FBA Cookoff at Wauchula, FL

I judged the Chillin' & Grillin' cookoff in downtown Wauchula, FL, this past saturday. Good event - I think it was 32 or 33 teams (first year event) and they shut down Main Street and all the competitors and vendors were set up in the street.

Woodhouse Grill to Grand Champion and HomeBBQ.com took Reserve. I love both these teams but damn I wish I could figure out what they do. Woodhouse has dominated since last August and HomeBBQ.com is the FL team of the year the last two years! Good folks all.

The meat at my table was mediocre to good. One chicken entry was real nasty, and none of the other meats were "10" by any stretch. Now, that's just at our table. There were a lot of brand new teams and it showed.

One poor team turned in brisket for the pork entry -- can you say "zero" all the way across. Another pork entry at another table was undercooked - again, straight "zero" for that entry.

The ribs we got were edible but some just barely - LOTS of sauce so I don't know if that's the trend of just an anomoly here at a new event with new teams.

I'm going over to Winter Haven next weekend for another inaugural event. I'm hoping to judge but if not I'll hang and smooze for a few hours. I'm looking at a potential cooker and Bill and the Dixie Chicks use it - I missed seeing it this weekend but did have an adult beverage or two with them and some other teams Saturday evening.

Lot's of fun - heck a bad day at a cookoff is better than a good day at work!

The meat was clearly undercooked - the juice and blood seperated in the box - when the rep went over to the team the quote was "we thought it was undercooked but decided to submit it anyway" - they sliced it.

Spice I'll definately look for your cooker. I probably won't make it to Okeechobee (Anne's on-call and I'm going to Mobile the next following weekend). The thought of one of your cookers with the Guru is definately percolating. You'll be going head-to-head with Stump's (www.stumpssmokers.com) insulated cookers so it ought to be an interesting comparision.

Jim - I'm looking hard at the Caldera del Fuego - portable, etc. Hopefully I'll see it working at Winter Haven. Right now I think Bill and Nina like it better than the FE. I'm looking hard for something to get me into better position for catering - competition too but I need more volume and overnight "unattended" cooks for catering. Heck, my WSM gets the job done for competition.

Speaking of Fast Eddie and Cookshack cookers: I didn't realize until last weekend that they use the Traeger auger/pellet system (at least in some models). I don't know why I was surprised - I guess I thought their system was proprietary.

I'm not knocking it - just a bit of trivia that most of us don't know and the rest don't care!

When I walked up Bill and Nina Saturday afternoon I noticed pellets (look like light brown rabbit turds ) all over the area. Nina said that the FE had gone berserk and was spitting out the pellets - she'd had to put a lit charcoal briquette into the chamber to light off the pellets.

She was laughing about it!

The pellets were all over the "rug" in front of the RV and I just couldn't resist commenting! I think Bill said they were going to be a Mobile - I'm hoping to get a look at the Caldera cooker - more for catering than competition

The more I participate in cookoffs (judging or cooking) the better I like them. Great people and there is ALWAYS something to learn.