The Yoder Smokers Manufacturing Facility

I recently had the privilege of making a road trip to tour the Yoder Smokers manufacturing facility up in Yoder, KS.  It was really fun to see where some of the finest grills and smokers are designed, tested, and produced.  I got the spend the day with Don Cary and Joe Phillips of Yoder Smokers, Andy Groneman from Smoke on Wheels BBQ, and Rob Green from Smokingpit.com.

We started off our tour watching some testing of the YS640 and YS480 pellet grills, alongside some of the competition from Green Mountain Grills and Traeger.  After watching the logging of data for about two hours, I am reaffirmed that the folks at Yoder build a superior product.  Here's some shots from the test area.

The Yoders (in the background) stacked up next to the Traeger and GMG (foreground)

Here's Joe and Andy watching the test data coming in

It was a real treat to see the attention to detail that goes into the development of the software for the Yoder pellet grills.  Joe has worked incredibly hard over the last year to fine tune all aspects of the grill.  His passion for great BBQ really shows in how the Yoder pellet grill performs.

After the watching the testing, we had the chance to see how it all comes together in their manufacturing area.  It was a great pleasure to see true American craftsmanship still exists.  Here's some shots of these pits getting assembled.

Made in the USA by American hands

Some cooking chambers ready for final assembly

Assembled grills ready for the finishing touches

Control boards...the brains of the pellet grill

All their pits are modeled in software to ensure everything goes together seamlessly

I was also able to catch a glimpse of the new Yoder Smokers charcoal grill.  The same attention to detail and craftsmanship went into this grill as with their offset wood smokers and pellet grills.  Folks that like to grill over hot coals will want to check this out when it is made available.

The Yoder Smokers charcoal grill with adjustable charcoal tray and all the cooking  surface you will ever need

Overall it was a very fun day, shared with friends with a real passion for great BBQ.  I finished off the day taking a cooking class from Andy Groneman on how to get the most out of your pellet grill at All Things BBQ.  I received some great tips and recipes for pellet grill cooking.  If you are ever in the Wichita area when he is offering a cooking class at All Things BBQ, be sure to sign up for one.  Andy has a wealth of knowledge from the BBQ circuit that will really help you step up your game when it comes to the grill or smoker.

Next time, I'll let you all know how my attempt at smoking shrimp turns out.  You definitely don't want to miss that.

Pork Chops with Sauteed Apples and Onions

I had the chance to try out Sweetwater Spice Company's Smoked Apple Spice Butt and Rib Bath on some pork chops.  As was the case with other Sweetwater products, this brine was no disappointment.  The Butt and Rib Bath has some great flavors in the ingredients list, like ancho chilies, cinnamon, cumin, and celery seed to name a few.

After brining the chops for 45 minutes, I grilled them up on the Yoder pellet grill until they were done to my liking.  I finished off the chops with some sauteed apples and onions.  This really complimented the pork with both sweet and savory flavors.  The chops were incredibly juice and flavorful from hanging out in the brine.  Here's how it all looked.

Stay tuned for my next post where I will detail my experiences of touring the Yoder Smokers manufacturing facility.  It was a real treat to see where some of the finest crafted smokers are born.