How much cooking equipment for a comp?

[BigButzBBQ]

I'm planning on entering my first KCBS sanctioned contest. In the past, the contests we have done have been local all rib ones. Now, this has not been a problem due to being able to take our one tow behind rig and cook up as many as is needed. However, we are traveling a couple hours away this time and there is concern that we should not be taking our pull behind. Couple reasons, it's older and because of that we are always worried it's finally going to bust mid trip; the frame is an old boat trailer one which is strong but, the axle is a boat one with boat trailer tires on it. The thought did come up of trailering the rig but, that was met with some resistance.
Besides the old beast, I have 2 UDS, 1 mUDS, and a 22.5 OTG that are ready to travel anywhere. Also, if it was needed, I could potentially build another UDS before the contest.

The question is, what do you think is the minimum equipment one could cook with for a comp, if one planned to enter the standard 4 categories along with seafood, dessert, and mystery meat?

As a side not, both my UDS and the mUDS are two tiered.

 

[Full Draw BBQ]

I've seen guys compete with two UDS's or two WSM......so it can be done with pulling meat and holding in a dry cooler. I think you'll be fine. But another UDS is never a bad thing!!!!!

 

[Big Ugly's BBQ]

It not so much as too much equipment, but rather, what are your comfortable with and what provides you the most consistent with. If your practice and previous experiences are with a single cooker, then do that. The last thing you want to worry about is changing your processes, and whether the cookers you do bring will cook the way you are accustomed to.

 

[Dr_KY]

I'm a two unit Webber kettle and ProQ or UDS guy myself. I normally go with the ProQ as it's easier to fit in the car and the legs are removable from the Weber.

 

[Jorge]

I think you can do it on what you have available. The question is the same one posed by Chris. Have you cooked on it enough to be comfortable with the timing etc... If your big meats are running behind, will you be able to get the chicken and ribs done without putting yourself in a bind?

 

[Ron_L]

First, what competition?

Second, as long as you are comfortable with the UDS, I would suggest two UDS and the Kettle. Use one UDS for the big meats and the second for ribs and maybe chicken, or use the kettle for chicken. That way if the big meats are stubborn they are not using cooker space that you will need for the other meats.

As far as the extra categories, if turn in for those is on Friday night, then do them. The kettle will probably be useful for those. If the turn ins are on Saturday, forget them and concentrate on the main categories. You'll be so busy getting those turned in that you don't want to be distracted by the other stuff.

 

[jrbBBQ]

I had my first comp last weekend and used 2 wsm's and a kettle. I didn't have any issues.. as a matter of fact, I'm getting ready to load up my stuff and take off to another one this morning.

 

[early mornin' smokin']

We do it with a pro-q 20, (a little smaller than a 22 1/2 wsm), and 2 weber kettles. Sometimes a crappy side firebox chargriller also, but mostly only for holding stuff.

 

[BigButzBBQ]

First, what competition?

There is one at Canterbury Park, just South of Minneapolis June 10-11th. The buy in is $300 and the Prize Pool is $25,000. I think GC is supposed to get $4,500.

Second, as long as you are comfortable with the UDS, I would suggest two UDS and the Kettle. Use one UDS for the big meats and the second for ribs and maybe chicken, or use the kettle for chicken. That way if the big meats are stubborn they are not using cooker space that you will need for the other meats.

I think you can do it on what you have available. The question is the same one posed by Chris. Have you cooked on it enough to be comfortable with the timing etc... If your big meats are running behind, will you be able to get the chicken and ribs done without putting yourself in a bind?

I'm really comfortable with Cooking on the UDSs. And was thinking along the same lines of the big ones going in one UDS and the ribs going in another and the chicken going on the grill or in the UDS with the ribs.

As far as the extra categories, if turn in for those is on Friday night, then do them. The kettle will probably be useful for those. If the turn ins are on Saturday, forget them and concentrate on the main categories. You'll be so busy getting those turned in that you don't want to be distracted by the other stuff.

The extra categories are on Saturday before and after the regular turn ins. The only reason I had thought of doing them is because I will have enough assistants where I could delegate them off to those if I wanted to. Also had thought to maybe use the mUDS to do those categories. The seafood and mystery meat that is. I think the Dessert is getting skipped.

 

[Ron_L]

There is one at Canterbury Park, just South of Minneapolis June 10-11th. The buy in is $300 and the Prize Pool is $25,000. I think GC is supposed to get $4,500.

We thought about doing that one, but it's about 7 hours from here so we dropped it from our list.

The extra categories are on Saturday before and after the regular turn ins. The only reason I had thought of doing them is because I will have enough assistants where I could delegate them off to those if I wanted to. Also had thought to maybe use the mUDS to do those categories. The seafood and mystery meat that is. I think the Dessert is getting skipped.

As long as they don't distract you from what you are there to do

 

[monty3777]

I have tried a number of configurations. I have used a 24" Horizon, Fec 100, Wsm (both sizes). I have finally settled on two big WSMs. I think that's plenty of space so long as (I think Jorge mentioned this) your big meats are done in time and held properly.

 

[bbq lover]

tom your ugly drums will be fine also a kettle works just make sure you have some bottles of butz bbq sauce in the truck lol we use 2 drums and 2 pellet cookers an 1 22.5 weber so far working well for us

 

[CBQ]

It can done on two UDS's, but you really, really want to try doing a comp cook in real time at home first. Cooking four meats with different cooking times and getting them all to finish around the same time is something you need to try on your gear. You may have a lot of experience in cooking these individually, but they WILL interfere with each other, so you need to anticipate and plan for that.

 

[Rich Parker]

I use one drum for the big meats, another drum for ribs, and an older wsm for chicken. You will be fine with what you have.

Good luck! :thumb:

 

[BigButzBBQ]

Thanks for the input everyone. As a couple have mentioned, I do plan on doing a practice or two, if I can, before the comp. I know that timing is everything when it comes to getting your entries out in time, cooked properly, and looking good. Plan on typing up a schedule to follow also.

 

[Southern Home Boy]

I run two drums, an 18.5" ProQ and a kettle. If everything's ticking just right, I don't need anything more than the drums. The kettle is nice to pre-burn charcoal or to have a good direct heat source for finishing things, but it's not an essential. The ProQ is just there to be my back up if something goes wrong.

 

[Pigs on Fire]

There was a woman that cooked a full KCBS and turned in a Friday night ancillary at Canton, GA last October all on one 22" WSM.

I think she walked twice and ended up in the top-15 overall, out of 42 or so teams.

 

[monty3777]

There was a woman that cooked a full KCBS and turned in a Friday night ancillary at Canton, GA last October all on one 22" WSM.

I think she walked twice and ended up in the top-15 overall, out of 42 or so teams.

If she only cooked one full packer brisket I can see that working well.

 

[Pigs on Fire]

I suspect so. I bet most only cook one. Once you get to where you can turn out some decent brisket, I feel that's all you need to cook.

She did:

13 Chicken
6 Ribs
3 pork
20 Brisket

 

[RangerJ]

Cooked on 2 UDS for 2 years.

Can be done and they cook chicken just fine. Just need to plan to have your big meats in the cooler at a certain time. Not an issue with KCBS turn in times.

Good Luck!