how did smokin in the bogs go for me?

[tennispro]

This was my 1st KCBS contest since 2008. My team Not Quite Yet BBQ (my wife and I) had a great time. I felt it was well run and a great venue for a contest.

With the last minute addition of a peoples choice pork category I had to get up and started earlier then I wanted to. I had the pit going at 3:30 am. While getting things ready I heard something messing around on the outside of my pop up. I walk around the corner and am 5' from a skunk:shock: I run the other way as fast as he ran away. Someway I did not get sprayed.
I was not happy with my performance but the scores were okay. I way overcooked my ribs and still pulled a 161.7 not great but okay considering it took 3 slabs to find 6 to turn in. I also overcooked my pork and managed a 165.7. Brisket and chicken turned out good but not enough flavor.

All in all great times, and congrats to smokehouse 72 on their first GC:clap2:

[K-Train]

Good job, and congrats on avoiding a spraying

[mobow]

Sounds like that was close. Skunk spray in your camp would have been a difficult challenge to work with. Keith

[Shotgun]

We had a similar incident last year, but is one of favorite contests.
More reasons than one now. Thanks

[JDQ]

Congrats to Smokehouse 72. If and when the Burnita BBQ Boys win our first GC, we'll be doing a team hug just like you guys did. That was great.

We had a great time, too. Weather was good and we thought we had a good cook. After we received our disappointing results, we learned that there were "celebrity" judges being used and, when asked, the KCBS Rep said he thought there were "about 30" CBJs judging meat. Since he did not know (or wouldn't say) the exact number, we assume the number was probably more like 25.

Although we love to compete, Warrens is too far, the cost is too high and the effort is too much to expend when CBJs are not involved...especially when they are available and offering their services, and they are still turned away because the organizer or Rep wants to use them as "gophers".

When our team gathers to discuss next year's competition schedule we are going to base much of our decision on whether or not "celebrities" will be judging.

JDQ

[Coz]

1/3 of the judges were celebrity and 1st time cbjs and the organizer was also judging instead of running the contest.

[carlyle]

Wow! those bog skunks are bad dudes! Glad nobody got sprayed or worse.

I guess I will just say that there are other ways to give celebrity or VIP's a judging
experience.

I really don't know if there are any stats on how much difference an all cbj panel

vs. a mixed panel of VIP's and cbj's makes in the scores. Has that comparison ever been done?

With the same group of cooks at the same time with both groups getting meat out the

same cook on the smokers?

Somebody somewhere sometime needs to to that test.

There is sure a perception in a lot of people's minds, including me, that a mixed panel

makes it a lot easier for judging to not be fair for everyone.

OK, how's this - how did the new score sheets turn out? Were there hot tables, were

there cold tables??? Could you tell if there were judges who were consistently off

compared the the rest of their table?? I have not actually seen one of the new score

print outs, so I am not sure what you can glean out of them.

Would like to hear some comment about that.

[Coz]

Table 6 was the kill table other then Joe winning brisket if you had table 6 it wasn't good. 2 celebs and the organizer were seated at this table according to a couple of judges who were there . There were other issues in the non kcbs portion of this deal also. Some days knowing less sure would make it better .

[Scottie]

If you win, celebrity judges are the best. If you lose they suck...

Congrats to the Smokehouse guys on their GC.

[Coz]

I am not blaming my poor cook on celeb judges just don't understand why the organizer left out cbjs so he could judge.

[WineMaster]

Is the organizer a CBJ also?
If not, Im sure he is more than qualified to give a fair score to entries.

[Vindii]

Maybe its more common than I know about but if your competing in a KCBS event there should be CBJ judges. That's what the sanctioning is for. Not sure if its the reps responsibility to make sure there are judges or the organizer but in my mind is BS. KCBS standard for competition BBQ are different than more backyard BBQ'er.

I think I'd be pissed if I paid an enter fee's and they didn't have good judges. I can see one or two but 1/3 is not right.

Lots a mixed reviews of this contest.

[carlyle]

Vindii- it is totally up to the organizer to get the judges. And to decide if there will be

non cbj judges or not. The Reps are there to oversee and administer the rules. Lining up

judges is a crucial part of the organizers responsibility.

And you are right, having good, fair judges is part of the reputation that any contest has.

On the flip side, I have seen plenty of griping and belly aching right here on the Brethren about the judging at contest that were 100% CBJ. So just having certified
judges does not automatically guarantee that the results will make everyone happy.
All of us need to keep that in mind. Especially when people are dissecting disappointing
results in hindsight.

Having a sizable percentage of non certified judges sure makes a handy and obvious target. Doesn't it?

[Fat Freddy]

Maybe I am reading too much into some of what is written so far but I have a slightly different take on what I am reading, hopefully it is just the wording.

This is a contest that I wanted to do this year but it didnt work out so I planned on doing it next year. Then my buddies from Smokehouse 72 won GC. Just from a standpoint of"way to go" I wanted to do it more next year. I really like the reps and I know that it should be a well run contest with Ron and Dena as reps.

The part that kinda gets me is the "celebrity" judges. To me that is different than just a non certified judge. I think a non CBJ can be told the basics on judging and thye will actually listen. In all honesty what would we rather have a 1st time CBJ or a non CBJ that may have jusdged 4-5 contests? But a "celebrity" judge MAY come in and not take things seriously, maybe they HAVE to be there so they dont care or whatever.

I have done contests with 100% CBJ's and we wonder what the heck a certain judge was thinking(pork appearance score at last contest I did 9,5,9,8,9,9) and I have done contests without 100%CBJ's and my scores have been very consistent.

So like I say my only issue would be with "celebrity" judges just because we dont know why they would be there and so from that judge would we be scored fairly.

Again congrats to Smokehouse 72 and everyone that heard their name called and next year I hope to see you.

[Vindii]

Vindii- it is totally up to the organizer to get the judges. And to decide if there will be

non cbj judges or not. The Reps are there to oversee and administer the rules. Lining up

judges is a crucial part of the organizers responsibility.

And you are right, having good, fair judges is part of the reputation that any contest has.

On the flip side, I have seen plenty of griping and belly aching right here on the Brethren about the judging at contest that were 100% CBJ. So just having certified
judges does not automatically guarantee that the results will make everyone happy.
All of us need to keep that in mind. Especially when people are dissecting disappointing
results in hindsight.

Having a sizable percentage of non certified judges sure makes a handy and obvious target. Doesn't it?

I see. Seem like if the KCBS is sanctioning the event they should handle the judges also. Kind of what the sanctioning is for isn't it? Keeping thing fair and even (as much as they can).

[Stoke&Smoke]

I have personally never had the experience of a skunk appearing at a bbq comp, and hope that streak continues!:pray:

surprised it doesn't happen more though, they'll eat about anything!

[tennispro]

I have personally never had the experience of a skunk appearing at a bbq comp, and hope that streak continues!:pray:

surprised it doesn't happen more though, they'll eat about anything!

I was in the process of taking my butts and brisket out of the plastic wrap. It must have smelled the rub and meat juices.

The best part is getting yelled at for waking up my wife when I ran into our cabin:blah: