Smoking School


UTIA Smoking School logo_light background

The goal of this school is to help people better understand the techniques for successful smoking of their favorite meats, to be able to enjoy the process, and share with friends and family. The upcoming class to be held in 2025 will be announced at a later date and wait list is currently closed. Thank you for your interest and we look forward to having you in the next class.

Pitmasters

George Ewart
Dead-End BBQ
Knoxville, Tennessee

DEB-George-Smoking-School-1

Started his journey from neighborhood block parties to becoming a renowned pitmaster and educator in the world of barbecue is a testament to his passion and dedication to his craft. It all began with friends and neighbors recognizing his talent and urging him to enter BBQ competitions. Through hard work and determination, Dead-End BBQ and George rose to prominence, earning titles such as State Champions of Tennessee and representing the state at prestigious events like the Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue competition. However, George’s contributions extend beyond the realm of competition. He has become a mentor and educator, sharing his expertise with aspiring pitmasters and enthusiasts alike. Through classes and workshops hosted at Dead-End BBQ, George imparts his knowledge of fire, smoke, and grilling techniques to those eager to learn. His involvement in helping create the UTIA Smoking School demonstrates his commitment to fostering a community of barbecue aficionados and expanding the appreciation for this culinary art form. His dedication to teaching ensures that the tradition of barbecue continues to thrive, passing down techniques and secrets honed over years of experience to the next generation of pitmasters. George Ewart’s story is not just about barbecue—it’s about community, education, and a relentless pursuit of excellence in the world of smoked meats.

Blake Stoker
Blake’s at Southern Milling
Martin, Tennessee 

Blake Stoker

He jumped into the Texas BBQ scene in late 2015-early 2016 while a sophomore in college at Mississippi State University, after having been cooking on my Big Green Egg for about a year at the time. After taking a trip to the Austin, Texas, area in early January 2016 to check out some of the spots that he had been reading and hearing about in Aaron Franklin’s book “Meat Smoking Manifesto”, such as the great Franklin Barbecue in Austin and Louie Mueller BBQ in Taylor, Blake was immediately hooked. So hooked, that just a few months later in May of 2016, he opened a BBQ food trailer- Blake’s BBQ- in his hometown of Dresden while on summer break from college, cooking on two 500 gallon offset smokers freshly built out of old propane tanks and selling a mixture of both traditional Texas and Tennessee style smoked meat items (from Texas Brisket, Beef Ribs, and Pork Spareribs to Tennessee BBQ Bologna). As he continued  to run the BBQ food trailer business the following summer while back home on summer break, and after graduating from Mississippi State in December of 2017, he started running the food trailer full time. Then, fast forward 6 years, and the business had grown and transitioned into our current location in Martin, Tennessee, (home of UT Martin)- Blake’s at Southern Milling- which is a 140-seat brick-and-mortar restaurant featuring a full bar, in-house dessert/bakery division, with 2- 1,000 gallon propane tank-style offset smokers and 2 500 gallon propane tank-style offset smokers, and more.

Partnerships and Sponsors
Dead End BBQ Logo
Blakes

Bush's Beans Logo
Tennessee Beef Council Logo
Tennessee Pork Producer Association
2020 TPA Logo
TN Cattlemens Association
Anderson
US Foods
UT Creamery
  • UT BEEF AND FORAGE CENTER
  • UT EXTENSION
  • UT AGRESEARCH
  • HERBERT COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
  • DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
  • DEPARTMENT OF FOOD SCIENCE
  • DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL AND RESOURCE ECONOMICS
  • DEPARTMENT OF PLANT SCIENCES