How to start?

[Jetwash]

As the title implies, I'm curious of how you pit matsters started out on the competition trail.
I am a fair competent back yarder, but I know I have a lot to learn about smoking. Did you have mentors or did you just stumble around in the dark and fall into it all?
One of my bucket list items is to become a pit master, but learn under a great.

Let me know your thoughts on this.

JW

[Blythewood BBQ'er]

I spent hours on this site researching competition bbq. I do plan on a class one day, but have been Brethren taught. There are a ton of wins in this group. Now we haven't had a call yet, since SC organizations only call top 3 , RGC, and GCs, but we've been in the top ten every entry in ribs, and top 15 in chicken. Butts are all over the place due to us searching. These guys are great at getting you started.


on edit: I also took a judges class and judged a few this year. That will help alot with what the judges look for and help give you targets to shoot for.

[Dan - 3eyzbbq]

Started out in a non-sanctioned rib cookoff. Got my arse beat. Saw the KCBS comp across the street and decided to do that. Eight years later and tens of thousands of dollars spent I'm still addicted. Stay away!

[Coz]

As Dan stated it is an addiction . We went and observed at a couple got a team to mentor us .We took a couple of backyard classes ,spent hours on this site and jumped in the deep end . Be prepared to be more frustrated then you have ever been in your life and on those rare good days higher then you have ever been .

[didisea]

Study on the internet, classes, excellent mentors, going to contests and observing what was going on, and cooking experience.

Up in the northwest, we don't have "shade tree" contests or many backyard events. You have to get in and sink or swim with the rest of the "pro's." I find that having your own goals focused on your performance is the best way to achieve success. Worrying about what gear, experience, and reputation other teams have is counter productive. Execute on your program, but allow your mind to be expanded.

As you will see posted many times on this site, your goal for the first contest is, turn in all four meats, not dead ass last, and have fun.

[rwoodling]

Do yourself a favor and spend a few $$ to attend a cooking class. Swamp Boys saved me thousands of dollars by cutting the learning curve well over half. Go see what they are looking for. There are several great cooks that provide these is the Southeast. Swamp Boys, Miron Mixon, Hot Wachulas, Sweet Smoked Q and Stumps are just a few I have heard great reviews from. I can personally attest to Rubs class. Money well spent!!

[Rub]

Originally Posted by rwoodling

Do yourself a favor and spend a few $$ to attend a cooking class. Swamp Boys saved me thousands of dollars by cutting the learning curve well over half. I can personally attest to Rubs class. Money well spent!!

Thanks Rick!
JW I agree with all the info you've been given above. And I've had several from Canada fly down for my class, including House of Q/Brian and Gettin' Sauced/Jason. Good luck!

[JD McGee]

It all started for me when I couldn't find a decent rack of ribs in the Seattle area...so I bought a WSM...and the rest is history!
We have taken several classes over the years form the likes of Paul Kirk, Johnny Trigg, Tippy Canoe, Big T'z, and Tuffy Stone. All of these great Pit Masters have had an influence in the development of our style and technique. Enjoy the journey...and cherish the friendships you make along the way! In the end...all the trophies in the world don't mean diddly...but good friends can last a lifetime!

[backdraftbbq]

I just started myself. This coming weekend wil be my 3rd competition. Jump right in, there's a lot of great info on here, YouTube and the Internet. Get into a judges class, go to a cooking school and get a mentor. I have Allen from Pork Daddies mentoring me and he has been great! Good luck, it's addictive and expensive but loads of fun. You'll meet a lot of great people. Don't ever hesitate to ask questions.

[Serious Hog]

My wife was walking through Goodwill a few years ago when she saw a new in-the-box Char-Griller smoker for $10, and grabbed it as an extra birthday present for me. Started watching BBQ Pitmasters and got in a local Chicken-Ribs competition. At the end of it, we were exhausted, dirty, and had barely slept but had an incredible great time meeting a bunch of great people and even took 3rd in Ribs. Many smokers, a cargo trailer, a barbeque truck, and countless other competition related "needs" later, I'm starting to think that $10 wasn't such a good deal after all....

[Cliff H.]

I shadowed a team for a couple of events. Up when they were up. Took a break when they took a break. Stood by and watched everything.

[Meat Man]

My wife and I took up BBQ as an empty nester hobby. We had been cooking BBQ for several years for family and friends, and I thought competition BBQ might be something that we would enjoy doing together. Watched a little Pitmasters on TV, joined the Brethren and got as much info as I could, and signed up for a contest. Pretty simple. Go For It!

[J&B'sBBQ]

We were watching BBQ Pitmasters and said "we can do that!", so the hubs and one of our best friends and I started up a team. I insisted on being the Pitmaster because I'm particular (take what you may from that...I own it and wear it well! ).

We decided to take an entire "season" and cook only BY events, with our first being three years ago in Cornelia, GA. We started with just the knowledge we gained from this website, but I took Rod Gray's class a year after we started, when we decided to "go pro". This past year I also took Scott Smith's class (QSB), and traded in my stick-burner for one of Scott's Limos.

We've taken our fair share of licks along the way, but just getting out there and doing it is a great way to learn. We drastically shortened the learning curve when we took Rod's class, then Scott's and the cooker closed that gap. I highly recommend a good class if you're serious because for the cost of one class you can skip one competition and fair better in the long run.

Good luck!

[masque13]

a lot of great answer above that I agree with. I would also add the following;

be prepared to spend a great deal more money than you think you will. When we first started we thought all we needed were a couple of tents and boom we're ready. then at our first comp we had high winds, t-storms and massive sideways blowing rains. we learned in a hurry how unprepared our cooking area was.

we're still a team that uses tents and we dont own a porch or an RV.....but we've spent some money to ensure we can stay dry and that our tents dont fly away and things like that. Make sure you have plenty of waterproof clothing to deal with the elements.

make sure you have a way to provide heat at your cook site, other than your smoker, or yo will find yourself freezing your sweet ass off......Ha!

I am envious of the teams that roll in to comps with RV's are dragging a 24 foot BBQ porch/kitchen with them. Maybe one day we will have those things as well, but until you do, getting started in comps is as much about being able to manage the elements as anything else. Trust me when I tell you this. We've experienced bad weather in more than one comp and if you are not prepared you will be miserable. But if you get yourself prepared it can be pleasant.

[eap0510]

I started out making BBQ in the backyard and doing a lot of reading here. I actually thought I was doing pretty good for what I was making in the backyard was way better than anything I had bought at the local restaurants. Then I went to my first contest just to walk around and see what it was all about. I met up with a follow Brethren and they let me sample a rib and it was one of the best ribs I had ever eaten.

After the contest I became a KCBS judge and to get my masters I had to cook with a team. I hooked up again with a Brethren to get my masters and they were nice enough to let continue cooking with them for the rest of the year. I learned a ton by helping out on their team and ever since then I have been hooked.

I have not attended any classes yet but that is coming up most likely next year. I have cooked by myself at a couple of contests and had a really great time. I personally am not worried about winning GC but instead I set personal goals such as finishing in the top 20. It would be nice to win GC but to me with not much experience cooking on my own being in the top 20 is a win.

-Eric