What should I know about competing?

[Icekub]

I'll let some of the more experienced guys chime in, but temp control is hard w/ them and will be important for timing the meats in a comp. If you decided to upgrade, Cheapest route would be to build a few Ugly Drum smokers out of 55 gallon barrels. I'll also point out a change in your line of thinking that will eventually be necessary. You mentioned "sauce and rub that YOU love" In comps, you are not cooking for yourself, you are cooking for judges. You need to cook middle of the road BBQ that almost no one will be turned off by. Usually takes teams a bit to figure that out in the beginning. Use KCBS.com to try and find a few comps in your area.

[Lake Dogs]

Originally Posted by Rusty Kettle

Now that you mention it... I never have attended a competition. That probably would be a good idea. I plan to buy the book suggested. I hate KC Masterpiece by the way just saying that stuff is nasty. I make my own rub and sauce. I only use one rub and sauce I like them on everything. I love cherry wood for smoking. Not to get off topic. Also what about grills/smokers? What to use? I really love my kettle grills for smoking. I am totally in love with my weber kettles. Is it realistic to expect to compete using them or should I start saving for a better setup? Maybe I should look for a Backyard contest first and then move to pro division towards end of next year or the following season all together. I don't want to finish DAL as you put it. I want to compete and work at it to get to high level. I live just North of Pittsburgh are there any competitions you can recommend attending as a spectator this year? I love kettles but if I can't realistically compete with them what would you recommend for someone just getting started?

Definitely, go watch, and if you can, go judge. If you find an unsanctioned competition, ask the organizer (a well placed timely email often works) if you can.

I was joking about the KC Masterpiece, but meaning to provide an example. I'd say probably 30% of new teams are formed a few weeks earlier at a backyard cookout where the folks get together, start drinking early, the cook goes slower than they expect, they continue drinking, finally they get to eat about the time they'd eat the siding off the house (they were that hungry), and one drunk looks at the other and states "damn, this is good, we should compete"... And, with no other preparation, they do.

I competed early in a few smaller (some sanctioned, some not) competitions and did fairly well with one RGC using only 1 small brinkmann smoker and 2 Weber 22's (kettles). You can do it, but it's just not going to be as easy on you as it may be for a few others. That said, your practices will tell you how effective you'll be. Remember, cook to pre-defined turn-ins. Dont miss those (your practice turn-in). Cook ALL the meats you would at your competition. That will tell you TONS of things; things we wouldn't even think of here, because what I assume you'll forget, and visa versa.

Dont get over-enamoured with big equipment. Many, and I mean MANY fabulous competitors compete in KCBS and other smaller sanctioned competitions (small, by volume of meat I mean) with nothing more than 2 or 3 Weber Smokey Mountain smokers...

[sdbbq1234]

Originally Posted by Icekub

Use KCBS.com to try and find a few comps in your area.

Try KCBS.us. I took me forever to remember that is was not .com.

wallace

[CBQ]

+1 what Lakedog said. If you like the Weber Kettle, you will love the Weber Smoky Mountain. It gives you a lot more capacity than the Kettle, easier heat control, and doesn't cost much more than a Kettle.

You should go to a contest. I would also suggest becoming a judging and judging a contest. Hardest thing to get used to is cooking for a broad audience. It's not what you like, or what your friends like, but what the broadest group of judges will like. I like the bite of a Carolina style vinegar/red pepper sauce on pork, but it's a no-go in a contest.

If you have a chance to try championship bbq, you might be surprisedn that is doesn't blow you away, but is exceptional for it's balance. Being neutral (a little spice, a little smoke, a little sweet) rather than being overly bold works better.

KCBS.US is the best place to start. Also NEBS.ORG will have some PA contests on it, but more in the eastern part of PA.

[rookiedad]

Originally Posted by CBQ

If you have a chance to try championship bbq, you might be surprisedn that is doesn't blow you away, but is exceptional for it's balance. Being neutral (a little spice, a little smoke, a little sweet) rather than being overly bold works better.

[K-Train]

Biggest thing to know..........you will be addicted.

[CBQ]

Originally Posted by K-Train

Biggest thing to know..........you will be addicted.

Ya, I started with a WSM. I now have 9 cookers (one on a trailer), a cargo trailer, and an RV. You have been warned.

[BB-Kuhn]

Do it to have fun, to see where you measure up and keep it casual (at least at first).

If you start with a "must win" attitude or anything like that, I'd not bother. It'll ruin your fun and it'll be rough.

Keep it laid back, meet some great people and learn a LOT every time out.

[Rusty Kettle]

Originally Posted by Icekub

I'll let some of the more experienced guys chime in, but temp control is hard w/ them and will be important for timing the meats in a comp. If you decided to upgrade, Cheapest route would be to build a few Ugly Drum smokers out of 55 gallon barrels. I'll also point out a change in your line of thinking that will eventually be necessary. You mentioned "sauce and rub that YOU love" In comps, you are not cooking for yourself, you are cooking for judges. You need to cook middle of the road BBQ that almost no one will be turned off by. Usually takes teams a bit to figure that out in the beginning. Use KCBS.com to try and find a few comps in your area.

I plan to build an ugly drum smoker over the winter. As long as everything goes well I should be smoking on it by spring. The thing that makes me want to stick with my sauce and rub though is even my mom liked it and she is extremely picky about food. If she likes it normally it is common for everyone to like it. I wish you could taste my sauce. Anyways is there a good sauce and rub recipe that would give me an idea of what you would say is the middle road?

[Gowan]

You've had some great advice here. Best I can add is this: Your only goal for your first event should be to ENJOY the new thrill of being part of the community of competitors.

Don't sweat the rest of it too much - if you are lucky, you will finish somewhere in the middle of the pack where you can pick out some of the better known teams below you and be able to say "Hey, we beat those guys in ribs!". If you are unlucky, you will mess up and finish at the bottom of the standings list and feel bad for a couple days. If you are very unlucky, you will get a call to the stage your first time out, which will guarantee you are hooked and then you'll spend thousands of dollars and countless hours trying to recreate that achievement like the rest of us.

If you decide to go through with this, welcome to the BBQ Brotherhood. The pay is terrible and the hours long, but the people are the greatest!

[Lake Dogs]

Originally Posted by CivilWarBBQ

If you are very unlucky

+1 LMAO. No truer words every spoken...

[bbq.tom]

Besides what all Lake Dogs wrote, the biggest thing I would stress is to know ALL about what you need to turn in and what the judges are looking for to judge.

Knowledge is power. If you don't know what it takes to win, there is no need to enter.

[Southern Home Boy]

1. It's expensive.
2. It's exhausting.
3. It's stressful.
4. It's freakin' AWESOME!!