Been a tough year

2013 Has been a year full of test for our family and team. We cooked in Jackson and Union city this year and did a few vending events but that's about it. Amber and my jobs have changed this year along with a variety of other things but it is nothing we can't rebound from. 57 Smokehouse is far from being through just on a little hiatus. I look forward to the day when we can get back on the road.

Good to be back

It has been a while since my last post so lets get caught up... The BBQ world came to a complete halt for us when Amber got hurt at work back in July. She had to have shoulder surgery that put her out of the game for almost six months thanks to workers comp dragging their feet. She is doing a lot better today but it was a long road to get her back to almost normal. Back to BBQ we competed this past weekend back in Jackson Ga. and had a blast. We placed 9th in ribs and 12th in pulled pork and have no idea how we did in the ancillary groups but our Brunswick stew and shrimp kicked butt. It was so nice to get the cooker back out and actually compete against other teams and see the people we have missed for almost a year. I am going to vend BBQ out in Barnesville Ga. at a FBA event this weekend where BBQ Pitmasters is being filmed and excited to see a lot of old friends.

GETTING INTO THE WOOD BUSINESS

57 SMOKEHOUSE will be expanding its horizons for the 2012 bbq season. We have decided to throw our hat into the vending arena as well as the wood business. We will be offering BBQ sandwiches at the Plains contest just to get our feet wet as far as setup and operations are gonna run. We also will have seasoned Peach wood for sale in chunks and chips and we will be selling it $1.00 a pound

SMOKIN PORK IN BUTTS

We had a great time this past weekend in Jackson Ga. for the Smokin pork in Butts contest. The weather was beautiful and the hospitality was unbelievable for this split sanctioned contest. Ayden and Jacob joined us for their first BBQ contest and found out how much work actually goes into one of these things but they had a blast and made me real proud. We used the new Stumps smoker for this contest and it cooked like a dream, we did 6 butts and 9 racks of spares along with a loin. Amber made the best batch of Brunswick Stew for the ancillary division but we were bested by great friends of ours ( good job Mary and Carl) but we finished second in that catagory. we got a call and trophy in the loin catagory with a 10th place finish and just missed one in ribs finishing 11th and a distant 20th in pulled pork. Overall we finished in the top ten with a 9th place finish and Amber and I were pleased with this finish and seeing our scores on the climb.

Jackson Ga coming up

The next contest we are cooking is gonna hold a few first for our team. Jackson is gonna be a combination of the GBA and MBN cooking the same event with two seperate sets of judges and rules. We will be cooking on the GBA side of the contest,we have never cooked a MBN event so tjis will be fun to watch. We will be leaving the drum smokers that we have used for the last year at home. I have been in the market for a new smoker for sometime and looking for a good stickburner but thats not what I found. While searching Craigslist the other day I ran across a spectacular deal on a Stumps Smoker that was impossible to turn down (so we didn't) and we will be cooking on it for the contest.

PIGS AND WINGS

What a BLAST we had in Perry for the Pigs and Wings contest. As you would expect the weather was a force to be reckoned with, little rain,wind and alot of cold but it was fun. The turn out for this contest was phenominal with 59 teams cooking and a total of 8 catagories to enter. It felt so good to be back in competition and seeing all of our great friends. things started right off the bat with turn ins for Brunswick Stew ,Margaritas and Desert being on Friday night so we were busy the whole time. We were cooking on the UDS smokers and we fought them the whole night due to the cold and a poor choice of fuel but we got them right after the sun was up. We got 4 butts on the smokers around midnight and they took forever to get to the temps I like so I did alot of pacing and swearing. I took 2 smokers with me and Bobby bailed my butt out again by letting me use one of his (thanks brother). We had Giles O'Neal helping us with this cook and he was an enormous help. He has been friends with Amber and I since we took the judging class back in 2009. Saturday went by in a flash we has Loin,Chicken,Pulled Pork, Ribs and Brisket to get turned in with a 30 minute window between catagories. Overall we were pleased with the way our product came out and glad we finished 17th overall.the highlite of the day was finishing 2nd in Brunswick Stew and the kids getting to walk up on stage. Looks like Jackson will be our next cook and I am excited about this one too.

HERE WE GO 2012

We are a week out of the first contest for 57 Smokehouse BBQ and it's gonna be a big one. We are cooking the Pigs and Wings contest in beautiful Perry Ga and we are so excited. This will be a challenging contest as we have to submit 8 catagories with real tight turn-in times, and some first time things for the GBA. 57 Smokehouse will have a new look this year as Amber and I will be cooking primarily on our own this year and the number of contest will be down from last year also since we lost our sponsorship this year. I am so excited about getting back out with the many friends we made last year and  back in the grind of BBQ cooking, it has been a long 6 months.

Half way to 90

Well tomorrow I turn the big 4-5,thats about 30 years longer than my mom gave me. I am looking forward to spending the day with my boys at a Pokemon tourney. I think I will try to make BBQ cupcakes tomorrow night and stick a candle in one. If those turn out like crap then Key Lime Pie it will be. Well guys have a safe New Years and be safe out there.....Alan

57 Smokehouse joins Twitter

I took the team into the twitter age,like facebook wasn't enough. You can follow use at Alan Walker @57smokehouseBBQ. This should be a little easier to maintain than the facebook page but I will keep them both updated....

Christmas is two weeks out

That means the new BBQ season is right around the corner and I am ready to get back on the road. Looks like the first contest will be in Blackshear Ga which is about two hours south of us here in Macon.The Pierce County Pig Pickin' BBQ Festival,Feb 10-11th 2012 loks like its going to be a blast. It has the biggest payout for Grand in GBA History-Yeah I am looking at the application-. they are having Friday night ancillary events of Wild Game,Chicken and Peoples choice- we will probably do chicken and not the other two and we will not be vending this event. We are real excited about seeing all the cook teams it seems like it has been a long time since Gordon ( our last cook).

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

The holidays are here already man where has the year gone what a blur. I am thankful that 2011 was such a great year, we added Parker to the family, had a good competition year and we all have our health so overall a success. 57 Smokehouse catering is already getting Christmas orders and that really excites me that means I get to cook but man I gotta get a bigger smoker I miss the Bubba grill. The kids are so excited that Santa will be coming agian this year and bringing them lots of goodies. The one thing I love about the season is that TV doesn't really suck and I get to live my childhood through the eyes of my kids with all the old Christmas shows I watched as a youngster. I also love the tunes of the season I keep them downloaded on my MP3 so I can visit them all year long(weird I know). I am really hoping to grow the 57 Smokehouse name in 2012 through the competition scene as well as a few othe plans I have up my sleeve but we will see how those pan out. In short I just wanted to wish all our friends and family a very safe holiday season....
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE...
ALAN,AMBER,JACOB,AYDEN,MAKENNA and PARKER WALKER

2012 New Direction

I would like to say that the 2011 GBA season was a huge learning curve for 57 Smokehouse on so many levels and showed us we have ALOT to learn in the BBQ world. The lessons learned this past year has given us a new outlook on the 2012 season as well as a new attitude and respect for the BBQ community. We have set our goals high and we a confident they are reachable with alot of practice and hard work. Our focus this coming season will be flavor profiles,improving presentation and overall quality of food. There are many changes in the future for the 57 Smokehouse BBQ Team but we are excited to embrace them and move ahead with a successful season..  2012 HERE WE COME

2011 year in review

This was a year to remember for 57 Smokehouse BBQ team and the first of many in the competitive BBQ circuit. I will say that this whirlwind of a ride has fulfillled alot of my dreams and passions and has fueled a fire in me that makes me want to do this every weekend. Our year started in Dublin and I thought we would do pretty good with what we had been doing in the backyard(boy was I wrong). I have so many people to thank for helping me make this dream come true but most of all I have to thank my wife Amber for walking this dream with me. Having a sponsor this year allowed us to cook so many more contest than we could afford and a HUGE thanks goes out to Greens Electric and all their support. The friendships that we have made over the last 9 months have been life changing for Amber and I, we are from the nightclub culture and we are accustomed to "friends" wanting to know what we can do for them. We got our first call the second contest we were in at the Fire Ant Festival and the really got the fire in the belly burning. Lane Packing Company yielded no calls but was a blast anyway. Hawkinsville was without a doubt our worst showing to date. Barnesville was our first taste ofthe FBA and the big boys of BBQ we cooked right beside Jacks New South and for the compitition ther we did fairly well. Plains contest wa also a butt load of fun and we got a call in ribs and met President Jimmy Carter. the summer break was next which was fine with Amber being very pregnate at this point but it drove me crazy. What the break did do though was give me time to bring a very strong new member to the team that could help us with the many weak points we had. Glen and Melanie Musick ( QUE THE MUSIC BBQ TEAM) joined us for the first contest of the fall leg. We got 4 calls including a first in Chicken with a perfet 600 score. Kennesaw was the first KCBS we cooked and there were alot of teams at this event and we had so much fun cooking all the catagories and my first Wagyu brisket (9th place). Ft. Valley was the next GBA event we cooked and got a call in Pork Loin in this event. We skipped the Sumner contest and the last one we cooked was the Gordon event. Brent Cannon (Kinchafoone Cookers) joined us for this contest too cooking the ever dreaded Loin and we got calls in all three catagories for this contest as well. The winter layoff is upon us now and there will be some changes in the future for 57 Smokehouse BBQ team as well I will be looking for additional sponsorship to help offset the cost of doing so many contest. BBQ is addictive-Contest are addictive-Cooking is addictive but it is a very expensive hobby.

In short this was an eyeopening year of learning something I though I had down pretty good. I have been coached and mentored by some excellent people this year and will take all I have learned and in 2012 we a setting our goals high and expect to fulfill them.



MY THANKS

Amber-for indulging my addiction and helping me fulfill a dream
Bobby- For carting my sorry ass around to all these contest
Chuck- For sponsorship and friendship and all the other goodies
Glen and Mel- for being mentors and team mates and friends
Carl and Mary- for being mentors and friends
Brent- for new friendship you are welcome on our team anytime

GORDON FALL LINE FESTIVAL

This weekend was the Gordon Fall Line Festival BBQ contest sponsored by the GBA in beautiful Gordon Ga.  With the GBA season coming to a close in a few weeks this was going to be a good chance to make some points for the Team of the Year standings. 57 Smokehouse was fully loaded for this contest with the addition of Brent Cannon(Kinchafoonee Cookers) and Glen and myself as the cooks for the three catagories. The weather was going to be beautiful this weekend and it was about time we were tired of being hot and sweaty. There were only gonna be thirteen teams there this contest but most were the bigger names so we knew the competition was gonna be tough and it did'nt disappoint. I will say this was a very well organized contest (except for the bathroom situation) and the hospitatlty was top notch. Bobby and I of course got lost getting to a contest 20 miles from the house(imagine that) but we finally found our way there and got set up. We had a huge camp site and made the most of we had, a prep area, a cook area and a TV area for college gameday and still had a butt load of room left over. The cooking duties went as such Brent was in charge of cooking the Pork Loin....Glen had the pulled pork.... I had rib duty. We were doing the chicken ancillary catagory and there was only three of us cooking it so it was WINNER TAKE ALL for this Friday night cook. I thought our product hands down was spectacular and was gonna be real hard to beat(but it got beat).  The night went smooth and the meat got preped in a timely manner and we had alot of time to sit and talk BBQ and strategy. It was a pleasure to have Brent cooking with us this trip and he brought alot to the team and taught us alot about cooking loin and was a true pleasure to be around. I will say that the teams around us got introduced to the Genie Bra most of the night as we forgot to turn the tv off and left the volume a wee bit loud (sorry guys). The morning started early as they usually do even though yours truely slightly overslept but got going at a slower pace than usual. The first turn in was loin and Brent was up to bat and guys let me tell you he cooked the best loin I have ever put in my mouth. Pulled pork was next and Glen was bringing a modified recipe to the table for this contest and it hands down was top quality product. Ribs was the final catagory so that put me on the hot seat and I knew I had my hands full to match the previous two turn ins but they didnt disappoint. I can honestly say the three boxes of meat we turned in this weekend gave the most hope of  making the finals as I have had in a long time. I was proud of the product we put out and will put it up agianst anyones BBQ in any sanctioning group.

Results
PORK LOIN- 9TH
PULLED PORK-7TH
RIBS-9TH
OVERALL-10TH

To recap the weekend I thought we produces the best BBQ we have turned in to date and the team performed without a hitch. I would also like to say congratulations to HOLY SMOKERS  for their first Grand Champion. You guys deserve it and we are proud to call you colleagues and friends.

I have no idea if this will be the last contest of the season for us but if it is I can honestly say this has been an adventure and just chapter 1 for 57 smokehouse. The learning curve has been huge and we have made vauable friendships through this journey. I would also like to thank GREENS ELECTRIC again for the sponsorship this year without you guys we could not have done this.

57 Smokehouse Team

Alan Walker

Amber Walker

Glen Musick

Bobby Wright

Chuck Green

and special guest star

Brent Cannon

Fort Valley quick review

The Hambone Jam was a blast there were alot of talented teams and the competetion was stiff. The city of Fort Valley really put a great contest, it was organized and very professionally run. The GBA also did a spectacular job on sanctioning this event. The weather was seansonably comfortable and made cooking and hanging out in camp a joy. We cooked a new Loin recipe that got us a 6th place finish. I overcooked the ribs and got my first negative comment card. The pulled pork was excellent and Glen and Amber put together a spectacular box. I was very proud to see close friends of ours (Smokin Willy Squealers) take the Grand for their first time. The kids had a great time hanging with us this weekend and glen had Ayden howling like a wolf at every turn in time. Overall we had a blast and looking forward to Gordon.

Kennesaw Pigs and Peaches

57 Smokehouse embarked on the first KCBS contest of our early BBQ adventures and an adventure it was. Bobby and I headed out of Macon around 11:30 on Friday morning and hit I-75 for what we thought would be a straight shot to Kennesaw Ga. WRONG in typical 57 Smokehouse fashion we had to make the simple complicated, who knew there were more than two lanes of traffic and a million road signs you need to pay attention to in Atlanta. I will say the Lenox Mall off of I-85 is a beautiful place but a long way from where we needed to be but thanks to Glen for getting us back on the right track with one phone call. We arrived about 2 and had to get to work right off the bat finishing up setting camp thank god Glen had gotten there earlier and had most of it done before we got there. I will have to say Kennesaw is a beautiful town and that was a well run contest.The cooks meeting was at 4 and was handled very professionally and they even fed us a spaghetti dinner that was delicious. Let me give you guys an idea of how busy you are at a KCBS event.

FOOD PREP
1st PREP THE BRISKET
2ND PREP THE BOSTON BUTTS
3RD PREP CHICKEN ( 24 PEICES )
4TH PREP RIBS (SPARES SO THEY HAD TO BE CUT DOWN)
5TH PREP THE TURN IN BOXES ( EACH BOX TAKES AROUND 30-45 MINS )

Dont let this fool you that its only five steps this takes along time and we finished up around midnight. I am sure we will get alot faster at these processes the more of these we do but it will still be alot of work. The next morning comes real early around 5a.m. to ready the camp for the turn ins that start at noon. We were cooking on the drums again but also had a couple of Treagers with us this time. First up was the chicken turn ins at noon and in my opinion we put some spectacular product in the box. Second came the ribs and again the product was way above par and turn in for tose was at 12:30. Pulled pork was next to be turned in and we had some of the best pork I have eaten in a long time. I was cooked perfectly and the money muscles were spot on. Brisket was the last turn in at 1:30 and ours was the best brisket I have ever eaten ( we used a Wagu for the first time). There were 74 teams at this contest (50 pro 24 backyard) and some really big names were there so we knew the competetion was gonna be tough and it didnt disappoint. I was very proud of the team this cook even though we were two really important people down.

57 Smokehouse BBQ team for Kennesaw
Glen Musick
Bobby Wright
Chuck Green
Alan Walker

The Results
Chicken-39th ( I THINK WE HAD A VEGAN JUDGE)
Ribs-41st
Pulled Pork-13th
Brisket- 9th
Overall- 25th

In my opinion this was a successful cook for us and finishing middle of the pack was not diappointing. The major thing we learned tihs weekend was to gel as a team and not work as individuals. I feel we have a great chance of making an impact in the BBQ world but it will take time and alot of practice. the major factor we were missing this week was Melanie and Amber, they bring alot to the team and their absence was surely felt.

Well guys the next contest is in two weeks in Ft. Valley so I will be back after the HAMBONE JAM...........ALAN

Griffin Ribs and Rolling BBQ contest

The BBQ adventure started againthis weekend with the Ribs and Rolling BBQ contest and car show in Griffin Ga. Bobby and I headed out of Macon around noon on Friday,we got a late start but Griffin was only about 43 miles from the house so it was a short trip. We got lost as usual trying to find the fairgrounds but all it took was one phone call to Carl Williams(Smokin Willy) and we found it in no time. Glen and Melanie got in around 3:00 and we set up camp only to run into our first obstacle, we had no power or so we thought. Turns out we had a power surge that wreaked havock with a few teams around us and with us too, shorted out the complete electrical in the trailer, took out a fan and more importantly fried Glens Traeger Grill. We entered two of the three ancillary catagories and needed to get chicken cooked and Brunswick Stew hot for turn in later and we were a smoker down. It was time for plan B or should I say plan D and we fired up the drum smokers while Glen got the chicken prepped. We hit both turn ins without a hitch and was pleased with the product we had cooked plus we had leftovers so dinner was served. Glen and I decided to split the cook he was doing the butts and I was doing the ribs and we both did a loin and let the team decide which to turn in. 57 Smokehouse is notorious for late night fireworks and this contest was no different but thats all I will say about that to protect the innocent. Loin was the first turn in and the team went with Glens loin over mine and I agreed whole heartedly with their decision. Pulled pork was next and I watched the presentation of this box very closely and learned more in 20 minutes than in the previous contest we have done. Ribs was our last meat to turn in and by the grace of god Amber showed up in time for her and Melanie to put together a good looking box of ribs. We didn't make the top three in any of the catagories(this time) and you would not believe how hot is was out there,I think we hit 100 around 10 a.m. so the only thing cooking now was us. More to come

Getting Back on the BBQ road

57 Smokehouse BBQ team is getting ready t get back on competetion circut,we will be cooking for three seperate sanctioning groups before the end of the year. We are going to cook a GBA event in Griffin Ga and we are honored to be joined by Glen Musick and his wife Melanie to cook side by side with us (maybe they can teach me something). Amber is gonna be sidelined for a few contest so I will be without my better half. The following weekend Glen and I and the team will be cooking our first KCBS contest in Kennesaw GA and we are super excited about this one. There is a MBN event being held here in Macon that we will be trying our hand at. Glen and I will be exploring other contest for the future that we can cook. GBA has four events left for the season including the State Championship in Ft. Valley which is also the kickoff to the new season and team of the year points. We are excited to get back and see our friends that cook the GBA group and will kee you guys posted on how we are doing.

New Addition to the Team

We have added a new team member to the Walker family,Amber gave birth to out second son Monday Aug 8th at 1:41 pm. He was 7lbs9ozs and was 20 1/2 inches long and his name is Parker Collins Walker. His name is a combination of our family names and we are proud he will carry them throughout his life. I hope he knows what he is in for being a part of this crazy BBQ family but if hes anything like his siblings he will be just fine.

Time to update the blog

It's time to catch the blog up to date. I have been slacking so much with the competetiions and having a baby no alot of time to post but I promise I will get better. We have been trying to get the UDS business off the ground with limited success but we are still getting our feet wet in the new business. We are offering Drum Smokers starting at $125 for a basic model and going up in price capping off at $250 for a custom job. We are running an ad in The BBQ Times news paper www.bbqtimes.com please check it out. We are getting closer to the baby getting here ( Aug 8th is the due date) and we are so excited to get Parker into the family. Looks like the next contest we wil be cooking will be in Griffin Ga. in August, it has been a long layoff with the GBA and we are itching to get back cooking. That means it's time to get practicing soon and hopefully this heat will break soon it has been misreable for the past few weeks and we need a break. I will post again soon guys and thanks for reading

Memorial Day

57 Smokehouse just wants to say THANK YOU to all who serve our country and keep us free. We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday with plenty to eat and drink. We are going to be doing ribs today at my dads while the kids play in the pool and man is it HOT... Have a safe day all....

Plains Ga

We had a Great time in Plains Ga this weekend and it all starts with the friendship and advice of Carl Williams and the Smoking Willey Squealers BBq team. This weekend was hot and full of gnats but could have been alot worse if we had not listened to Carl about setting up in the park under the shade and right by the restrooms. Amber being 7 months pregnate and going to cook these contest with us we had to think about her needs first and Carl stepped up to the plate for us and he has no idea how much we appreciate it. What made this weekend different from our other contest this year is we cooked exclusively on UDS (Ugly Drum Smokers) and used some new recipes to boot. Bobby and I pulled in about 1:30pm on friday and went and found Carl in the park and got inspected before we could even starting unloading the truck(thanks Dan). We got the camp set and waited on Chuck and Amber to get there to start preping the meat so we had a couple of beers and walked around Plains.They had a street party during the evening and my guys went and had a great time Amber andI stayed in camp. I finally got to get to sleep some during a contest and it made a big difference the next morning for firing up the two UDS for ribs and loin. Turn in time came around and we made them all in the nick of time with hopes of doing better this contest and maybe getting to walk this time. You would be amazed how the smallest mistake can cost you in the long run in a BBQ contest. Finals came round and we didnt make any but that will change in time so we sat and waited for awards and it was hot but we did have a distraction. It was another friend of ours birthday and we shared cake with Glen Musick of Kudzu Q and his wife. Finals came and started with pork loin (we got no call) then to pulled pork (again no call) and I was startin to get a little upset. Ribs was the next to be called and I knew this was our last and best shot and sure enough we took 6th in ribs and got to meet President Jimmy Carter and his wife. Overall it was a great weekend and had a blast with my team and the new friends we have made this seasonbut we are off until September(not happy bout that) but will give Amber a chance to relax and have Parker... More updates to come........Alan

Barnesville BBQ and Blues

We had a blast at our first FBA event this weekend and well worth our time. It was a little different with the new catagories we had to cook (Chicken and Brisket). Chicken was the worst of the day almost placing DAL but a learning experiencen and brisket was a hard second worst. We did pretty good in butts and ribs. We had some great neighbors with The PitCrew and Jacks Old South and a most entertaining time with my team. We picked up some GREAT equipment this weekend (thank you Chuck) with getting a thermapen,and two really good knifes. We got the chance to have a good conversation this weekend with Myron Mixon(Jacks Old South) and got to see some of the bigger teams of the BBQ world. In the end we placed 35th out of 49 teams but our scores are on the rise and for our fifth comp I am not disappointed. MORE TO COME FOLKS

Playing with Fire Ants

 

This weekend was the Fire Ant festival in Ashburn Ga and it was our second competetion and a total BLAST. We would like to thank our sponsor again for a great weekend of cooking and fellowship without Greens Electric this would not be possible. Friday was a beautiful day,Bobby and I headed out of Macon around 11a.m. and had about an hours drive ahead of us. We got into Ashburn around 1:30 after a short stop in Byron to meet with our graphic designers to pick up our new banner and drum magnets. The Fire Ant Festival was a smaller version of the Cherry Blossom Festival but it was very well organized. Chuck(sponsor),Mitch,Cody and Chris were about two hour behind us. I had to get there kinda early so I could prep the food for the Friday night Ancillary cook that consisted of Chicken,Brunswick Stew and BBQ Sauce. I was also to meet with Carl Williams of SmokinWilly Squealers BBQ Team because he was bringing me some Red Oak to try instead of the White Oak I have been using. I got the 15 chicken Thighs trimmed and prepped and gave Bobby the rest to use on the UDS he brought to prepare dinner for the guys that night. Amber joined us right after the sauce turn in at 5:15 and just in time to get the Brunswick Stew ready for turn in at 5:45. I got the chicken cooked and boxed for turn in at 6:30. Competetion Meat prep was next which was a little butt rubbing and rib tickling and the loin ready for the brine. We got a little down time to go explore the sights for a few hours. Amber found a variety of good fair food to tempt her pregnant taste buds and it was a very festive atmosphere complete with a great fireworks show. We got to spend some times with friends that we had made in Dublin out of Atlanta (SmokinGrills BBQ Team) and tried some of the food they were vending and in return we took them some stew for something a little different. I got the rig fired up around 10p.m. and ready to put the butts on a while later.

That red oak that Carl brought me to try was really good and burned really slow and even making holding temps in the rig a little easier. I got a little sleep early that morning while Amber got the ribs and loin on the rig. Our first turn in was between 10:15 and 10:30 and it was loin, the next was between 11:15 and 11:30 and was pulled pork. Our last turnin was at at 12:15 and 12:30 and was the final catagory of ribs, then waited to see if we made the finals.Amber had to leave early to pick the childern up and Bobby and I stayed for the awards ceremony that was held at 5. At the end of the Day we got two calls that day we took second in Brunswick Stew and 5th in Pork Loin. I really have to work on my timing with the butts and ribs as I was'nt happy with what we turned in and it reflected in the scores.
Our Results were as follows
Ribs-18th
Pulled Pork-21st
Pork Loin-5th
Friday nights cook
Brunswick Stew-2nd
Sauce-10th
Chicken-8th
Overall Finish- 12th
We improve considerably from the first contest and we are looking forward to the rest of the season.
Thanks for sharing our contest with us
Alan

FIRE ANT FESTIVAL TWO WEEKS OUT

The Fire Ant Festival in Ashburn Ga. is two weeks out and this will be 57 Smokehouse BBQ second event and we are jacked about cooking again. I have'nt made alot of adjustments to our flavor profiles but some major changes on the timing aspect of the cook.I learned alot at the Dublin contest about how different cooking at a comp is a world away from cooking in your driveway. I would like to thank Carl Williams from SmokingWilly Squealers for the great conversation and a little insight into the comp world I may not have seen. This festival is going to be a large event and in its 17 year and should be a blast for the whole family. The Fire Ant Festival has Friday night events so this will be our first attempt at our Sauce,Brunswick Stew and Chicken,all of these are Ambers specialties. Next weekend will be practice cook time again and I need it with the Pork Loinand work on the timing with the ribs... I will keep you guys posted...

24th out of 36 in Dublin

The Dublin contest was an adventure in fun and learning. We placed 24th with our highest score coming in Pulled Pork and our lowest in Pork Loin. Our ribs were really good but could have stayed on the smoker for another 30 mins and they would have been perfect. We had a GREAT radio interview with Darryl Mast of BBQ Superstars www.bbqsuperstars.com please go and take a listen under the Dublin interviews. I would like to thank Chuck Green of Greens electric for coming out and having a great weekend with us and for sponsoring the 57 Smokehouse BBQ team as well as the rest of the team. Amber assymbled all the turn in boxes and they were very professionally done. We met alot of good people we are friends with on Facebook and The BBQ Brethren, We had great neighbors in the teams of Kudzu Q and B&T BBQ teams(sorry if we got a little loud). Timing seemed to be our downfall this weekend and something that I will get better at with practice. I really want to thank my whole team for the effort and I promise we will bet better the futher we get into the season.

TEAM 57SMOKEHOUSE

Alan Walker-Head Cook
Amber Walker-Head Cook/Presentation
Chuck Green(Green Electric) Sponsor/inspiration and support
Bobby Wright-UDS Division/Right Hand Man
Kerry White-Beer and Ice Guy
Mitch Harris-True inspiration and the voice of reason
Cody King-practical jokes thats gonna get him killed
Mike Brown-Just Thank You for giving me the opportunity to make a dream a reality....Thanks Brother
Jill Walker- Photography and Designs