Oct-01-2021: Homebrew With Alan

All veteran NC randonneurs, some veterans from around the country (MarkT from Seattle comes to mind), and at least a few new local randonneurs know that one of the several hobbies of Raleigh RBA "Fearless Leader" Alan is homebrewing beer [note that at the time of the ride and brewing this post is ostensibly about, Alan was RBA; however, at the time this post is being composed, Alan has retired as the active RBA and is now our Emeritus RBA (or should that be RBA Emeritus?)]. 

 

I'm not sure when I first started helping Alan with his homebrew process. 

It is possible that a VERY careful and detailed review of my Excel ride log might inform me, 

But I choose to not do that. 

 

Usually, when I go to help Alan do a homebrew, I ride my trusty steed each direction. 

One 20-mile or so commute in the morning. 

Another 20-mile or so commute in the afternoon / evening. 

 

My help is always limited to physical things that Alan can no longer do. 

Or perhaps would be better defined as "not allowed to do because of medical restrictions." 

The main issues impacting Alan's activity regarding homebrewing are due to: 

• serial replacement of each shoulder, 
• falling and breaking his upper right arm about a year after the right shoulder replacement. 

Those have resulted in significant restrictions on his weight-lifting limits. 

So, I have lifted the heavy bags of ingredients into the boiler, 

I have moved the full kegs of resulting brew (5 gallons of liquid weighs at least 40 pounds). 

And I have cleaned out the kegs when the process has been completed. 

 

You get the idea:  Alan is the brains and I simply provide the muscle-power he cannot. 

 

I won't go into any details. 

Instead, I will let any other local that is "called" to assist learn for themselves. 

Besides, I am not knowledgeable enough to assure an accurate description. 

 

Instead, I offer the following photo of Alan in action, 

Collecting an additional flavor for the brew. 

Does this need a caption / additional explanation?  Probably not.  But here Alan collects some Cedar sprigs to flavor the homebrew.  

 
 

I'll close with the stats / info from my Excel log: 

•  -> Alan's via north route (brew beer) -> via north route, 
• AM, 0940 - 1100    --    PM,  1445 - 1640 (traffic) 
• I'll also note that the PM commute includes 100 more feet of climbing 
• same route, but Alan essentially lives next to Crabtree Creek, and 
• He has always made a point that the elevation at the traditional start of his traditional 400k brevet is the same as the elevation at the turn-around of the 400. 
• The max elevation of Alan's traditional routes is in Seagrove -- the turn-around for the 300k brevet, and the ~150k and ~250k controls on the 400. 
• Alan always delighted in mentioning those elevation facts. 
• AM, 21.1-miles    --    PM, 21.5-miles 
• as I type this, I cannot recall where / how I picked up the extra 0.4-miles in the PM. 
• However, I am confident that I did make a slight detour to acquire that bit of extra. 
• 1:18 in-motion in the AM    --    1:22 in-motion in the PM 
• overall 2:40 in-motion, resulting in an avg pace of 15.9-mph for the entire day. 
• and that was my fastest avg pace for any ride in all of 2021. 

 

That's the story for the captioned day / ride, and I'll be sticking to it.