first timer in Georgia

Welcome to the Brethren Mark !!!

I think Noah (nmayeaux) may be fairly close to Kennesaw area. Not sure of any others for certain.

There's lots of advice we can share but what specifically are you looking for ? I might also suggest you use look back at some of the older threads for this topic & try the search button for specific topics you may have. There's a lot of good info in past threads on the same subject.

Here's some high level suggestions

1) Read the cooks packet & sanctioning body rules handbook carefully to know the rules
2) Try to visit a local contest, arrive early, see the set ups, equipment, talk to teams, watch them work
3) Try a practice cook at home trying to mimic the contest. Have all your equipment & supplies outdoors. Work under the same timelines like a contest with set up and break down to get better acclimated
4) Build a team checklist of all your supplies that you need to want to bring (especially wash buckets & fire estinguisher !!)

Hope that helps

Good Luck !

Yup, and what comp are you looking to cook for your first? I can't work Dillard this year, but I will be cooking at that Pigs and Peaches thing in Kennesaw. Just PM me with any questions, and I'll look forward to having some fellow Q'ers in the area. PS, do you have brother named Scott?

Howdy, Mark! We have another member from Kennesaw but I checked and "Saiko" (Mark) hasn't posted since December... but he was here a week ago lurking! LOL!

We just got started last year with the American Royal. Did three contests late in '05 and are leaving in the morning for our 8th already this year. I'd be glad to answer any questions about comps (from a rookie perspective) that you might have!

Mark, my wife just talked to your sister in law, and I must say it is a really small world! We look forward to seeing you guys, and please stop buy for a beer. You guys will really have us outgunned as it will be just me and my wife doing most of the cooking.

Don't forget to have fun at the contest. That's part of the reason why we do them.

Mark,

I'm in Marietta and just started competing this year too. 4 comps so far. Id be happy to answer questions too. Heck I might learn a little too. We'll be at Pigs and Peaches also.

Lots of luck!

There are a couple of opportunities on the horizon for some of you north GA Brethern to give the GBA try. GBA is sanctioning a contest in Chickamauga on Sept 18-19. There is also a contest being finalized for Roswell in Oct. I believe it will be the first weekend in Oct. Details for these events will be posted soon on the GBA website -- www.bbqga.com

Welcome neighbor!

We've cooked the Kennesaw event since before it was KCBS sanctioned - and how far that contest has come! Stop by our site at the bottom of the hill Friday night. We always put on a big feed for sponsors and friends and usually feed 40-50 people. We're always happy to help new teams get started on the circuit.

See you in the smoke!

Gowan Fenley
Johnny Mitchell's Smokehouse Championship Cooking Team

Welcome! will be @ Pigs & Peaches in a few weeks. stop & say hello. in the mean time, if you need anything you can give me a pm shout.

Welcome *distant* neighbor! You'll have a great time, I'm certain.

Gowan, we'd sure love to have 'ya down in Milledgeville to beat up on us on
October 22nd and 23rd and all y'all other May-Retter folks too. You know, we're
only about 2 hours from that darned Big Chicken....

Hance,

What's going on in Milledgeville October 22nd and 23rd?

Lake Dogs said:

Gowan, we'd sure love to have 'ya down in Milledgeville to beat up on us on October 22nd and 23rd and all y'all other May-Retter folks too. You know, we're only about 2 hours from that darned Big Chicken....

Click to expand...

Ouch. Wouldn't mind checking out Milledgeville, and I'd love to cook the new contest in Cleveland that weekend since that's where our mountain cabin is located. But.... why do you guys schedule contests on The Jack weekend? That date on my calendar is taken for the next 50 years or so. :mod:

Gowan, seriously, go take The Jack for the Georgia guys!

This is an MBN championship
and MIM qualifier; Deep Roots Festival. There will be about 16,000 paid attendance.
www.deeprootsfestival.com

I've judged MIM/MBN for years, then the last few years with competing in a few KCBS
and other contests, I've helped and cooked as part of other teams in a few MBN
cookoffs. This'll be the first year for "our team" true in an MBN cookoff. I have 1 and
only 1 goal; beat Jack's Old South. Myron will probably be at The Jack, so this is his
*other* team.

Oh, that (goal), and I really want to walk home with 1st in both drink categories. We
do very good Margaritas and Bloody Mary's. The Margaritas will come with a side-shot
of Padron, and the Bloody Mary's a side shot of Stolies Vodka.

Boy wouldn't that be a hoot! We have only one bung in the draw so far, so it remains to be seen if I'll be cooking at The Jack with my own team, helping out with another, judging or working as a volunteer as I did last year. Regardless, Lynchburg is where I'll always be the fourth weekend in October if I'm alive and kicking.

Good luck in Milledgeville. Doesn't matter if Brother Myron is there or not, if you're going up against the boys in black you'll have a fight on your hands, be it Nick, TJ, Wayne, Doby or whoever. Bring your A-game!

I got to get into this comp world soon you guys having too much fun without us thats gotta stop...And now I got somthin I can compete with FINALLY

Alan, you absolutely have a competition cooking rig there! Congrats!

Not everyone enjoys it, but the ones that do tend to do it for many years, into their
60's and 70's. It's a fun mix of cooking, competing, and socializing. I really enjoy it.
We started competing in chili cookoffs and did pretty good, but frankly IMHO that's
the junior leagues in most every aspect to BBQ, and unfortunately that also means
money too. Where in chili, if you already have the stuff, the competition costs are
usually about $60 plus travel costs. BBQ, about $500+ plus travel costs. MBN,
because of the volumes of meat and the tendencies to have just that many more
ancillaries, it's closer to $1000 plus travel costs. I'm writing a check next week for
just the entry fees, and it's going over $500. But, the larger the stuff, the larger the
team it takes, the more fun (IMHO). If we happen to qualify for the MBN
championship (unlikely, but always possible), we'll do that one too. Otherwise, it's
just so darned costly that it's tough to do any more MBN comps. If I dont do taxes
this next year, we'll get over to Barnesville for their FBA comp. There's a really
neat KCBS comp in Waynesboro and the organizer of the Lake Oconee BBQ and Blues
KCBS is really putting on a fine competition. With any luck we'll be at most all of
these listed above.

LOL! Do you guys realize that this Mark guy logged on and posted this thread four years ago this week and someone drummed it up from the "way back archive"? LOL! Mark hasn't been back to the Brethren since the day he post this. I was about fooled too until I saw my own post stating I just got started last year at the Royal! hehe!

Doh! :icon_blush:

Didn't even notice that Boats replied to a thread from 2006. Oh well. At least the conversation drifted into another direction.

Wow, I know I'm not always the sharpest knife in the drawer, but dang LOloLOL I thought I picked this of the front page :icon_blush:

I was doing a search for Pigs and Peaches the other day. I must have gotten it from that...:crazy: I'll try and say out of the dead wood..

Sorry!!!
Boat