First Competition, need advice.

Pa_BBQ

Pa_BBQ

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I just did my first event, it was a 3 day festival and it went great. It was local and we took our mobile trailer, FEC-100 and Meadow Creek TS120.

Now we have a small competition and its 6 hours away. We are doing it because its small, only chicken and ribs and turn in boxes are provided and no garnish is to be used. I wanted something as simple as I could get for my first competition.

My questions is do you need to set up like an event where your selling food. Meaning 4 bay sinks with fresh and waste water containers etc. Or do you just need to have clean hot water available.

I have never been to a competition so not sure how to prepare for that part.

Thanks
 
I should add that there will be no electric at this competition and we will be on grass, but they stated we will not need a wood floor like the festivals require.
 
Chances are that you will only need the basic three bay wash station for the comp, but you may want to check with the organizer to be sure. Where is this comp located?
 
Red Valley BBQ said:
Chances are that you will only need the basic three bay wash station for the comp, but you may want to check with the organizer to be sure. Where is this comp located?
Click to expand...

Hatfield, Pa
Its quite a drive for us, but due to our busy schedule about the only one we can make this year.

We are keeping weekends open next year as this is something we are really enjoying.

Our first event went over great and was quite profitable. We are lucky to be in an area with few BBQ vendors.
 
Good luck to you. You'll be up against some powerhouse teams.

I was suprised to read that the entry fee is $150 for only 3 categories. For $50-75 more you could be in a full blown KCBS event. But I understand the problem with schedules, had to cut back some this year myself.

Next year, the Boston Hills BBQ Fest in Hamburg, NY is a great comp and is only a couple hours away from you. Mike is a great host and as a "former" competitor he knows how to take care of the teams.
 
Red Valley BBQ said:
Good luck to you. You'll be up against some powerhouse teams.

I was suprised to read that the entry fee is $150 for only 3 categories. For $50-75 more you could be in a full blown KCBS event. But I understand the problem with schedules, had to cut back some this year myself.

Next year, the Boston Hills BBQ Fest in Hamburg, NY is a great comp and is only a couple hours away from you. Mike is a great host and as a "former" competitor he knows how to take care of the teams.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I figure I can place in the top 30 since there will be no more than 30 teams. :) I really just want to go to see what its all about and spend the weekend away from the phones.

I have many weekends closed next year so I can go to more local events, even if just as a spectator.
 
You are always welcome to hang out with us during a competition weekend if you want to get a feel for how things go.
 
Red Valley BBQ said:
You are always welcome to hang out with us during a competition weekend if you want to get a feel for how things go.
Click to expand...

Thanks and I will take you up on that.

We are going to start keeping weekends in the summer open for this, and may even try to make some this fall.
 
I would get a checklist, which there is probably a few here that brethren have put up. I am a very low budget team and I always look for ways to keep cost down, for instance I went to the dollar store and got 3 plastic tubs to use as sinks, 3 bucks. Check with the event organizer about water on site, make sure you have garden hoses, if needed, or get some 5 gallon buckets from home depot to transport water to your site. Buckets can also be used as weights ( when filled with water or sand) to hold a canopy in place if bad weather shows up. If you need electricity for the FEC, maybe bring along a converter just in case. I could go on and on, but a checklist is something that will come in handy.
 
The real answer has to come from the organizers. If it was KCBS sanctioned then you would need a three-bin setup, fire extinguisher, etc. No need for a wooden floor.

But for a non-sanctioned comp it's up to the organizer. It really depends if the local health department is involved or not.
 
We cooked this contest lastyear. We had a great time there. As far as items go they really just do a meat inspection. We usually bring all of our gear with us.
 
Thanks everyone for the help.
Ideally we would bring the trailer and this would solve the sink and water issue. But since its a 1 day event and no electric we want to go as light as possible so just towing the TS120.

I will get a converter battery setup for my FEC-100 but not wanting to try a new portable power setup 6 1/2 hours away and at a competition.
 
Please dont forget the entry fee is for a great cause, included a free case of spare ribs and they make this as fun as possible, and low key.

here is what i would bring and do... 3 wash-bus tubs, cheap take no room. bleach for the sanitize, and some soap. having a fire extinguisher takes little room and you will need it in kcbs comps, 5 lbs.... thermometer, i use thermopens, but thats me.

thats about all the requirements, for most comps, last year they had a community hose for water, if you need a small amount of power, the jump boxes work fine.

I suggest an ezup, of some kind, and a few chairs/ tables and your good to go.

looking forward to meeting you.

Eric
 
We did our first full fledged KCBS event last year. A checklist is a must and was very helpful for us to make sure we had all we needed. Your list will grow and shrink depending on what you find yourself needing and actually using for the competitions - we update and make notes after each comp, and have learned where we can cut corners without compromising anything to keep the costs down. There are plenty of checklists out there as RedPig mentions, and I'd be glad to provide you with a copy of ours if you'd like.

Keep an eye out on the entry forms, as they will often specify any regulations other than standard KCBS rules. Good luck!
 
for a bbq compettition it will do just fine. it has drains with individual traps just no water under pressure. i have only done a few compettitions myself but i never needed more than three wash basins, never was required to have pressurized water.
they come in different sizes as well.
 
Hey its your dime, just making sure you know what your buying, for that money i'll just use 3 was tubs.
 
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