IBCA Contests

Roo-B-Q'N said:

I have been looking around the IBCA website and am wondering how many of you cook IBCA and can answer a few questions.

I was confused on the judging aspect. Looks like you turn in 7 pieces of brisket, ribs,and 1/2 a chicken. You are then judged by one group and then possibly by a second group. Are they eating from the same box? What triggers the 2nd level of judging? Can somebody explain???
yes they are eating from the same box, knife & fork plastic. IBCA recommends that a minimum of five (5) judges per table be utilized during initial judging. Subsequent levels of judging should utilize a minimum of seven (7) or a maximum of nine (9) judges per table. CHIEF COOKS are prohibited to participate as judges.
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]JUDGING QUANTITY - It is recommended that a maximum of twenty (20) trays or containers be assigned to each judging table. It is also recommended that a predetermined number of top results from each preliminary judging table be sent on to the subsequent levels of judging. [/FONT]

Also are there only three main catagories? Or do they do pork shoulder.

Sometimes they do as a fourth that is totally up to the promoter

Looks like when beans are done they are truely dry pinto beans . . . is this the case?????
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Beans - Dry Pinto Beans cooked on site. Nothing larger than the bean to be put into the turn in cup. [/FONT]

Man IBCA looks fun, and has a lot of appealing factors about it, but confusing at the same time.

Click to expand...

hope that helps

We add Pork Shoulder or Butt out here

A positive on the Judging is the same judges see all boxes
You dont get the "landed on the wrong table" effect

Down side is "sauce must be cooked on"
left coasters dont get it on that one

"off the street" Judges not CBJs is interesting difference also.

Texsa Gulf Coast BBQ Cookers Assoc. as well as Lone Star Barbecue Society are set up on the same basic judging procedure. All prelim & final rounds are determind by the no. of cooks entered. Also the amount of product to be turned in is set by the amount of teams competiting.
Bob

LOL Yes thats one view
Another is Cooked on Sauce on Pork
What you talkin about?

I can give a little more info on what you are asking.

Jack Qualifiers will include Pulled Pork as a fourth category. Other than that it is up to the promoter. I cooked an event last month where the categories where chicken, brisket and wild hog instead of ribs. I enjoyed it. (I scored my first RGC). The wild hog was the tie breaker, normally it is the brisket.

Some of the events also include a cobbler or desert category as well as frozen drinks and hot sauce, but none of those scores go towards the grand champion.

As far as the number of judges and tables go, that is determined by the number of cooks and sometimes by the number of judges available. Last weekend we had 26 teams and had two tables with 5 judges at the first set of tables. I believe 15 total trays went to the final table where there were 7 judges. Only the final table scores were available. It doesn't make sense to give scores down to the last place. If you don't make the final table you should know why, normally because your food just doesn't rate in that particular event and you just need to go back to the drawing board. That said, you will cook to appeal to the judges, where at one event you will cook spicy another one might need to be sweet. It would definitely be geographic as far as that goes.

As far as score cards go..... IBCA does not use them, but you will generally know how you scored based on calls to the final tables. Depending on the number of folks and based on the size of the events, there will be anywhere between 10 and 15 numbers called and you will know your scores based on where your number falls, for example if they call ten numbers the first place gets 10 points. (There is actually more to it than this), but these will be your final scores.

As far as the turn in times go, that is also determined by the number of entries and judges but is normally predetermined. I can't say that I always like the long waits between turn-ins, especially when my meat is ready. Then there are times when I do need that additional time.

As far as sauce goes, it is a meat competition and that is why it needs to be cooked on just like the rub. You can marinate or inject but not put sauce on your food once it is done cooking. Many times if you turn in your trays and there is too much sauce (usually under the wing) you will be directed to wipe it off. Once you learn how to cook IBCA, there is no need to use sauce, it is only used to hide poor tasting meat anyway. Either you can cook or you can't. Then again if you really must use it, cook it on, but you can't brush it on after you are done cookng. If you feel your meat needs sauce brushed on you need to find a new recipe. Sauce should be served on the side just like at the BBQ joints, this isn't sloppy joe!

We do cook pinto beans at many events. Cook them anyway you like, just as long as none of the ingredients are larger than the beans themselves. Beans also do not count towards the GC.