Judging: Among The Brethren.

To second what Squeel Appeal noted, as have others previously, I arrive about an hour before the judges sign-in time. I enjoy walking around the cooking area and breathing deeply. If only Yankee Candle could create what you cooking teams do in the way of pleasant scent. If I make eye contact with anyone, I usually say "Good morning" or "Good luck." It is only good manners and is acceptable to KCBS. If for some reason the conversation appears to want to be continued, I'll make the comment that if its okay with the team involved, I'll be back after the scoring is completed. This always seems acceptable as both sides know the rules.

I've been competing and judging in the PNWBA for the last six years and we have implemented a great bar-coding system for the boxes which makes it impossible for anyone to know who's box is who's. In addition we taste each meat individually so there's no comparing entries. I think that most judges are very careful to judge fairly. There is always one or two out there you can't control.

I have been judging for two years and hanging out on turn in day is a no no. The rules state that judges may not fraternize with teams on turn in day until conclusion of judging.Thats it. I have seen judges talking to teams on turn in day before judging , but not in the team area. Personally, I will pass on this. I like to talk to the teams the evening before and have a good time. I make sure that I do not have my judge shirts on. I also do not eat there food that is the same as there turn in food. Many judges visit with teams if they are in town the evening before. They just don't avertise it. I agree that commen sense will prevail.

The only exception that I will make on the morning of turn ins if while walking thru the pit areas to get to the judging area is if anyone says good morning to myself or my wife. I will usually reply "good morning and good luck" and keep walking. Its comes down to manners, will I go into the pits nope I save that for when the judging is over with. I have seen judges walk by and ignore the cookers or just plain put thier hands up to stop the conversation.

I judged my first comp this last weekend at Chesapeake and thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't go speak to the teams before the judging, but I did talk to the ones I knew and wanted to know after wards.


I was amazed at the number of judges that didn't know any of the teams and didn't go talk to them after the judging. I think the teams are great and very approachable. I enjoy talking to them and look forward to the day when I'm competing. I'm not in a position now to have my own team and my job doesn't allow me to plan on attending competitions except for the last minute.

I will continue to judge until I can cook on my own team and help on a team if I can't judge.

I did my first judging in Wildwood NJ this past weekend. I made a point of trying to say hello to all the Brethren competing there that weekend. I did this on Saturday before the Sunday turn in. On judging day I went to the judging tent and signed in. Did not leave the tent till judging was completed. After the experience of my first judging I do not see any way that there could be cheating by the judges. I am not a competition BBQ'er but do a lot of smoking and grilling for friends and family. After the judging was completed I walked around again to say hello to my fellow Brethren. My wife was with me and we both had a wonderful time.

Been judging for a while now (KCBS, MBN, and North Carolina Pork Council) and just wanted to say that I'd never visit with a cooking team the day of the competition - before the competition! A curteous "Hey!" or something is acceptable, but no detailed discussion of their meat, cooker, technique, or anything else is right.

Just my two cents. Those who do "fraternize" give the rest of us a bad name. I've never been able to tell one team's Q from another as they do a GREAT job in concealing the identity of the teams on the boxes.

wsm said:

This thread is making me think that when I get a Brethern hat/shirt, I won't wear it while judging, and while visiting on Friday night, I shall not wear judging gear.

Its all about perceptions and if one is not simultaneously perceived as a judge and as a Brethern, one is not suspected of doing anything wrong.

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Judging gear? what is judging gear? Teeth? lol

(just being funny)

On a more serious note. I have only been judging with the PNWBA since I took the class earlier this year.. I agree, it would be very difficult if not impossible for a judge to know who''s is who''s. I love to see what they are doing, say hi. but. I never go into the cooks area on the day of the contest. I wouldn't want even the hint of any wrongdoing to taint my credibility as a judge. Even if I did know who had cooked the dish I would give it an honest score because as someone has said earlier. If you don't get an honest answer you can't make adjustments to correct your Q to be a prize winner in the future. I am a cook and I always want people to tell me what they REALLY think, otherwise I'll cook it that way again. And if you didn't like it the first time I doubt you will like it any better next time,, lol
Great thread.
Thanks Poob
Gary

This has been a good read for me. Just completed the judges training, and will judge mt first comp 26 Feb 2011.

Squeel Appeal said:

The only exception that I will make on the morning of turn ins if while walking thru the pit areas to get to the judging area is if anyone says good morning to myself or my wife. I will usually reply "good morning and good luck" and keep walking. Its comes down to manners, will I go into the pits nope I save that for when the judging is over with. I have seen judges walk by and ignore the cookers or just plain put thier hands up to stop the conversation.

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There's absolutely nothing wrong with being civil towards each other - the spirit of the rule is that no information should be exchanged between any of the teams and the judges. The letter of the rule is written to be as simple and clear as possible. I don't see anything wrong at all with wishing each other a good morning.

And that's what I will do at a comp we judge. I learned from Rookie Dave that there are times you can say hi, there are times you should just stay away, and there are times you'll be too busy to talk!

I think it was best explained to us during the judges meeting at the Blue Springs Blaze-Off this year. In respect to hanging out in the competition area on turn-in day, as long as you're walking you're just an observer. As soon as you stop to talk you're fraternizing. As much as I like to cuss and discuss things with my fellow meat artists, when I'm judging I just stay away completely on Saturday.

bingo1912 said:

Judging gear? what is judging gear? Teeth? lol

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MOST CBJs can be distinguished by the hat or vest or jacket or whatever they put all of their comp pins on. Also, most KCBS CBJs wear their burgandy-colored CBJ shirt or their royal blue Master Barbecue Judge shirt. Almost ALL judges also wear a "Judge" badge hung around their neck or pinned onto their clothes. ALL of these items are considered "Judging gear".

Just saying... :-D

Judging Class

I am headed to my first KCBS judging class here in Omaha and I am pretty excited about it. I have helped at a few competitions and what to see the other side of how the judging side works from the tastes to the presentation of boxes. For those of you who have taken these classes, are the worth the money?

Thanks,
Mossyoak

I really enjoy being a judge, the only drawback is the judges meeting which turns out to be more like the judges class all over again, however it is necessary because there are a lot of judges that haven't judged for a while so the refresher can be a good thing.
I am originally took the judging class so I would know what the judges were looking for, now I know how far I have to go as far as my BBQ goes. It has been very enlightening for me, as well as rewarding. I would say the class is very much worth it.
Good luck and welcome.
:grin:

mossyoak said:

For those of you who have taken these classes, are the worth the money?
Thanks,
Mossyoak

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Yes, I think that the class is worth the money. That being said, the class will only give you an overview of the rules & the judging process.
Your real learning will start at your first contest after you've finished scoring the chickie, or what ever else might be the first catagory that day. Then you will hear the other judges at your table talk quietly amongst themselves about what you have just tasted: "What did you think about #2 ..... #4 tasted salty and raw ..... #3 was one of the best that I've ever had ....." and so on. Listen to what the others are saying. You might dissagree but you will have some idea of how the other judges scored each entry & why.
For my first 4 or 5 contests I told my Table Captain that I was a new judge & asked if he / she would keep an eye on my scores & let me know if I was way off from the other judges. I didn't want to be giving 6s & 7s if the others were giving 8s & 9s. Or vice versa.
Jump in there & judge a few comps. Have fun. Come out to a few comps on Friday evening, walk up to a team & tell them that you're a new judge who wants to learn all that you can about BBQ.
95% of the teams that I know will tell you to come on in, sit down, have a beer & ask away.

Worth it???

It's well worth the money! You'll learn a lot about BBQ, taste some of the best BBQ on the planet, meet new friends, experience places you've never been to and it includes the $35 membership for KCBS...You can't go wrong.

I will be judging my first KCBS event in a month and I am looking forward to it. I have friends who will be competing and enjoy being with them on a regular basis.

How to act really concerned me UNTIL I found out I can still hang with them UNTIL it was time to judge and then I have to be a judge and nothing more or less. It is an honor to be able to taste all the great BBQ out there and give the score in which I think they have earned...

WISH ME LUCK.

Another "worth it" aspect of judging is that you usually get to take home your "left-overs" from judging. Six slices of brisket with only a bite or two out of each equates to enough left to add to stif-fry and serve my wife and myself for dinner last night. I also used the left over pulled-pork to make pork-fried rice. The left-over chicken and ribs are nice snack/lunch items too.

Just saying...

This is a segment from a post on my BBQ blog from a few years ago at a small cometiton that was local...

"
The guy who won was next to me. Swept all categories. I tried his ribs and was impressed. Good baby backs. He was giving away free samples to everyone, trying to drum up business for his catering company. But the thing that leaves a bad taste in my mouth is when I overheard a conversation between him and a guy in a blue shirt with something about a church on the front. Before the judging, the guy tasted a rib, was enjoying it, and told the cook that he was a judge.

Hmmmmm…..

I’m not saying that there was cheating. I’m NOT saying that the cook led a judge. But all of us cooks had our team number on the ground next to our cook site (he was 10). And this judge went there and tried the product. Then he went back to the judge’s area and saw the boxes with the number 10 written on top of the boxes in sharpie. And he definitely saw his new friend’s box with the ribs he liked. And he saw his new friend’s entire box with the other two boxes right next to it, also with the number 10 on it. I don’t think that one judge can change a winner or a loser.

Oops…. I forgot. Number 10 won ribs by 1 point. One point difference between first and second. I didn’t count how many other blue shirts with something about a church on the front there were.


I will say that that looks real suspicious."

Just my opinion. Never put yourself in a iffy situation.