This is combination of two weekends worth of random events and trips. Lets start off with the most important one, the stainless steel barrel hunt!
For months, I have been searching the web for a 55 gallon stainless steel barrel. I needed something large and resilient for some of my experimental brewing hobbies. Using all my dark corners of the internet methods, I was unable to locate anything reasonably priced (everyone wanted $700 + shipping). I even called up some used barrel distributors to get my name placed on a list of factory refurbished ones. Months went by without a peep.
Fast forward, Alexis and I were discussing visiting Jason in Raleigh and seeing his new baby (an actual baby this time, not car, computer, camera). So I decided to randomly look up in the Central Carolina’s Craiglist and for the first time since scouring the internet I got SS barrel hit. Reading the posting a flood of emotions pour over me. “THIS IS GREAT”, “THAT PRICE IS AWESOME”, “THIS IS SCAM”, “NO, THIS IS A SIGN”, “THIS IS A TRAP”, “CRAP ITS BEEN LISTED A MONTH ALREADY” “ITS HAS TO BE GONE ALREADY” I ended up emailing the guy just in case, and strangely enough he still had it. I asked him if it had stored any crazy chemicals and he said “No, but it came from some old defunct pharma company.” Good enough for me.
I committed to the barrel and made plan to drive out to get on the weekend. Luckily I did because apparently other brewers got wind of the barrel and trying to sneak in and undercut me. Good news for me that the guy was honorable and up held our agreement. (Craiglist Karma Points for him).
That sealed the deal for a visit Raleigh on the weekend. I then coordinated with Jason, so we could meet the smallest edition the Wagner’s family, Miss Claire. She wasn’t the newest or shiniest addition though to their family though. Jason had procured a fancy-chromey espresso machine and he required a photoshoot of it for latte wall art. I was certain this had to be the whole reason he allowed us to visit. He needed Espresso pictures, not baby pictures, and certainly not caring about us meeting the second-but only soft and squishy-“baby”.
My stoke was still high from the barrel purchase, so what better way to build on that than have a photoshoot with the barrel too! Babies, blanket, barrel, all were allowed to play with the new barrel. May this could be the start of a new business for me, Baby in a Barrel pictures.
Lastly, the weekend after I finally got to go high speed go carting at the GoPro Motoplex. Heated, fast paced, go karting action was the name of the game. Rubbing and undercutting were required if you were to be the dominant force on the track.
The learning curve was steep within the first five turns of the first lap of the first race, I got caught in a five car pile-up with everyone braking late and locking up there breaks. By the end of the first lap, everything started to feel dialed, I had my rivals picked and the next race would be very heated.
Second race was a full throttle the entire way. I locked eye with two separate guys decked out in NASCAR attire, I knew they weren’t going to let me pass them easily. By the fourth lap, we were singled out in a group in the lead, all passing and repassing each other. The highlight of the race was a “days of thunder” moment of us all going three wide down the home stretch, me on the very inside turn, barely holding on the lines.
After two races and I was spent, body fully exhausted, so we went in search of a brewery.
