# My 1st Competition starts tomorrow



## mike johnson (Jul 9, 2015)

I am entering my first competition. It is the South Sound BBQ Festival here in Washington State.  I will be cooking Brisket, BabyBacks, Chicken thighs,  Seafood and the open category (smoked meatloaf). I will be using my MES40 and propane Smoker Vault. I will be posting pictures throughout the event so keep an eye out for one stressed out smoker and the guy using it ;)


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## crankybuzzard (Jul 9, 2015)

Good luck and sweet smoke!

Looking forward to the pics and results!


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## mike johnson (Jul 10, 2015)

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__ mike johnson
__ Jul 10, 2015





I'm all set up and ready to go. The brisket is in.


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Jul 10, 2015)

Wow Mike, your gonna be a busy guy but you'll rock that comp !  Good luck to ya man !   Thumbs Up


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## b-one (Jul 10, 2015)

Best of luck! Looking forward to the results and post about your experience!


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## noboundaries (Jul 10, 2015)

Mike, have a ball, get the call, and win it all! 

Looking forward to the pics.  You're already a winner around here!

Ray


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## mike johnson (Jul 11, 2015)

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__ mike johnson
__ Jul 11, 2015





The ribs are in.


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## mneeley490 (Jul 11, 2015)

Good luck, Mike!  Ribs look good.

That's cool that they're letting you use an electric. The couple that I've checked into up here won't.


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## mike johnson (Jul 11, 2015)

As many of you know, today was my first ever BBQ Competition. I would like to start off with a BIG thank you, to my lovely wife for telling me that I should enter this and pushing me when I wasnt sure about entering.Today with her help and support, I am glad to announce that I placed in 4 of the 5 categories.in Chicken I came in 3rd place. In Brisket I came in 3rd place. In BabyBack Ribs I came in 1st place and in Seafood I came in 1st place. Because of this I am now the 2015 BackYard Joe GRAND CHAMPION. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






  I have many pictures that I will put up here, but for tonight its a shower and bed.


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## timstalltaletav (Jul 11, 2015)

God Damn!!!  Nice cook Mike!  Time to start planning your menu to defend your title next year!   Lol


Kudos!


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## JckDanls 07 (Jul 11, 2015)

A big GRATS to you...  As said above...  all the comps I have done..  no electrics or propane allowed...  but anyways..  I'm glad your wife pushed ya too...  I'm sure you will be making a trip to the E-room to see what that bite is on your leg as you have now been bitten by the "Comp Bug" ... 



:first:


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## JckDanls 07 (Jul 11, 2015)

better yet..  let me line em up for ya ... 

Ribs-  :first:

Seafood -  :first:

Chicken - :third:

Brisket -  :third:




Overall -  :congratulation_graphics_2:


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## sfprankster (Jul 11, 2015)

Congratz!!!


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## mneeley490 (Jul 11, 2015)

Very nice!


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## b-one (Jul 12, 2015)

Way to go! Can't wait to see the pics!:superjob:


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## skull fish (Jul 12, 2015)

:yahoo: That's crazy ! Awesome job my friend..


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## noboundaries (Jul 12, 2015)

Absolutely fantastic Mike!!!!


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Jul 12, 2015)

Nice job Mike !    Thumbs Up


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## mike johnson (Jul 12, 2015)

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__ mike johnson
__ Jul 12, 2015






This is my brisket entry. I love the smoke ring[emoji]128527[/emoji] I got in my electric smoker. That was very simple and I'm sure I will use it again. I will also raise the brisket higher so it doesn't look like it's sinking next time too.


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## smokin phil (Jul 12, 2015)

Mazel tov!! Good job!  See? Electrics CAN turn out some fine 'Q!!!


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## mike johnson (Jul 12, 2015)

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__ mike johnson
__ Jul 12, 2015


















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__ mike johnson
__ Jul 12, 2015





This is the Seafood that I made. It's a play in the abt but I used some of my home canned salmon with cream cheese for the filling. The peppers loked great for presentation, with the ends left in.


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## mike johnson (Jul 12, 2015)

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__ mike johnson
__ Jul 12, 2015


















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__ mike johnson
__ Jul 12, 2015





Here is me and my son preping the chicken I got third place in.


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## mike johnson (Jul 12, 2015)

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__ mike johnson
__ Jul 12, 2015





Here is my chicken. I marinated it in beer and my rub for an hour before replacing the skin I removed and scraped clean. I dipped it in the sauce after this pic but somehow we missed that picture.


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## mike johnson (Jul 12, 2015)

Here is my trophy and my two medals. I was still in shock and still am a bit. 













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__ mike johnson
__ Jul 12, 2015


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## mneeley490 (Jul 13, 2015)

Great job, Mike!


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## mummel (Jul 13, 2015)

HAHA AWESOME!


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## dougmays (Jul 13, 2015)

That's awesome Mike! Congrats!


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## humdinger (Jul 13, 2015)

Nice job Mike. That's a helluva finish for a comp rookie. Very inspiring. We have some fun comps around here, but I'm too afraid to enter b/c it might turn this smoking obsession of mine into a full blown addiction!


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## daveomak (Jul 13, 2015)

*2015 BackYard Joe GRAND CHAMPION*. :first: 


How cool is that.....   Congrats Mike !!!!


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## floridasteve (Jul 13, 2015)

Congratulations, Mike!


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## jcbigler (Jul 14, 2015)

NICE! Congrats. 

That trophy is almost as big as your son


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## mike johnson (Aug 10, 2015)

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__ mike johnson
__ Aug 10, 2015





These are the prizes I won during the competition.


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## daveomak (Aug 10, 2015)

Nice assortment of prizes....   Thumbs Up...  .Thumbs Up


My Bride would say, "And just where do you think THAT stuff is going ??"

and then I'd have to promise to build a "All things smoking" addition.....


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## mike johnson (Aug 10, 2015)

Oh believe me she is still asking where it's all going to go. I'm thinking about seeing if I can return most of it to cabelas to go towards a new smoker or pellet grill. I am keeping that dehydrater though.


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## pit of despair (Aug 10, 2015)

Mike,

First off Congratulations!  It's guy's like you that keep guy's like me trying harder.

Nice trophy, good prizes and great son.

Teddy


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## jcbigler (Aug 11, 2015)

Nice haul. 

The contest sponsors provided the other prizes I guess?


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## mike johnson (Aug 11, 2015)

It was a 150$ entry fee with 50$ back if you clean all your stuff up. I believe entry fee went to prizes with a little thrown in.


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## bmudd14474 (Aug 11, 2015)

Thats a great haul of goodies. Congrats Mike


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## intelops (Oct 5, 2015)

Amazing for first competition! Some nice prices too.


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## floridasteve (Oct 5, 2015)

What happened to the food you didn't send to the judges? Were you allowed to sell it on site to offset your costs?


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## mike johnson (Oct 5, 2015)

We couldn't sell it. I gave slot of samples away[emoji]128523[/emoji]


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## floridasteve (Oct 5, 2015)

Mike Johnson said:


> We couldn't sell it. I gave slot of samples away[emoji]128523[/emoji]



Kinda what I figured, but it's a shame the contestants didn't have the opportunity to recover their costs.


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