Anyone know what prompted this?

[Okie Sawbones]

I'm going to pull a Myron Mixon circa Pitmaster season 1 and use a little lighter fluid... I've not heard of a contest being cancelled due to lack of judges, but I have heard of them cancelled due to lack of cook teams...

Well I see Photobucket finally caught up with me. SOBs.

 

[Qbert60]

I'm going to pull a Myron Mixon circa Pitmaster season 1 and use a little lighter fluid... I've not heard of a contest being cancelled due to lack of judges, but I have heard of them cancelled due to lack of cook teams...

You haven't? You must not have been competing the last 2-3 years. I know of 3 contests this year that either cancelled or were on the endangered list due to lack of teams. Those comps will probably not be around next year.

Also, if you are a CBJ and are traveling to judge a contest, you might as well compete if you are spending the money us teams do. Either that or your cooler that you bring must be good size. :wink:

 

[Okie Sawbones]

Also, if you are a CBJ and are traveling to judge a contest, you might as well compete if you are spending the money us teams do. Either that or your cooler that you bring must be good size. :wink:

What cooler?

 

[sudsandswine]

I judged my first competition about a month ago. I didn't realize you could log into the KCBS website and view your scores compared to the table average, that was pretty interesting, so thanks for that info. I was generally less than a point away from the table average, and the rest of the judges at the table had done many comps.

There were three instances I was significantly lower than the table between 2 or 3 points for a submission, and I rated them 6's and 5's in a couple categories, and I remember exactly which ones - one was incredibly salty, like I may have gotten a piece with a pocket of thick injection, one was a real dry piece of chicken breast with a thick coat of salt + pepper, and the other had an "ambitious" amount of cayenne hot enough that you could tell when each judge got to it. All of those in my mind were definitely below average in at least one of the judging criteria yet they still received above average scores from most of the table, given the average score for the submission. I meant to fill out a comment card for a couple of them, but it was a fast moving comp and we were off to the next category before I knew it and forgot - as a cook I know that feedback would've been helpful. Being the low scorer in those submissions, I suppose my score was thrown out anyway.

Was the rest of the table full of experience judges wrong? Logic would tell me they know what they're doing given the number of comps they judged. But it's also possible I just the "bad" piece from the box as well, and I know what I tasted and feel my scores were fair.

I feel fairly experienced in barbecue, eaten a ton of it, cooked a ton of it, tasted comp barbecue cooked by others quite a few times, so I think that makes me a fair judge. But let's be honest...anyone that takes the judging class "gets in", regardless of the level of experience they have, and I'm sure there are plenty of unfair scores given out. I don't really know a good way to weed those out...you can state what the judging criteria are all day long, but at the end of the day taste is subjective and people are human so...

 

[DoctorCueNC]

You haven't? You must not have been competing the last 2-3 years. I know of 3 contests this year that either cancelled or were on the endangered list due to lack of teams. Those comps will probably not be around next year.

Also, if you are a CBJ and are traveling to judge a contest, you might as well compete if you are spending the money us teams do. Either that or your cooler that you bring must be good size. :wink:

That was my point I said I HAD seen it cancelled for lack of teams, and actually had one of my events cancelled this year. What I HADN'T seen was cancellations due to lack of judges.

 

[Qbert60]

That was my point I said I HAD seen it cancelled for lack of teams, and actually had one of my events cancelled this year. What I HADN'T seen was cancellations due to lack of judges.

Apologies. I read it to fast.

And...

You know what cooler i am referring too.

 

[DoctorCueNC]

Apologies. I read it to fast.

And...

You know what cooler i am referring too.

No worries

 

[Okie Sawbones]

Nope, no cooler for me. Everything goes in the trash.

 

[Okie Sawbones]

I judged my first competition about a month ago. I didn't realize you could log into the KCBS website and view your scores compared to the table average, that was pretty interesting, so thanks for that info. I was generally less than a point away from the table average, and the rest of the judges at the table had done many comps.

Congrats on judging your first comp.

There were three instances I was significantly lower than the table between 2 or 3 points for a submission, and I rated them 6's and 5's in a couple categories, and I remember exactly which ones - one was incredibly salty, like I may have gotten a piece with a pocket of thick injection, one was a real dry piece of chicken breast with a thick coat of salt + pepper, and the other had an "ambitious" amount of cayenne hot enough that you could tell when each judge got to it. All of those in my mind were definitely below average in at least one of the judging criteria yet they still received above average scores from most of the table, given the average score for the submission.

Remember what KCBS stresses -- I will be true to my own taste. I like salt more than some, and I definitely like heat. I don't mark down for these unless really over the top. Also keep in mind the scoring system has become inflated over time.

I meant to fill out a comment card for a couple of them, but it was a fast moving comp and we were off to the next category before I knew it and forgot - as a cook I know that feedback would've been helpful. Being the low scorer in those submissions, I suppose my score was thrown out anyway.

This is a problem for sure. I wish we had a little more time. Some cooks appreciate them.

Was the rest of the table full of experience judges wrong? Logic would tell me they know what they're doing given the number of comps they judged. But it's also possible I just the "bad" piece from the box as well, and I know what I tasted and feel my scores were fair.

Possible. I never knew a chicken with six thighs. And it's tough to get 6 straight ribs off of 1 rack.

I feel fairly experienced in barbecue, eaten a ton of it, cooked a ton of it, tasted comp barbecue cooked by others quite a few times, so I think that makes me a fair judge.

I don't believe you can be a good judge if you don't cook yourself. You can find flaws easily, because you have made them all yourself along the learning curve.

But let's be honest...anyone that takes the judging class "gets in", regardless of the level of experience they have, and I'm sure there are plenty of unfair scores given out.

Thus my wish for more demanding criteria to become a judge, but from what I've heard, this isn't likely to happen.

I don't really know a good way to weed those out...you can state what the judging criteria are all day long, but at the end of the day taste is subjective and people are human so...

And thus it comes to the crux of the matter -- subjectivity. You can't legislate taste. Yes, we are supposed to put aside personal preferences and judge what is in front of us, but can you do this in reality? I try, but that rib entry that is savory, with a kick of heat, and a sweet glaze has my subconscious screaming 9.

:thumb:

 

[fwdiii]

Nope, no cooler for me. Everything goes in the trash.

Same with me.

 

[didisea]

As with any geographically diverse organization, they probably just needed to ensure there was a uniform, spelled out, and communicated procedure established to deal with issues that came up with the judging corps.