Ibca

Bigmista · 08-09-2006, 01:23 PM

Anyone out there with IBCA contest experience? I'm cooking in an IBCA contest next weekend and I would appreciate any tips you could offer.

Jorge · 08-09-2006, 01:57 PM

No garnish, no sauce (usually), just meat. Brisket, spare ribs (No baby backs), chicken half.

No lettuce makes turn in time easier and more difficult. No sorting of lettuce, but at the same time you can't use it to hold your meat in place or cover any imperfection in appearance.

If you use sauce in the cooking process you are good to go and legal. Some cooks have been known to push that rule to the limit in more than one way. I cooked with a guy that would let his sliced brisket sit in the pan with all of the liquid from that same brisket before loading his box up. Never heard that technique challenged but it would be worth running by your judges in advance. That was also several years ago so things may have changed since then.

Shoot WishinFishin a PM. He just did a contest down in West recently.

Neal · 08-09-2006, 02:12 PM

I did the Hold 'em & Hit 'em in Houston, TX last January.

I thought it was easier as far as the turn in goes...you don't have to mess with garnish, only 3 categories instead of 4 and you have an hour between turn-ins. So you are not as rushed as you are in a KCBS contest.

That being said, we didn't win anything. I cooked basically the same ribs & brisket as I would in a KCBS contest. The guys next to us were seasoned IBCA guys and they said sweet & salty wins. Of course they didn't have any calls either. Johnny Trigg was at this cook off too. I asked him for advice and he says he cooks the same way no matter what the contest. So take that for what it's worth. I think he ended up getting a call in ribs.

As far as what to cook...it's pretty well laid out I think. Spare ribs only, half chicken and brisket. You have to turn in full length briket slices - in other words you can't trim the ends to fit in the box or get rid of those overly tender flaking off ends if you wrap it. Chicken was a challenge, since I always cook thighs, but it turned out OK.

Judging is different and the one thing I was dissapointed in was not recieving a sheet at the end of the event telling me how I scored against everyone else. Judging in IBCA is set up in such a way, that this is impossible to do (or so I was told). You get a call if you were in the top 10, and they call out your ticket number (not your team name) for that - then they call out the next 10 numbers that made it to the final table. Other than that, you have no idea how you scored.

Sorry for the long response...I guess too much info is better than not enough...sometimes.

Bigmista · 08-09-2006, 02:36 PM

Luckily this will be a small contest. 12 teams max. So we will atleast have an idea of how we placed.

Pigs on The Run · 08-09-2006, 03:25 PM

go big and sweet. remeber no certified judges . Find the biggest meaty spares. Do beer can chicken and do pork like the cheapest guy in town. Also bring friends to judge the pre lims. They will take people off the street. If you like kcbs it will be a little disaponiting un less you win. We had a good time . good luck.
John

Bigmista · 08-09-2006, 07:11 PM

So you are saying do the whole chicken and then cut it in half instead of butterflying it first?

As far as judges, I think that's covered. They are getting a bunch of CBJ's and the rest will be volunteer firemen.

ThomEmery · 08-10-2006, 08:39 AM

I am happy to report the Judges will be 50% CBJs at this event.
Yes the Cooked on Sause was a problem for a few guys at West
I did my Head Judge training there. The question of getting your scores back is something we will have to come up with a answer to. There is a puter program being developed to take care of that.

Neal · 08-10-2006, 08:49 AM

We cooked half chickens as did all of the teams around us that I talked to. I guess it's a judgement call, but seems like it would be easier to to make a clean presentation that way. Of course, we hada alot more teams, so we had to turn in two halves...with 12 teams you might only have to turn one half and you can sacrifice one side of a whole chicken when you cut it and present the good side.

The score sheet issue would be great to have resolved. That would have been the only thing I could have asked for to make my IBCA experience complete. Other than that, I like everything about the contest I cooked in.

ThomEmery · 08-10-2006, 07:04 PM

Yes this cook off will be small enough to use one half chicken
When we do second and 3rd rounds We would need two halfs

MrSmoker · 08-11-2006, 07:49 AM

Is the 1/2 chicken cut up in the box before turn in? If so how many pcs.

Bigmista · 08-11-2006, 08:00 AM

Nope it is whole. THe judges cut off the piece they want.

ThomEmery · 08-11-2006, 04:28 PM

The Judges cut everything they eat
Yes the Chicken will fit in the box 9.5 inch Dart turn in box
So Dont cook a Turkey Smoke LOL

08-09-2006, 01:23 PM	#1
Bigmista somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 05-24-04 Location: Long Beach, CA	Ibca Anyone out there with IBCA contest experience? I'm cooking in an IBCA contest next weekend and I would appreciate any tips you could offer. __________________ Wait! Bigmista wrote a cookbook? Rec Tec RT-700 Bull Pitmaker Vault Remembering Scott

08-09-2006, 01:57 PM	#2
Jorge somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 01-23-04 Location: DFW, San AntonioTx	No garnish, no sauce (usually), just meat. Brisket, spare ribs (No baby backs), chicken half. No lettuce makes turn in time easier and more difficult. No sorting of lettuce, but at the same time you can't use it to hold your meat in place or cover any imperfection in appearance. If you use sauce in the cooking process you are good to go and legal. Some cooks have been known to push that rule to the limit in more than one way. I cooked with a guy that would let his sliced brisket sit in the pan with all of the liquid from that same brisket before loading his box up. Never heard that technique challenged but it would be worth running by your judges in advance. That was also several years ago so things may have changed since then. Shoot WishinFishin a PM. He just did a contest down in West recently. __________________ You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline - it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. --Frank Zappa Keeping Valspar in BBQ, one cook at a time. Recipient of a Huggies box! Shut up, and cook!!!!

08-09-2006, 02:12 PM	#3
Neal Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 03-31-06 Location: Kansas City	I did the Hold 'em & Hit 'em in Houston, TX last January. I thought it was easier as far as the turn in goes...you don't have to mess with garnish, only 3 categories instead of 4 and you have an hour between turn-ins. So you are not as rushed as you are in a KCBS contest. That being said, we didn't win anything. I cooked basically the same ribs & brisket as I would in a KCBS contest. The guys next to us were seasoned IBCA guys and they said sweet & salty wins. Of course they didn't have any calls either. Johnny Trigg was at this cook off too. I asked him for advice and he says he cooks the same way no matter what the contest. So take that for what it's worth. I think he ended up getting a call in ribs. As far as what to cook...it's pretty well laid out I think. Spare ribs only, half chicken and brisket. You have to turn in full length briket slices - in other words you can't trim the ends to fit in the box or get rid of those overly tender flaking off ends if you wrap it. Chicken was a challenge, since I always cook thighs, but it turned out OK. Judging is different and the one thing I was dissapointed in was not recieving a sheet at the end of the event telling me how I scored against everyone else. Judging in IBCA is set up in such a way, that this is impossible to do (or so I was told). You get a call if you were in the top 10, and they call out your ticket number (not your team name) for that - then they call out the next 10 numbers that made it to the final table. Other than that, you have no idea how you scored. Sorry for the long response...I guess too much info is better than not enough...sometimes. __________________ Neal [B][I]Dodge County Smokers[/I][/B] [SIZE=1]KCBS CBJ[/SIZE] [URL="http://www.dodgecountysmokers.com"][SIZE=1][B][I]www.dodgecountysmokers.com[/I][/B][/SIZE][/URL] [I][SIZE=1]Custom Built Cooker / [/SIZE][/I][I][SIZE=1]Weber Kettle /[/SIZE][/I][I][SIZE=1]old New Braunfels offset in the backyard[/SIZE][/I] [I][SIZE=1][/SIZE][/I]

08-09-2006, 02:36 PM	#4
Bigmista somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 05-24-04 Location: Long Beach, CA	Luckily this will be a small contest. 12 teams max. So we will atleast have an idea of how we placed. __________________ Wait! Bigmista wrote a cookbook? Rec Tec RT-700 Bull Pitmaker Vault Remembering Scott

08-09-2006, 07:11 PM	#6
Bigmista somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 05-24-04 Location: Long Beach, CA	So you are saying do the whole chicken and then cut it in half instead of butterflying it first? As far as judges, I think that's covered. They are getting a bunch of CBJ's and the rest will be volunteer firemen. __________________ Wait! Bigmista wrote a cookbook? Rec Tec RT-700 Bull Pitmaker Vault Remembering Scott

08-09-2006, 03:25 PM	#5
Pigs on The Run Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 02-24-06 Location: virginia	go big and sweet. remeber no certified judges . Find the biggest meaty spares. Do beer can chicken and do pork like the cheapest guy in town. Also bring friends to judge the pre lims. They will take people off the street. If you like kcbs it will be a little disaponiting un less you win. We had a good time . good luck. John

08-10-2006, 08:39 AM	#7
ThomEmery Babbling Farker Join Date: 08-20-05 Location: Indio Ca.	I am happy to report the Judges will be 50% CBJs at this event. Yes the Cooked on Sause was a problem for a few guys at West I did my Head Judge training there. The question of getting your scores back is something we will have to come up with a answer to. There is a puter program being developed to take care of that. __________________ Catering, Contests, and Community Service Team What Wood Jesus Que? Www.bbqthom.com

08-10-2006, 08:49 AM	#8
Neal Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 03-31-06 Location: Kansas City	We cooked half chickens as did all of the teams around us that I talked to. I guess it's a judgement call, but seems like it would be easier to to make a clean presentation that way. Of course, we hada alot more teams, so we had to turn in two halves...with 12 teams you might only have to turn one half and you can sacrifice one side of a whole chicken when you cut it and present the good side. The score sheet issue would be great to have resolved. That would have been the only thing I could have asked for to make my IBCA experience complete. Other than that, I like everything about the contest I cooked in. __________________ Neal [B][I]Dodge County Smokers[/I][/B] [SIZE=1]KCBS CBJ[/SIZE] [URL="http://www.dodgecountysmokers.com"][SIZE=1][B][I]www.dodgecountysmokers.com[/I][/B][/SIZE][/URL] [I][SIZE=1]Custom Built Cooker / [/SIZE][/I][I][SIZE=1]Weber Kettle /[/SIZE][/I][I][SIZE=1]old New Braunfels offset in the backyard[/SIZE][/I] [I][SIZE=1][/SIZE][/I]

08-10-2006, 07:04 PM	#9
ThomEmery Babbling Farker Join Date: 08-20-05 Location: Indio Ca.	Yes this cook off will be small enough to use one half chicken When we do second and 3rd rounds We would need two halfs __________________ Catering, Contests, and Community Service Team What Wood Jesus Que? Www.bbqthom.com

08-11-2006, 07:49 AM	#10
MrSmoker is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 06-28-04 Location: Phoenix, AZ	Is the 1/2 chicken cut up in the box before turn in? If so how many pcs. __________________ Mr Smoker BBQ Arizona Chapter BBQ Brethren-----AZBarbeque Hall of Fame, North American Outdoors Grill,Charbroil Red, #7 Custom Red Kamado, Bandera

08-11-2006, 08:00 AM	#11
Bigmista somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 05-24-04 Location: Long Beach, CA	Nope it is whole. THe judges cut off the piece they want. __________________ Wait! Bigmista wrote a cookbook? Rec Tec RT-700 Bull Pitmaker Vault Remembering Scott

08-11-2006, 04:28 PM	#12
ThomEmery Babbling Farker Join Date: 08-20-05 Location: Indio Ca.	The Judges cut everything they eat Yes the Chicken will fit in the box 9.5 inch Dart turn in box So Dont cook a Turkey Smoke LOL __________________ Catering, Contests, and Community Service Team What Wood Jesus Que? Www.bbqthom.com

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
IBCA Any thoughts?	Q-Dat	Q-talk	2	09-04-2010 02:11 PM
IBCA Question	Smitty250	Competition BBQ	33	03-17-2010 02:01 PM
First IBCA Contest	bubbachuck	Competition BBQ	11	03-08-2009 03:28 PM
IBCA Contests	Roo-B-Q'N	Competition BBQ	10	11-27-2008 08:51 AM