Comment card

[J&B'sBBQ]

What do you bet it came from the same judge?!?!?

Tom, this made me go look at my sheet and we had the exact same score for the same judge that gave me that 979... :shocked:

With that being said, we did miss on taste in more than one judge's opinion so I'm not throwing that feedback to the wind.

 

[rob g]

I started judging last year with the CSBBQA here in Canada. The judges are encouraged to comment on the score card when ever they score low in a category to help the teams improve. If I score low then there is definitely something in my mind that caused that i.e. over cooked ribs, a taste that was out of line (too salty or didn't agree with me) so making a comment is not a hardship unless you have a table captain pushing everyone. The teams at the finish of judging get their scorecards returned to them. The judge's name is on the card so they have to be responsible not only for what they scored but for their comments.

 

[shirknwrk]

Greasy fingerprints on the comment cards might allow identification of judges!

 

[wjwheeler]

I hope we never get comment cards by scoring all eights and nines. I think they are helpful. Constructive criticism is always good. They may not be used more because some people can't take constructive criticism.

 

[Roast Beast]

We got our first comment card this past weekend for pork (comment for a 7 in taste was that pork came to the table cold, which was helpful). We were glad to receive it and appreciate the judge taking the time to write that out, but that was all the information it had on it. No other boxes were checked, no comments about the actual flavor, etc. Our pork scores ranged from 7 to 9 in taste, so I guess the main thing it told us was that some judges consider meat temperature an aspect of flavor and others don't.

 

[J&B'sBBQ]

We got our first comment card this past weekend for pork (comment for a 7 in taste was that pork came to the table cold, which was helpful). We were glad to receive it and appreciate the judge taking the time to write that out, but that was all the information it had on it. No other boxes were checked, no comments about the actual flavor, etc. Our pork scores ranged from 7 to 9 in taste, so I guess the main thing it told us was that some judges consider meat temperature an aspect of flavor and others don't.

That is interesting that you got a 7 in taste because the sample was cold...:crazy:. My understanding is that meat makes it to the tables cold all the time, especially the later two turn ins. Just my .02 though as I do not judge. Maybe a judge can chime in here and give their thoughts on that comment card.

 

[PekingPorker]

We got our first comment card this past weekend for pork (comment for a 7 in taste was that pork came to the table cold, which was helpful). We were glad to receive it and appreciate the judge taking the time to write that out, but that was all the information it had on it. No other boxes were checked, no comments about the actual flavor, etc. Our pork scores ranged from 7 to 9 in taste, so I guess the main thing it told us was that some judges consider meat temperature an aspect of flavor and others don't.

We got a comment card just like this except for Chicken. The comment was a 6 in taste with the only comment, "COLD". Nothing else checked or said. This judge gave us two 6s for taste and tenderness which killed our score on chicken. Most everyone else at the table was 8/9 on our chicken.

 

[bbq.tom]

That is interesting that you got a 7 in taste because the sample was cold...:crazy:. My understanding is that meat makes it to the tables cold all the time, especially the later two turn ins. Just my .02 though as I do not judge. Maybe a judge can chime in here and give their thoughts on that comment card.

Hey Beth, from a CBJ perspective I'll jump in on this question - entries USUALLY get to the table slightly warm to room temperature. It is unusual to get a sample either hot or cold (other than some still fairly hot chicken thighs). That being said, a "cold" meat I find usually will hurt the Tenderness score much more than Taste due to the change in the consistancy/viscosity of the juices and sauce.
There was a thread about this very subject a few weeks ago with numerous responses. Fortunately, MOST contests are held when the ambient temperature is fairly warm (60+), but I have actually had a box of all-white breast meat chicken that was like it just came out of the refrigerator. While there just wasn't much flavor to the meat at all, the cold temperature made the grease and whatever sauce that was used congeal and it was difficult to seperate a sample to put on the plate as it was one solid mass. That was a contest in Indiana in April 2013. I also encountered a mass of pulled pork that had the same problem at a contest in Georgia this past February.

 

[jcog44]

I give a lot of comment cards for many 7s and all 8s. Fewer for sevens because, frequently they are just average competition meats with nothing special, and nothing really wrong. I comment on all 8s, so the cook knows why it wasn't a 9. I use a LOT of comment cards.

 

[jcog44]

Regarding lighter fluid. Per several reps, they apparently have found that some sauce components can develop a chemical taste when exposed to heavy smoke. Even found this when several of judged a practice cook for a team.

 

[Rookie'48]

Regarding lighter fluid. Per several reps, they apparently have found that some sauce components can develop a chemical taste when exposed to heavy smoke. Even found this when several of judged a practice cook for a team.

Creosote, wet or green wood, moldy bark and excessive alcohol in the injection / mop / sauce can all give a taste like lighter fluid. Most of these I have found out about because of my own fark-ups :doh:.

 

[bbq.tom]

Regarding lighter fluid. Per several reps, they apparently have found that some sauce components can develop a chemical taste when exposed to heavy smoke. Even found this when several of judged a practice cook for a team.

It kind of burns my butt whenever I hear a team state how stupid the judge was that left a comment card indicating that their meat tasted like lighter fluid "bacause we never use lighter fluid", when actually the judge is NOT stating that they used lighter fluid, but rather that their meat tasted like it. This can be the result of a number of different reasons, but the "chemical" taste that is on the meat makes it taste like lighter fluid.

 

[Hawg Father of Seoul]

It kind of burns my butt whenever I hear a team state how stupid the judge was that left a comment card indicating that their meat tasted like lighter fluid "bacause we never use lighter fluid", when actually the judge is NOT stating that they used lighter fluid, but rather that their meat tasted like it. This can be the result of a number of different reasons, but the "chemical" taste that is on the meat makes it taste like lighter fluid.

No, I get it. It tastes like when they cook at home. :razz: