No judges "Doggie Bags" at Red, White, and BBQ

[motoeric]

I suspect the judges could take home all they want if they start visiting with the teams after turn-ins are over. One team might say no, the next three might be handing it to the judge(s) faster than they can put it in the cooler.

Maybe not every event, but for most, I would say this would be the norm.

First off, that's a very generous response. Unfortunately, there's often a non-tangible wall of separation between judges and teams. It sometimes feels that judges are guests at an event and the teams ARE the event. It might be very awkward for a judge to go around to teams asking for left-overs. There's sort of an Oliver Twistian aspect to the prospect.

Maybe the organizer could provide teams that would be happy to hand some out with a flag or other designator? Judges could be told to visit teams that have the blue flag and those teams might have some extra food.

Just a thought.

Eric

 

[Stoke&Smoke]

The food on the mats should be fairly eaten and not partially eaten to be saved to be taken home later.

So are you saying the judges should eat 6 whole pieces of chicken (out on a limb here saying mostly thighs) 6 ribs, 6 or more whole pieces of pork (I say more in case there is pull, chunk, and sliced submitted, and 6 slices of brisket. That's a lot of meat in one sitting:shocked:

This is a non-issue for me...don't care either way

 

[DriverWild]

In my opinion judges should be there to judge not eat and take home what's left over. I judged my first comp recently and as a competitor, I was a taken back a little by how excited the judges were to take food home. A few said it was the best part of judging. Unless you're a MCJ it's difficult to get in, maybe this would be a good way to weed out the eaters vs judges? Not everyone will agree but it's my opinion.

 

[Ford]

No coolers. Been saying it for 10 years. Any person who thinks putting hot food in a cooler with an ice pack for 6 hours is safe is asking to get sick. I turn in food to be judged. Not to feed people at home.

 

[Alexa RnQ]

Was the announcement that they can't bring coolers made at the last minute? If so, cancelling at the last minute seems less unreasonable.

I would also suggest that their cancelling may have had more to do with their feeling slighted or insulted by the insinuation that they aren't capable of acting like a responsible adult and put fair sampling above their wish to have more abundant left-overs.

Eric

No insinuation was made by the organizers -- it was a straightforward transmission of stipulation made by the local health department.

I would hope that responsible adults would willingly do everything possible to ensure that the contest could comply with HD demands.

 

[deguerre]

No insinuation was made by the organizers -- it was a straightforward transmission of stipulation made by the local health department.

I would hope that responsible adults would willingly do everything possible to ensure that the contest could comply with HD demands.

THAT is even MORE telling.

 

[boogiesnap]

c'mon. just have someone come around and collect some leftovers from each category from teams, put the full pans on a table and let the judges have at it, buffet style. i know i have PLENTY of GOOD food left after a contest. i'd be more than happy to donate to the judges some if not all.

 

[boogiesnap]

then again, that might not work either....you may find you'd get judges just coming for the "free buffet".

 

[Skip]

It might be very awkward for a judge to go around to teams asking for left-overs.
Eric

As well as the speed at which most teams breakdown. Unless you speed out of the judges tent and come straight to my tent the food will probably be away or in the garbage. Food safety at a hot contest has that food chilled or thrown away by then. Figure the chicken would be nearly 2 hours out of the cooker.

 

[Skip]

I'd rather see them weed out the poor judges then the ones who bring food home. Get rid of the guy who never gives 9's because no one is perfect or the guy who tells you how your food should be cooked before you worry about the bachelor or spinster who makes a meal the next day.

 

[Scottie]

I pushed for this. I am the BBQ comp guy on the committee. I also have set it up so teams can donate some food to the volunteers first and then the judges.

I just ask if teams or CBJ's have a problem with it to PM me directly. They listened to my recommendation. There was some dissent, but everyone was in agreement. I hops other co tests can follow the lead and do this. This is no slight to judges, except the one's that didn't take full bites, just so they can have leftovers.

 

[The_Kapn]

We have retired from competition, so don't have "a dog in this fight" anymore.

But....
A few years back, an FBA organizer banned the coolers and asked that would each team, if they were so inclined, would turn in a second unmarked box with "leftovers" along side the numbered ones for real.
Those went to a grazing table for the judges, staff, and volunteers.
I think most teams did so and the folks had a bounty of BBQ to sample/taste.

Just a thought.

TIM

 

[Smoke'n Ice]

I give away or throw away all of my excess bbq. I cook two briskets, two pork butts, 3 racks of ribs and at least 18 thighs and occassionaly a few breast. If any one, to incude judges, would like my excess, just ask or make it known by the organizer to the judges. In Hot Springs, the peoples choice was pork butt and all of the teams entered as the turnin was at 2 pm.

My kids and neighbors and cafe employees beg me not to bring home the excess, they, and their families, have had enough. It's not that it is bad, it is the amount and frequency. :razz:

 

[Bratenmeister]

As someone said, most judges spend travel money and time (hours of driving), some also with hotel expenses, because they enjoy good BBQ and want to be a part of the process and judge fairly. I believe that any Judge that would go through this expense and hassel just to take home what is left over On their judging plate would be a rare and strange individual when its presented to them fresh off the pit on competition day. The reality is that no judge can eat 100% of every sample and the vast majority wishes that they could eat it all in one sitting. Driving 3+ hours to pocket a handful of left over BBQ samples off a judging plate is not what is going through the minds of the vast majority of judges toting coolers. Not wasting good food is the overwhelming motivation.

 

[SaucyWench]

We used to take home our leftovers, if they were worth taking home. I honestly don't see why that would be a problem to a cook...it would be our germs...in fact, it would be a complement to your cooking that we wanted to keep it instead of tossing it in the trash!
There is no way I would take anything from the grazing table after it has sat for so long and had all kinds of hands in it, and I would feel strange going to a cook site and asking for a baggie of meat.
Nowadays, our cooler is used for adult beverages while we walk around after judging, visiting with our cook friends. If we were offered a beer by every competitor we've become friends with, we wouldn't need a cooler at all!

 

[hogzillas]

I'd have no problem w/ it as I normally get all the bbq I can stand in the judging process so I've never taken any home also partly due to the safety issues of trying to get meat cold enough soon enough & then get it home 2+ hrs later. I see the grazing table as more for the tc, reps, turn in table, other volunteers who don't get to judge.

At a few FBA contests I judged at in the past the grazing table isn't for the timid, it's almost like the lions & hyenas on the Seregenti plains at a fresh kill site :tongue:

 

[MikeJ65]

I don't take a cooler when I judge because I always have plenty of BBQ in the freezer from when I compete. That said, I do feel a bit guilty throwing really good BBQ in the trash. I totally understand the competitor perspective, but I really don't think that banning coolers will improve judging.

I am more interested in statistically balancing tables and providing more information for judges and teams so that judges know how their scores fit the 'norm' and teams know how they did relative to the other table entries and the judge's history.

 

[fweck]

The leftover buffet; I want in on that!! I'll just eat around that other judges bite mark; should be good to go.

Do you think that taking home leftovers is how the judges feed their family's?

I sample what I need to get a score, if there is something left I'll take it home. Not because I want to feed my family, but because I don't want it to go to waste.

 

[Bentley]

If that were the case, I can assure you by the 5th Chicken turn in, I will need the trash can next to me to start spitting out the remaining samples I judge!

I dont want my left overs, but I am afraid in the last 11 years, all the meat I have thrown in the trash...That is hard to deal with...Wish it at least went to someones dog.

As far as a judges time and expense, same thoughts as if it were a team, no factor, who cares...their choice.

So are you saying the judges should eat 6 whole pieces of chicken (out on a limb here saying mostly thighs) 6 ribs, 6 or more whole pieces of pork (I say more in case there is pull, chunk, and sliced submitted, and 6 slices of brisket. That's a lot of meat in one sitting:shocked:

This is a non-issue for me...don't care either way

 

[Arlin_MacRae]

My wife and I both judge. Neither of us can eat every part of each sample and make it through to brisket without being stuffed, so we eat two bites (OK, if it's really good I might go three) and the brisket turn-in gets a fair chance because we're not stuffed. We don't need to take the good leftovers home, but we DO. We were both raised by Depression era parents and it was drilled into us to eat everything on our plates and we just can't waste good food so we DO take the good stuff home. She's got a baggie and I have one. We munch on that for a week and didn't have to waste great Q.
We've judged where coolers were banned and we've judged where the rep provided containers for judge to use for their leftovers!
We've all heard the stories about the "judges" who are only there for the free grub. That's deplorable and if there was a way to weed them out that would be great. There's no room in the KCBS for those folks.
If coolers were banned at all comps I doubt we'd stop judging, but it would seem mean-spirited, honestly.
As far as the health aspect, if a judge gets sick taking food home that's on them. If it's not done already, include the danger warning in the briefing or even on the CD, but banning coolers because SOME people are stupid isn't right. Of course in our society we already put up with that crap. Treat everyone like they're stupid and nobody can sue someone. Nice.