Gonna do my 1st REAL BBQ competition....any pointers?

snook806 · Feb 20, 2013

Well I was asked to be an honorary member on my friends bbq team this weekend to take on the spare rib category. Been doing the hot & fast method on my 26.75 weber kettle which has been working out pretty well for me on the last few cooks. I have never really participated in a real BBQ competition and could really use any pointers, advice, tips, tricks or anything that could help me out....

http://www.smokinontherio.com/bbq/

Garrett · Feb 21, 2013

Should have put in the competiton section, but here's what I got. I've only done 4 comps per year for last 5 years and best advice that I can give on your first comp is to know what your time frame is cooking your ribs and make sure you are ready for turn in times. Other than that just have fun and don't get caught up in all the parties.

BB-Kuhn · Feb 21, 2013

Practice making garnished boxes. You don't want your turn in to be the first time you try it.

Ron_L · Feb 21, 2013

BB-Kuhn said:
Practice making garnished boxes. You don't want your turn in to be the first time you try it.

It's an ICBA competition, so no garnish.

A few things, Snook...

1. Be familiar with the rules, especially those that talk about how the ribs are to be turned in.

http://www.ibcabbq.org/rules.html

2. Have you practiced getting ribs done at a specific time? Cooking in the back yard where being late because the ribs aren't done just means a few nasty looks. Being late at a competition mean a DQ and angry looks from your team mates.

3. What you like has nothing to do with what the judges will like :-D What do you know about what scores well in an ICBA competition? Hopefully some Brothers who have experience in ICBA can help with that.

4. Have fun and learn from your team mates and those around you.

BTW, I moved this to the Competition section.

$billBBQ · Feb 21, 2013

I did my 1st comp last year and what else us the most was a writing down our time line then doing a full practice run (with making boxes) then adjusting the times based on the practice. taking the time to practice how to make a box helped a lot.

Hawg Father of Seoul · Feb 21, 2013

snook806 said:
Well I was asked to be an honorary member on my friends bbq team this weekend to take on the spare rib category. Been doing the hot & fast method on my 26.75 weber kettle which has been working out pretty well for me on the last few cooks. I have never really participated in a real BBQ competition and could really use any pointers, advice, tips, tricks or anything that could help me out....

http://www.smokinontherio.com/bbq/

Overcook the ribs a little. Use an aluminum pan, full of water, on the charcoal grate.

The big kettle is wonderful for cooking ribs and chicken. Make them so they taste good to you... a little different strategy for IBCA vs. KCBS.

smokincracker · Feb 21, 2013

you have more than one judge to please so do throw any fruity, sweet, hot, Smokey flavors at them... what I mean is use moderation with your flavors and remember too much of a good thing is a bad thing in BBQ.. Good luck! you want to give them the best average BBQ each judge will taste. Don't give them any reason to mark you down.

bruno994 · Feb 21, 2013

Cook 'em tender. Not looking for that perfect bite mark as the judges will never touch your food, taking samples with plastic forks and knives only. As far as flavoring, as smokincracker stated, don't overdo one profile, overly sweet, overly hot, etc. A nice even profile with good smoke, good flavoir and great pork flavor. A light, slightly sweet glaze is not going to hurt you, just from the wow factor alone, pretty ribs make a great presentation, especially since normally at an IBCA comp, the judges are everyday people not used to experiencing "Comp" style ribs.

rookiedad · Feb 21, 2013

get a really sharp knife and practice your cuts!

Andrew · Feb 21, 2013

great reading in here, as im going to my 1st comp starting tomorrow.

snook806 · Feb 21, 2013

Thanks guys for all the tips and advice....:thumb::thumb:

K-Train · Feb 22, 2013

Take notes as you go. After the contest sit down and write down a few thoughts. I usually write notes right onto the score sheets, then file those away to be reviewed when I need to.

snook806 · Feb 24, 2013

Well my first comp is in the books and now I'm hooked. There was over 160 teams competing and I had so much fun talking to other people who enjoy bbq'ing as much as I do. I learned a lot from the "BBQ Brethren" and from the other seasoned teams who were around us during the comp. It is a lot of fun but also a lot of work. I know I didn't place in the top even though my turn in meats were spot on (at least I thought so :loco

but I am not even sure what I placed. Cooking at home and cooking where seconds can disqualify you is nerve wrecking but fun at the same time. I will learn from my rookie mistakes and can't wait for the next one...thanks a lot for your tips

Gonna do my 1st REAL BBQ competition....any pointers?

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