Knuckle Busting

Knuckle Busting

In this episode of the Stuck in Beta podcast, Josh shares his ongoing technological nightmares as Google Chrome completely crashes his system, forcing a full reinstall. For Beer Thirty, the guys crack open a six-year-old bottle of Main & Mill’s Waffle Cone Rocky Road Imperial Stout, only to find the bottom of the bottle has turned into a gelatinous pudding. Josh recaps a fantastic day date with Lori that took them to the Missouri Botanical Garden and Modern Brewery, followed by a trip to a St. Louis Battlehawks game that featured a bobblehead shortage and seat stealers. Plus, a review of the ultra-violent Punisher one-shot on Disney+, and a classic “Shop Talk” segment where Josh details a brutal 4-hour plumbing disaster. Show Notes Tech Nightmare & Beer Thirty Chrome Meltdown: Josh explains how his browser completely lost its cursor and crashed his entire screen, requiring a painful reinstallation process. Aged Stout Experiment: Tasting a 2020 vintage of Main & Mill’s Waffle Cone Rocky Road Imperial Stout (10.5% ABV). While the top pours fine, the bottom of the bottle has settled into a thick, jello-like sludge. Date Nights, Football & Local Gardens Day Date Dominance: Josh and Lori skip the evening crowds and head out for a day date, exploring the gorgeous mature trees at the Missouri Botanical Garden before grabbing drinks at Modern Brewery. Battlehawks Chaos: Attending a St. Louis Battlehawks game at the Dome, dealing with an immediate Ricky Proehl bobblehead shortage, and having to kick a mother and son out of their front-row seats. Garden Growth: Catching up on spring planting (cucumbers, tomatoes, and zucchini) while protecting the beds from local moles and a giant fat rabbit. Streaming & Pop Culture What We’re Watching: Hitting Season 6 of Game of Thrones, reviewing the graphic Punisher one-shot on Disney+ starring Jon Bernthal, and discussing the upcoming Big Bang Theory spin-off. Nostalgia Trip: Looking back at the 1995 Daniel Stern comedy Bushwhacked. Shop Talk & DIY Fixes The Solder Saga: Josh shares his absolute misery spending four hours trying to sweat copper pipes under a rental sink, only to realize he completely forgot to use flux.

Broken Zippers

In this episode of the Stuck in Beta podcast, Greg and Josh dive into another super-sized pop culture and DIY rant session. Josh battles some frustrating tech issues before they crack open a shockingly old (and questionable) Narrow Gauge “Vanilla Mind Flayer” sour IPA for Beer Thirty. Josh recounts a Mother’s Day trip to Wild Sun Winery that ended with a spontaneous ticket purchase to see Harry Styles at Madison Square Garden. Plus, a chaotic St. Louis Battlehawks game featuring a Ricky Proehl bobblehead shortage and seat stealers. The guys do a taste test of the new Firecracker Pop Oreos, review a violent Punisher one-shot and Big Bang Theory spinoffs, and wrap up with an epic “Old Man Rant” about failing appliances, from a broken lawnmower kill switch to a washing machine that completely died. Show Notes Tech Woes & Beer Thirty Storage Scams: Josh vents about his disappearing mouse cursor and the constant, annoying pop-ups from Microsoft and Google trying to force him to pay for more cloud storage. Vanilla Mind Flayer: The guys take a gamble on a Narrow Gauge sour IPA that has been sitting in the beer fridge roulette since 2019. They break down the pineapple and sour cherry notes of this aged, lactose-brewed beer. Mother’s Day, Harry Styles & The Battlehawks Wild Sun Winery: Josh recaps a Mother’s Day outing with Lori and Lexi to Wild Sun that led to an impulsive decision to buy three tickets to see Harry Styles in New York City for Lexi’s birthday. Bobblehead Shortage: Attending a St. Louis Battlehawks game with a severely limited supply of Ricky Proehl bobbleheads, plus dealing with people trying to steal their front-row seats. Garden Updates: Catching up on spring planting, including tomatoes and cucumbers, while battling the local moles and rabbits. Snacks, Streaming & Pop Culture Firecracker Oreos: A taste test of the new Limited Edition Firecracker Pop Oreos, featuring blue, white, and red layers complete with popping candy inside the cream. What We’re Watching: Catching up on Season 6 of Game of Thrones, discussing the violent Punisher one-shot on Disney+ starring Jon Bernthal, and reacting to the newly announced Big Bang Theory comic book store spin-off, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. Shop Talk & Old Man Rants The Appliance Apocalypse: Josh unleashes an “Old Man Rant” about everything breaking in his house, including his truck’s lumbar knob, a stick vacuum with a disconnected wire, a leaf vacuum with a busted zipper, and a lawnmower with a faulty kill switch. Washing Machine Demise: The final straw: a washing machine that got stuck in an infinite rinse-and-spin loop before leaking black oil and completely dying, forcing a brand new replacement. Mountain of Molehills: Laughing off a harsh YouTube comment from “Lily Fair” on an old DIY laundry shelf video, where she accused Josh of overcomplicating a simple wood shop project.

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.