper replacements. Plus, the guys discuss their early morning routines, Josh’s grueling 12-mile biking trip at St. Joe State Park, a skateboard documentary featuring Tony Hawk, and reviews of the romantic comedy Oh, Hi! and Game of Thrones Season 2. Show Notes Tech & AI NotebookLM Podcasts: Greg uploads his resume to Google’s NotebookLM and gets back a surprisingly realistic, fully generated podcast featuring two AI hosts discussing his career. Beer Thirty & Aldi Finds Great Pines IPA: Josh tests out an Aldi beer, the Great Pines American IPA (6% ABV) from ABW in Virginia Beach. The Two Hearted Clone: The guys note the can’s colors closely resemble Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, but ultimately give the beer a solid B-. Shop Talk & DIY Disasters Caliper Crisis: Josh recounts his brutal weekend truck repairs. After using WD-40 and Liquid Wrench to fight off stuck bolts on his brake assembly to replace the rotors, he made the mistake of pumping the brakes to bleed them, popping a cylinder, spilling brake fluid everywhere, and forcing him to buy all new calipers. Rental Painting: Lori spends her time painting a rental house. Life, Outdoors & Entertainment Morning Routines: The guys compare their wake-up calls. Josh and Lori are up at 5:00 AM for coffee and exercise, while Greg struggles with staying asleep and wakes up around 6:40 AM to leave for work by 7:30 AM. St. Joe State Park: Josh tackles a grueling, hilly 12-mile paved bike loop at St. Joe State Park down near Farmington. Skater Nostalgia: Discussing a documentary about George Powell, Stacy Peralta, and the revolutionary creation of polyurethane skateboard wheels alongside legends like Tony Hawk. What We’re Watching: Catching up on Season 2 of Game of Thrones and reviewing the new Molly Gordon romantic comedy film Oh, Hi! on Netflix.

Rootbeer Killer

In this episode of the Stuck in Beta podcast, Josh records without his headphones and shows off his brand new laptop after last week’s catastrophic tech disaster. The guys enjoy the beautiful 75-degree weather and swap lawn care tips, including Greg’s futile battle with a weed killer called “Dandelion Doom”. For Beer Thirty, they crack open a Lime Garage Beer, bringing back memories of the classic Bud Light Lime. In Beer News, they discuss the bizarre true crime story of the “Root Beer Float Killer” and 4 Hands Brewing’s 10th-anniversary City Wide BBQ sauce collaboration with Sugarfire. Plus, Josh shares his recent dirt biking adventure at Arnold Park and a terrifying “Shop Talk” story where a 4×4 post smacked him in the head while he was 20 feet up on a ladder. Finally, an Easter recap featuring Scream 7, a review of the Super Mario Galaxy movie, and a taste test of the M&M’s Bakery Collection. Show Notes Tech Issues & Spring Lawns Naked Ears: Josh forgets his headphones but breaks in his brand new laptop. Dandelion Doom: Greg details his lawn care struggles with a weed killer that just seemed to multiply his dandelions instead of destroying them. Beer Thirty & Beer News Garage Beer Lime: Sipping on a refreshing 4% ABV Lime Garage Beer that perfectly mimics the nostalgic flavor of Bud Light Lime. Root Beer Float Killer: A wild true crime story about a man poisoned with ethylene glycol in his root beer float. City Wide BBQ: Celebrating National Beer Day and the 10th anniversary of 4 Hands’ City Wide pale ale with their new Sugarfire BBQ sauce collaboration. Easter, Movies & Snacks Scream & Mario: Recapping an Easter rental of Scream 7 (and the return of Neve Campbell) alongside a review of the Super Mario Galaxy movie. M&M’s Bakery Collection: Taste testing the Lemon Meringue, Peanut Butter Cinnamon Roll, and Cherry Chocolate Cupcake M&M’s. Spoiler: The cherry flavor tastes exactly like Luden’s cough drops. Biking Trails & Shop Talk Arnold Park Trails: Josh details his recent mountain biking adventure, finding miles of dirt trails hidden back along the Meramec River. Roofing Disasters: Josh shares a DIY injury story where a 4×4 post slipped and smacked him in the ear while working 20 feet up on his rental property’s roof. Dryer Tear-Downs: Greg previews his massive editing backlog for an upcoming dryer repair video for the How To Fix It Workshop channel.

Wiffle Barricade

Episode Description: In Episode 206 of the Stuck in Beta podcast, Greg and Josh are forced to record directly on a phone after the technology gods strike Josh with a brutal run of bad luck—starting with his 8-year-old laptop completely dying. They kick off the show with a super-sized snack segment, testing out the new McDonald’s K-Pop demon hunters “Huntrix Meal”. Knowing Milly is a huge fan of the song “Golden,” the guys had to test out the Ramyeon McShaker fries, the purple Demon Sauce, and the sweet & sour Hunter Sauce. Since Easter is right around the corner, they also try out festive Snickers Eggs. For Beer Thirty, they crack open an American-style Cream Ale from Missouri’s Public House Brewing Company. Later, the guys talk about the new McDonald’s coming to Herky, Josh’s pricey Best Buy replacement run, a DIY storm drain barricade to save the neighborhood wiffle balls, and catching Nick Hexum on a bluegrass tour. Plus, a check-in on Game of Thrones and the movie Project Hail Mary. Show Notes: Tech Curses & Phone Recordings The Black Screen of Death: Recording from a phone this week after Josh’s 8-year-old laptop completely died right when he went to turn it on. The bad luck resulted in an $1800 Best Buy trip, closely following another recent tech disaster where his phone completely crapped out. Snacks & Golden Arches The Huntrix Meal: Reviewing the new McDonald’s K-Pop demon hunters collaboration. The guys test out the Ramyeon McShaker fries, the gel-like purple Demon Sauce, and the sweet & sour-style Hunter Sauce. Herky Arches: Discussing the new McDonald’s location opening up in Herculaneum right behind the Dairy Queen. Easter Treats: With Easter this weekend, the guys do a quick taste test of Snickers Eggs. Beer Thirty Public House Cream Ale: Sipping on an American-style Cream Ale (5.3% ABV) out of Missouri’s Public House Brewing Company. Neighborhood DIY & Concerts Wiffle Barricades: A brilliant neighborhood DIY hack: building a barricade using wood and car ramps over the storm drain in the cul-de-sac to stop the kids from losing their wiffle balls during an all-time pitcher game. Bluegrass 311: Recapping the Nick Hexum concert, where the 311 frontman performed bluegrass style around a single, old-timey microphone. What We’re Watching Checking in on the progress of finally finishing Season 1 of Game of Thrones. Reviewing the Ryan Gosling sci-fi movie Project Hail Mary.