In it to Win it
There is a special relationship between man, meat and fire. Achieving a great BBQ meat flavor is the quest of every grilling enthusiast but some people are destined to take this goal to the next level: BBQ competitions.
Hoagie Smokes BBQ was started in 2014 by husband and wife team, Rush and Shari Hoag. Based in the Pacific NW, this team goes to several competitions every year. Their biggest joy is showing off the many trophies and ribbons they’ve won.
Buy nice or buy twice
Off and on for the better part of three years the Hoag’s had researched pellet grills. At first they had been grilling with a Traeger. They compared the specs and, while the Yoder wasn’t the cheapest, Rush and Shari found that Yoder offered a better value.
For example, “convection is extremely important when cooking barbecue as it creates a juicy product with perfect texture,” says Rush, “the Yoder is superior to other pellet cookers because it has 2 fans: 1 that circulates the air inside the smoker and 1 that pulls air from the outside.”
Hoagie Smokes BBQ purchased an YS640 pellet grill on the silver competition cart in August 2017. The Hoags use 4 grill grates for direct cooking on the Yoder pellet grill. They like the fact that shelf placement is big enough to put the pan on while still being able to open the lid. It’s another benefit they didn’t find with other pellet grills. One secret Rush shared with us, “don’t use aluminum foil on the deflector plate but rather keep it clean using a paint scraper.” A heat diffuser with access door is on their Christmas list.
“We also like the algorithm in the controller as it provides a consistent cook temp,” Rush said, “and the capacity of the cooker meets our needs.”
Within the first few weeks of competing with the YS 640,Hoagie Smokes BBQ won 1st Place in Brisket and 2nd Place in Chicken at the Showdown at Juarez Canyon in Oregon City, OR. They followed up to win 1st Place in Ribs, 1st Place in Pork Loin, 1st Place in Tri Tip and Grand Champion at a local competition.
While you may not be ready to compete in the big leagues, you’ll win with your friends and family every time you grill with a Yoder Smoker. Isn’t it time you became part of the Yoder Nation?
