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TBS-BBQ
06-28-2011, 11:44 AM
Nervous as a whore in church! Me and a buddy are entering a local comp this weekend. We have to do pork butt, ribs, and brisket. This could be the start of a new addiction for me. We will be using a combination of an electric smoker, a CharGrill offset, and my UDS (if I can get it done). Any words of wisdom from those that have gone before? It started as a "well, let's see how we do" and has changed to " hell, we're gonna win this thing".:becky:

Rich Parker
06-28-2011, 11:57 AM
Make sure you read the rules and get the meat done in time and have fun.

TBS-BBQ
06-28-2011, 12:02 PM
It's a pretty loose competition compared to what I've read on here. As long as the meat is still packaged at the beginning, no pre-treating, it's good. After that, pretty much anything goes as long as you prepare it on site.

Harbormaster
06-28-2011, 12:09 PM
We will be using a combination of an electric smoker, a CharGrill offset, and my UDS (if I can get it done).

Make sure the electric smoker is allowed for the comp. They are not allowed in KCBS events.

Other than that set attainable goals, keep your eye on the clock, and have fun!

Fatback Joe
06-28-2011, 12:15 PM
What they said.........get your turn ins on time and have fun.

And remember.......it's just cooking BBQ, don't make it harder than it has to be.

Good luck!

jcpetro97
06-28-2011, 12:17 PM
Good luck, and be sure to come back and tell us about your experience...

TBS-BBQ
06-28-2011, 12:37 PM
Make sure the electric smoker is allowed for the comp. They are not allowed in KCBS events.

Other than that set attainable goals, keep your eye on the clock, and have fun!

This isn't a "sanctioned" event. We've asked about the electric and they said it was allowed. We're going to allow plenty of time and let it rest in a cooler if needed.

Big George's BBQ
06-28-2011, 12:44 PM
Most important Have a Great Time. Some teams in their first Comps tend to drink too much and then they tank their meats. Have fun and post pics if you can

Fatback Joe
06-28-2011, 12:48 PM
Some teams in their first Comps tend to drink too much and then they tank their meats.

Some still do it after 10. :icon_blush:

Big Ugly's BBQ
06-28-2011, 12:51 PM
To echo what has been said already, the most important thing is to have a great experience and alot of fun. Have a timeline and follow it, can't go wrong if you have practiced and know what has to happen at/by a certain time.

It would be hypocritical for me to say dont drink the night before, so I'll say this, enjoy yourself, BUT remember why you are there. Plenty of time Saturday night and Sunday to kill brain cells.

Let us know how it went and as George said, food pron is always welcomed. Good Luck!!! I have a idea that you will be doing this more and more. It only takes one time to get the "sickness"............

smalls65
06-28-2011, 12:58 PM
Take a deep breath, stay focused, and most of all HAVE FUN!!!! Good Luck Bro!!! :thumb:

riblette
06-28-2011, 01:05 PM
Welcome to the fray!!!

I agree with everything above.

Stick to your plan!!!!

Best advice I ever received was from Darry Smith from Smitty’s Smoke Patrol: If you are married, or in a relationship, whatever your budget is; double it. For every $ you spend on BBQ you will need to spend another $ for jewelry. :-D

Good Luck!!!!

SteerCrazy
06-28-2011, 01:42 PM
What they said. #1 rule in BBQ is have fun. good luck!

big brother smoke
06-28-2011, 02:40 PM
Map out the day time wise!

gitrdone564
06-28-2011, 02:48 PM
We just finished our 2nd KCBS comp last weekend and we tanked for the 2nd time because we didn't keep it simple. Que like you que at home. If it's good at home, it'll be good at the comp. A lesson I hope to learn for the next comp.

mobow
06-28-2011, 08:00 PM
write down your process step by step and the times that things need done. Follow your plan but be prepared to make adjustments as needed and have fun. keith

Hogtie N' Ride
06-29-2011, 01:12 PM
As above, the biggest thing to help minimize mistakes and allow time to have fun is to have a schedule. Most meats hold heat well in a cooler for a couple hours (Cambro is better if you have them), so you can back your schedule up to have the meat done ahead and get some breathing room. It will continue to cook (and tenderize), so keep an eye on your temps.

For my judging freinds, never turn in undercooked / raw meat, take the hit, just like shooting a gun, it's not worth risking someones safety. Seems like a no-brainer, but it happens, especially if you are rushing (buck fever thing).

Have a check list for when you pack, sucks to get to a comp and be missing things, like your cooker or charcoal or even worse, your beer.

Good luck and have fun!!!!

Jason TQ
06-29-2011, 05:04 PM
I'm going to go a little against the grain here and say drink as much as humanly possible and don't worry about time at all :-P. Just kidding. While we don't have a written timeline down we do make sure to have the butts/brisket done an hour or 2 early. It is very nice to have them wrapped in a cooler and then you can focus on the things that get done closer to the actual turn in times like ribs and chicken. It can be tough when everything is getting done at once.

Meat Burner
06-29-2011, 05:33 PM
TBS, good luck brother. We are all here pulling for you, first of all, to have a good time. Just my opinion, a written plan is the most valuable tool we have in the toolbox. Obviously, you will not have it all down pat but it should be the best guide since you are going to be a little nervous and a list will help you keep focused. If possible, don't change things at the comp....stay with your plan and allow a little extra time for everything. STICK WITH YOUR PLAN!!!! The first thing I do after the last turn-in is pot a cold one and wipe the sweat off my brow. You have earned it by then. Have a great time bro and let us know how it comes out.

Rub
06-29-2011, 06:14 PM
Make sure to report back on how it went - good, bad, or ugly.

HarleyGirl14226
06-29-2011, 08:23 PM
Our goal is only to get our turn ins on time... And to have fun. :-)

worthsmokin
06-29-2011, 11:58 PM
Practice, Practice, Practice, and have fun. It is addictive, you will start out small then drop a lot of coin. No matter what the outcome of your scores are just remember that you had fun.

Sticks-n-chicks
06-30-2011, 08:21 AM
Have Fun, what helped me was to write down your cook steps and note any equipment you would use and that is your load list. Talk the list out several times with your team to make sure you have everything you need.

Good Luck!

Wampus
06-30-2011, 08:30 AM
Map out the day time wise!


This is the biggest thing that I learned this past weekend at my first competition helping out a team. Jimmy had the whole schedule written out and in his pocket. We worked off of it and everything went EXACTLY as planned. I'm not sure why, but I'd never have thought of this on my own. With staggered turn in times, I'd say this is a HUGE thing.

Start at your turn in times and work backwards for each meat. Then put it all together and make sure it's doable. Then STICK to it.


Other than that, I'd think that not being that worked up about winning it all is a good idea too. Optimism is great, but don't set yourself up for disappointment.


NOTE: I am NOT a proffesional competitor, but have only helped out at one comp and have hung out at 2 others with various teams. Just saying what I've picked up so far.

CBQ
06-30-2011, 09:04 AM
Start at your turn in times and work backwards for each meat. Then put it all together and make sure it's doable. Then STICK to
It. ...
NOTE: I am NOT a proffesional competitor, but have only helped out at one comp and have hung out at 2 others with various teams. Just saying what I've picked up so far.

Still good advice. You will know your schedule is right when you are sitting around during turns in with nothing to do. This happened to us about the same time we started winning stuff. I don't think is was a coincidence.

TBS-BBQ
06-30-2011, 10:30 AM
My initial schedule is as follows:
8# pork - turn in at 2 pm, start cooking NLT 2 am
11# brisket - turn in at 4 pm, start cooking NLT midnight
ribs - turn in at 3 pm, start cooking NLT 7am

I think this will work, all my stuff usually cooks faster than I expect. I'll be sure and report back with the good, the bad, and the ugly. The comp starts July 3 and ends July 4. I'll try to get pics and figure out how to post them. Thanks for all the advice. Hope everyone has a great 4th.

jcpetro97
06-30-2011, 11:23 AM
Good Luck TBS. Can't wait to hear about your experience...

TBS-BBQ
07-05-2011, 10:48 AM
:clap2: Well, it's over and...........................we got third overall! We won first in ribs, third in brisket, and sixth in pulled pork. We couldn't believe it. Thanks to all the suggestions and guidance from here. We set a timeline and were done with all the meat resting in a cooler by 2 hours prior to turn in. That's a little long, but we'll adjust that in the future. I'll post pron as soon as I get the pics, but I had to let everyone know. There will be lots of questions in the future. We learned alot and found quite a bit to change, but it was a blast.

Lake Dogs
07-05-2011, 11:15 AM
Rutt Roh Sraggy. . . . welcome to our sickness . . .


Congrats!!!

TBS-BBQ
07-05-2011, 11:23 AM
Rutt Roh Sraggy. . . . welcome to our sickness . . .


Congrats!!!

NO DOUBT!!!!!! I've already planned to sell one trailer so I can buy an enclosed to have a better setup. Gonna have to buy the wife alot of jewelery.:doh:

boogiesnap
07-05-2011, 11:43 AM
congrats!

Rich Parker
07-05-2011, 11:44 AM
:clap2: Well, it's over and...........................we got third overall! We won first in ribs, third in brisket, and sixth in pulled pork. We couldn't believe it. Thanks to all the suggestions and guidance from here. We set a timeline and were done with all the meat resting in a cooler by 2 hours prior to turn in. That's a little long, but we'll adjust that in the future. I'll post pron as soon as I get the pics, but I had to let everyone know. There will be lots of questions in the future. We learned alot and found quite a bit to change, but it was a blast.

Two hours in a cambro or cooler isn't bad at all for the pork and brisket. I try to have mine rest 3 - 4 hours just to make sure everything is done on time and resting.

jcpetro97
07-05-2011, 12:29 PM
Congratulations!!

bmanMA
07-05-2011, 12:43 PM
NO DOUBT!!!!!! I've already planned to sell one trailer so I can buy an enclosed to have a better setup. Gonna have to buy the wife alot of jewelery.:doh:

Good call. Get a AC unit and you will be styling.
Me.... ? I still am in a utility trailer and tents. Would love the upgrade.
Congrats and welcome to the club.

TBS-BBQ
07-05-2011, 01:41 PM
Good call. Get a AC unit and you will be styling.
Me.... ? I still am in a utility trailer and tents. Would love the upgrade.
Congrats and welcome to the club.

We ended up on cots, under the stars, because we didn't plan for rain and had to use one of our pop ups to cover the cookers when clouds rolled in.:shock: Lesson learned.

Big Ugly's BBQ
07-05-2011, 01:48 PM
Congrats!!! Glad to hear you did so well.

If you are looking for a good enclosed trailer, get ahold of James Stephens at Extreme BBQ Trailers. Great investment, if you are serious about doing this for a while. We typically do 20-25 a year, and having the AC is really nice, keeps us from wearing out on those miserable days.

AND if you need a selling point to the wife, tell her its a real nice place to sleep. Off the ground and away from the critters...........

riblette
07-05-2011, 02:12 PM
We learned alot and found quite a bit to change, but it was a blast.

Congrats!!! :clap2::clap2::clap2:

That's a great finish, new team or not! Don't go changing a bunch of stuff now! you might wanna see if you can repeat the results before you start mixing it up...sounds like you're on to something...stick with it!! :thumb:

Cheers,

Riblette

Big George's BBQ
07-06-2011, 01:30 PM
Congrats :clap2::clap2:

worthsmokin
07-06-2011, 07:40 PM
Congrtats! Like posted above, you are hooked. Although you had fun and did very good, I would do a few more before you make a huge purchase on a trailer. Keep it small for a few more comps then see if you still enjoy it.