🔥 This episode is sponsored by Harder Charcoal & Exhibit Supply! 🔥

🔥 STORIES FROM THE SMOKE | Chapter One: Daryl "Sweetie" Walker

There's something special happening in barbecue—and it's bigger than what's happening on the grill.

Welcome to Stories From the Smoke, a new documentary series from The Black Smoke Barbecue Podcast that goes beyond the food to tell the stories of the people preserving, shaping, and advancing Black barbecue culture.

For our first chapter, Charlie and Tee traveled to Blenheim, South Carolina, for the Country Style Cookoff 2026, hosted by Art Fennell of @OriginalChannel06 While many came to capture the sights, sounds, and incredible food, we set out to capture something different—the conversations.

In this episode, we sit down with World Champion Pitmaster Daryl "Sweetie" Walker of Sweetie's BBQ @darylwalkersweetiesbarbq1707 an honest discussion about competition barbecue, faith, perseverance, mentorship, and what it means to represent Black pitmasters on some of the biggest stages in barbecue.

From his early memories around the family grill to competing across the country, Daryl shares the experiences, challenges, and mindset that have made him one of the most respected names in the sport today.

This is more than an interview.

This is the first chapter in a documentary series exploring the stories, traditions, and legacy of Black barbecue.

In this episode:

🔥 Daryl's journey from backyard barbecue to World Champion

🔥 Competition BBQ and the pursuit of excellence

🔥 Faith, perseverance, and overcoming adversity

🔥 Mentoring the next generation of pitmasters

🔥 Why the Country Style Cookoff has become a celebration of community and culture

Stories From the Smoke

A documentary series exploring the stories, traditions, and legacy of Black barbecue.

New chapters coming throughout the summer.

🎙️ The Black Smoke Barbecue Podcast

Hosted by Charlie and Tee

#CountryStyleCookoff #BlackSmokeBBQ #DarylWalker #SweetiesBBQ #CompetitionBBQ #Barbecue #Pitmaster #BBQCulture #BlackBarbecue #BBQPodcast #StoriesFromTheSmoke #bbq

00:00 Cinematic Opening

01:10 Meet World Champion Daryl Walker

03:20 Why Country Style Cookoff Is Different

06:05 Competition BBQ & Helping Others Win

08:40 Facing Challenges With Faith

13:30 Carrying the Torch for Black Pitmasters

17:10 Advice for the Next Generation

19:20 What's Next for Sweetie's BBQ

20:15 Final Thoughts

Harder Charcoal – The premium fuel for serious pitmasters. Whether you’re smoking low and slow or grilling hot and fast, Harder XL Briquets and Lump Charcoal deliver clean, consistent heat with that authentic wood-fired flavor.

👉 Use code BLACKSMOKE at checkout for a discount on your order!

🌐 https://www.hardercharcoal.com

Exhibit Supply – Trusted by food vendors, BBQ teams, and event pros nationwide. From heavy-duty canopies to custom food tents, Exhibit Supply keeps your setup looking sharp and built to last.

🌐 https://www.exhibitsupply.com

👉🏽 Before you do anything else — check out the site below!🎙️ The Black Smoke Barbecue Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/BlackSmokeBarbecue

📲 Connect With Us

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/blacksmokebarbecue/

TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@blacksmokebarbecue

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🔥 This episode is sponsored by Harder Charcoal & Exhibit Supply! 🔥

🔥 Episode 99 – Tony McNeill Jr. (T Nasty's BBQ)

What separates a backyard cook from someone who truly understands barbecue?

In this episode of The Black Smoke Barbecue Podcast, Brandon, T-Dubb, Alton, Charlie, and special guest Tony McNeill Jr. of @tnasty7711 BBQ dive into the details that most people never think about when it comes to barbecue.

From airflow and pit design to fire management, custom smoker builds, reverse flow cookers, Texas barbecue influences, and the skills required to master live-fire cooking, Tony shares decades of hard-earned knowledge and experience.

The conversation explores why understanding your pit matters, how fire behaves inside different smokers, what makes certain cookers perform better than others, and why mastering the fundamentals is still the foundation of great barbecue.

Topics include:

🔥 Fire management and live-fire cooking

🔥 Building custom offset smokers

🔥 Reverse flow smoker pros and cons

🔥 Airflow, heat movement, and pit design

🔥 Texas barbecue influences

🔥 Country Style Cookoff culture

🔥 What it means to be a pitmaster

🔥 Learning through experience and repetition

🔥 Supporting the barbecue community

Whether you're cooking on an offset, kettle, drum, gravity-fed cooker, or pellet grill, this episode is packed with barbecue knowledge that can help improve your craft.

👇 Join the conversation:

What's the most important barbecue skill you've learned?

🎙️ Subscribe to The Black Smoke Barbecue Podcast

📺 Watch our full episode playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-o5Ge4Yk6JPytAP5Tx-wnChlU4rcZ6-l

Harder Charcoal – The premium fuel for serious pitmasters. Whether you’re smoking low and slow or grilling hot and fast, Harder XL Briquets and Lump Charcoal deliver clean, consistent heat with that authentic wood-fired flavor.

👉 Use code BLACKSMOKE at checkout for a discount on your order!

🌐 https://www.hardercharcoal.com

Exhibit Supply – Trusted by food vendors, BBQ teams, and event pros nationwide. From heavy-duty canopies to custom food tents, Exhibit Supply keeps your setup looking sharp and built to last.

🌐 https://www.exhibitsupply.com

👉🏽 Before you do anything else — check out the site below!🎙️ The Black Smoke Barbecue Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/BlackSmokeBarbecue

📲 Connect With Us

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/blacksmokebarbecue/

TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@blacksmokebarbecue

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/blacksmokebarbecue

🔥 This episode is sponsored by Harder Charcoal & Exhibit Supply! 🔥

What does it really mean to be a Pitmaster?

In this episode of The Black Smoke Barbecue Podcast, Darren Carter of @CartersBBQ216 the crew to tackle one of the most debated topics in barbecue today: the overuse of the title "Pitmaster."

With social media making barbecue more popular than ever, many backyard cooks, influencers, and content creators are quick to claim the title. But Darren argues that mastering fire, understanding the craft, respecting the history, and putting in years of work are what truly separate a barbecue cook from a Pitmaster.

The conversation dives into:

🔥 Fire management and live-fire cooking

🔥 Pellet grills vs traditional barbecue methods

🔥 Social media influence in barbecue

🔥 Why experience matters

🔥 The difference between convenience and craftsmanship

🔥 Respecting barbecue's history and traditions

🔥 Why everybody isn't a Pitmaster

Whether you cook on an offset, kettle, drum, gravity-fed cooker, pellet grill, or open fire, this episode will definitely make you think.

👇🏾 Join the conversation in the comments:

What do YOU think makes someone a Pitmaster?

0:00 Intro & B-Roll

1:30 Welcome Back Darren Carter

2:35 Why Everybody Calls Themselves a Pitmaster

3:23 Darren's Definition of a True Pitmaster

5:16 Fire, Meat & Barbecue Fundamentals

7:33 "We Are Not The Same" – The Traeger Story

8:02 Social Media, Influencers & BBQ Credentials

10:13 Why Darren Calls Himself a Barbecue Cook

11:25 Everybody Wants To Be a Chef Too

12:33 Pellet Grills and the Pitmaster Debate

14:54 Respecting the Craft

16:06 What Actually Makes Someone a Pitmaster?

18:19 Fire Management 101

20:12 Learning The Basics Before Technology

21:04 Meeting People Where They Are

23:51 BBQ Gadgets, Meat Probes & Convenience

25:13 Everybody Wants The Title, Not The Work

26:17 Instant Gratification Culture

27:11 Social Currency & BBQ Fame

29:29 Why Credentials Matter

31:44 Final Thoughts

33:35 Dry Brining, Boiled Ribs & Outro

Harder Charcoal – The premium fuel for serious pitmasters. Whether you’re smoking low and slow or grilling hot and fast, Harder XL Briquets and Lump Charcoal deliver clean, consistent heat with that authentic wood-fired flavor.

👉 Use code BLACKSMOKE at checkout for a discount on your order!

🌐 https://www.hardercharcoal.com

Exhibit Supply – Trusted by food vendors, BBQ teams, and event pros nationwide. From heavy-duty canopies to custom food tents, Exhibit Supply keeps your setup looking sharp and built to last.

🌐 https://www.exhibitsupply.com

👉🏽 Before you do anything else — check out the site below!🎙️ The Black Smoke Barbecue Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/BlackSmokeBarbecue

📲 Connect With Us

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/blacksmokebarbecue/

TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@blacksmokebarbecue

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/blacksmokebarbecue