judge and critique my chicken

We can quote dictionary.com, etc. all day long. What matters is how appearance is defined in the world of KCBS judging. While there are different interpretations of everything, here is one reference that applies to this specific circumstance.

This is from a transcript of Ed Roith's KCBS Judging class...

Scoring appearance

[0:10:31] When it comes to the table and they open that container and you look at it, remember that this is a meat contest. You are judging the meat. If that meat looks so appetizing and looks so mouth-watering that you cannot wait to get into it, that to me would be a nine. But if it looks like it was just thrown into the container in no special order, arranged very sloppily, and you were out at a restaurant, you'd say "Gee, I've heard so much about this place. They don't care how they present it," then that way, you would judge down accordingly. Because if there is no care taken, then presentation doesn't mean too much, does it?
[0:11:10] So it is in the eye of the beholder, as far as presentation is concerned.
Click to expand...
and...

Chicken appearance

[0:16:53] Now another thing that you may see in presentation is when chicken comes in.
See six pieces when scoring appearance

[0:17:00] Here is where we may run into a little problem sometimes, in convincing a cook that there must be six identifiable pieces in the container.
[0:17:14] I've seen cooks take half a chicken, lay it in the container, lift up the skin, cut the breast portion only into six pieces, lay the skin back over it, put it into the container, because it looks nice as a half a chicken.
[0:17:29] Well remember, you as a judge cannot touch that meat to turn it, to look at it, or even smell it, until it gets on your judging plate (which you will have today to put the meat on).
Click to expand...
The emphasis is mine.


Considering that we are talking about KCBS judging in this thread, this is good enough for me. Appearance in this instance is defined as sight, not smell, touch or any other sense.
 
I know this is a meat contest and garnish rules always take a beating, but you have to admit that the garnish does play a factor. That said I have found I score better in appearance if there is a green line all the way around the meat. I see white next to the meat. Depending of how different the picture looks from the real thing, I could see the 6's. The 5 though is just not right, that is one judge that thinks highly of themselves.

Big Mike
 
I'm with Chris... If the definition of appearance includes sense beyond sight, I plan to poke and lick and sniff each entry to test and judge the appearance - even before we are given our sample.

Hogwash. Appearance score is based upon sight only.
 
acorette said:
I'm with Chris... If the definition of appearance includes sense beyond sight, I plan to poke and lick and sniff each entry to test and judge the appearance - even before we are given our sample.

Hogwash. Appearance score is based upon sight only.
Click to expand...


hog·wash (hôg
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n. 1. Worthless, false, or ridiculous speech or writing; nonsense.


MEANY!!!!!!!!!!!!!:icon_sad:icon_sad:icon_sad

Oh and there are two definitions of appearance posted here that both include sense beyond sight. So I hope you are serious and poke, prod, lick and sniff your next category. :lol::lol::lol:
 
Comment card mode. Looks great love the shine I would give it a 9 except for the front thigh kind of distract the eye and of course its two shiny so you get a 5. Seriously everyone always assumes the low scores are from loser judges but consider the high scores could be given by soft touch judges. So how you going to argue that.

So your scores are close to normal and you just experienced truly subjective judging which is the nature of the beast. Having said that I would never give less than a 6 unless things were horribly wrong. Smell would have absolutely nothing to do with my appearance score, how could you be sure you were not sniffing one of the other entries on your plate or even from another table. Ok you get a 7. I was telling you the truth about the front thigh but thats just me.
Dave
 
OK, good warm up for Fairfield, CA this weekend.

Judge the meat, judge the meat, judge the meat...Piece's are very uniform, great color with uniformity, too much sauce to me...Sauce should not effect apperance score?, maybe taste score? Ahhh, the farken rigirous demans they put on me as a CBJ!

I would give the box an 8.
 
It is really interesting the way these threads take tangents.
Judging is such an emotional issue.
I wish it was not that way, but it is.

Those look really fine to me.

If I was gonna suggest any improvement, I would have tried 2 thighs across the bottom just to accent the great looking meat.
Might have been even better, but maybe not. :oops:

But, great looking as they are.

TIM
 
It is a MEAT contest. You are supposed to judge the appearance of the MEAT.
Just from the photo, this chicken was at least an 8 if not a 9.
 
I'm judgin' Saturday and hope to reward cooks with a fair share of 9's.

No sixes, come on nines - STOP
-Press your Luck mod
 
Damn Bobby. Let me know the next contest you are judging!!! I'm willing to travel... :roll:
 
Scottie, the cook has to do more then just cook it before it will come (field of dreams mod) but I love to give 9's to those who earn them when I eat some damn fine Q.
 
It is nice seeing other boxes, but when I seen this box the chicken looked like a score of an 8, the presentation of the entire box, the layout brings it down to a 7. I didn't like the shingled look of the thighs just to put a single one up front.
 
Butcher BBQ said:
It is nice seeing other boxes, but when I seen this box the chicken looked like a score of an 8, the presentation of the entire box, the layout brings it down to a 7. I didn't like the shingled look of the thighs just to put a single one up front.
Click to expand...

Doesn't seem right to drop a point for layout after you noting the chicken looked like an 8.
 
tell me again... smell affects the appearance score?

ARE YOU SERIOUS???? no offense Skip but come on man!

FWIW, I smell everything I judge, but not BEFORE it is on my judging plate
(while in taste mode)
 
Butcher BBQ said:
appearance is appearance. If the lay out isn't important then how would you score it if it was just all throw in the middle of the box all in a mound?
Click to expand...


I understand your point, but I think there's should be a difference between haphazard/sloppy vs. neatly arranged (which this is).

I guess this is what always makes this hobby interesting..
 
MilitantSquatter said:
I understand your point, but I think there's should be a difference between haphazard/sloppy vs. neatly arranged (which this is).

I guess this is what always makes this hobby interesting..
Click to expand...

Yes your right, but if this is what I think maybe this is why that one judge is a 5. Maybe he was a 6 and went to a 5, and you know also someone else reading this post will take a second look at a box this weekend and maybe correct it and get a few extra points. :idea:
 
I am going to present the same box I think this weekend and see what happens. I might add another thigh sideways up front. I am trying to do different from the norm, it has been working great for me in other categories but this category gets me everytime. I wonder if they are falling off before they get to see them.
 
lunchlady said:
tell me again... smell affects the appearance score?

ARE YOU SERIOUS???? no offense Skip but come on man!

FWIW, I smell everything I judge, but not BEFORE it is on my judging plate
(while in taste mode)
Click to expand...

Another reason I won't try judging for a long time. Too hard to do it right.
 
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