People's Choice at comps

[Nordy]

Several comps have "peoples choice" Sometimes those are Friday night (usually ribs), but most seem to be on Saturday. How do you manage your cook space?

I cook on a FEC100 and a PG1000 pellet grill. I could have a rack or maybe two on my FEC while the big cuts are on but some of these PC contests are BIG and large VOLUMES are necessary...

For me, I'm primarily there to cook for the KCBS Competition, however I also want to support the contest and it's beneficiary. Do I throw on some People's choice meat as soon as I get set up and then re-heat if it's on Saturday? Do I buy a bigger smoker? (yeah right)... Like I said, I want to support the causes/competitions, however I don't want to compromise my Competition cook...

 

[Lake Dogs]

I've never competed in a peoples choice in barbecue unless it was judged blind and every competitor put in the same amount of barbecue (ala. only 1 contest that I know of does this, and only 1 contest that I submit anything for peoples choice).

The reason is what I learned about peoples choice in chili cookoffs. First off know that the local team bringing all their friends will most likely win. Secondly, if there is a chance that the first-off doesnt play into it heavily, the team serving the most and hands out samples long after everyone else has run out will win. Combine #1 and #2 above and if that's not you you're highly unlikely to win, place, or show. Chili doesn't cost much, so participating in these can be fun and almost comical sometimes. BBQ isn't cheap at all. I'd hate to spend a couple of hundred of dollars on barbecue and bust my butt and turn out an award winning product only to get beat out by the local team from the VFW who brought out all their members. Mind you, if you want to do this to support them, by all means do it, make a couple of racks, hand out 15 ribs, eat a few yourself, and enjoy crowd watching. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[DawgPhan]

If the following conditions are met we compete in people's choice.

Contest provides the meat.
It costs less than $25-$50 to enter. If it costs money to enter there must be a payout.
Contest handles giving out samples.
Samples must be given out blindly.
All teams turn in the same amount of meat.
Turn-in should be @ 10:30 or 11. Any later and it begins to interfere with the contest. After turn-ins I want to clean and pack.

The people's choice where the public walks from team to team to get samples is not something I am interested in doing.

I would imagine that we would do people's choice at every contest if it was run like this.

 

[ammoore]

It's easy.....don't do it if you feel it will compromise the real reason you are there.

Lake Dogs summed it up....9x out of 10 that is how I've seen it go down.

 

[Pigs on Fire]

Get a whistle. Stay up all night tending to your stick burner. Drink a lot of beer.

15 minutes BEFORE the time that was announced for PC to start, start blowing the whistle at every public patron, directing them to your cooksite. Blow the whistle many, many times.

Especially where the cook team(s) next to you can hear it well and make sure you concentrate on blowing that whistle and hawking the people's choice while all the rest of the teams are preparing their turn-in boxes.

 

[dmprantz]

Similar to what others have said, we only do PC if it's free to enter, and the organizer provides the meat. We're there to compete in the main event, and consider PC to be a real crap shoot. We're glad to throw our hat into the ring, but that PC meat is always a second class citizen to the other meats. We don't do on-site PC either, and expect it to be blind.

Generally, I expect that when the organizer provides the meat it's all going to be approximately equal portions to all teams. I was at one competition a couple years ago where the organizer decided to distribute all the meat unevenly so that some teams got 2 butts, some 4, and some 6, depending on cooker space. There were several irregularities with that PC competition, including the refusal to hand out PC placings beyonf first.

dmp

 

[Nordy]

The PC I'm considering is my local contest... and honestly people I know around here "expect" me to enter... I may be able to get a loner pit from someone local who is not cooking and go that route...

I'll probably add a few of my local buddies to the team to cook PC... while the usual team members will focus on KCBS comp meats...

Who knows... PC seems like a real PIA honestly.

That's the only way I can see it being do-able.

 

[rooftop bbq]

almost every contest in california has peoples choice. Most of them dont put up any prize money but they also dont cost anything to enter, its just a way for teams to recoup some of their cost by selling their left over meat. the standard is 50/50 split for 2 dollar 2oz samples. If you have an extra meat and an extra hand you can make your meat cost back pretty easy.
We go pretty heavy on PC and have been able to off set all costs for the competitions including gas, entry fee, ingrediants and meat. We've also been able to put money aside for future events. If you have the man power I'd suggest doing it, it makes the drive home alot better if you didnt get that big walk.

 

[Lake Dogs]

Get a whistle. Stay up all night tending to your stick burner. Drink a lot of beer.

15 minutes BEFORE the time that was announced for PC to start, start blowing the whistle at every public patron, directing them to your cooksite. Blow the whistle many, many times.

Especially where the cook team(s) next to you can hear it well and make sure you concentrate on blowing that whistle and hawking the people's choice while all the rest of the teams are preparing their turn-in boxes.

^^^ Funny, because in chili we use cow bells...

 

[Fat Freddy]

At a contest I am doing this year we are required to do PC. It is a pork loin and if like last year a big one. To me the PC is the biggest pain in the pork butt. Seems to be nothing but a popularity contest. Not sour grapes on my end because at the 2 contests I did last year with PC I didnt deserve to win, but at both the local teams won the PC and ironically at one the team that won PC finished DAL in every regular meat category.

The reason I am dreading it this year also is because of the PC the health dept gets involved and you have to go through that mess. Last year at this event they hit my site at 11:45am so you can imagine how much of a farking mess that was.

I have decided I am going to cook the loin on Friday and reheat it Saturday for the PC at 2pm then it wont take any of my very limited cooking space for my KCBS meats.

 

[caseydog]

I'm an outsider trying to understand competition BBQ. I've read other threads that indicate that spectators are a PITA, and now I'm reading that People's Choice competition is a PITA.

Are competitions at the KCBS private parties that spectators are, reluctantly, allowed to attend, as long as they shut up and stay out of the way?

I've thought about attending a big comp, but I wouldn't want to feel like a nuisance.

If part of the mission of KCBS is to promote BBQ -- what exactly does that mean? Where do spectators fit into the program? I can understand not being able to chat when you are preparing your entries, but is there any time that spectators and public relations aren't a PITA?

If competitors find it unpleasant to talk to spectators and hand out food, why not just close competitions to the public? Then you can focus 100-percent on winning and payouts, and not have to fark with the riff-raff.


CD

 

[eggzlot]

Caseydog,

I think people's compliants about the PC's is that they arent set up in a fair manner. Not sour grapes, but I did PC's at a contest this year, and our location of our site was awful. We had ZERO foot traffic, no way to win. We paid $25 to enter plus we supplied our own pork plus the pans for cooking, rub, our sauces, etc. So we had a cost and pretty much no shot to win. Plus the PC's turn in's were at the same time as the KCBS turn in - total nightmare building boxes, running to judges and serving PC's from our own tent.

I know organizers use PC's to help raise money usually for a good cause, so its hard to be totally against it, just wish it was more "team friendly" especially when we are paying to enter, paying for the meat, etc.

To make it fair, PC's should be blind and the food should be handed out by the event staff at a central location at the event and people vote blindly for their favorite - especially if the PC's contest is at any time close to KCBS/main content's turn in time for the judges.

When I have done contests, unless I am working on boxing / turning in the food, I never mind people coming up, talking to us, wanting to see our pit, our booth set up, etc. For the ~2 hrs around boxing and clean up after, we like to keep to ourselves. We are at the contest usually around 24-30 hours between load in, cooking, turn in, packing up and going home. For about 4-5 of those hours (boxing and packing up) we like to be left alone. The other 20+ hours, come by to say hello!!

 

[Nordy]

I'm sure some feel the way you describe, however I think most who complain about the "general public" are cooks who have had bad experiences with spectators overstepping their bounds. ie messing with/opening cookers, helping themselves to "samples" during turnins etc.

Personally I like the interaction with the "rif raff" but when its time to work... I walk off and take care of business... if the specs are offended when I walk off... too bad, I have work to do.

You do point out a very significant issue with BBQ competitions... and likely why they are not great TV draws as well... they aren't spectator friendly. The only way other than having another draw such as a "festival" with craft and other vendors to get public "buy in" is through people's choice. How to make that jive with competition cooking? Good question, that's what I'm trying to figure out.

Best case would be a blind people's choice with "leftovers" from comp meats, however the "blind" doesn't get the public interacting with the teams... thus they are "buying in" to eating some BBQ not to learning from/interacting with teams etc. They have no idea if the Q they are eating is a top 5 national team or the local VFW. They don't have anyone to "root for" at an awards ceremony... Unfortunately when it is not blind it does then become as contest of who can bring the most friends to a contest...

 

[Bigmista]

I think you all (with the exception of rooftop) approaching PC from the wrong angle. If you are doing PC to win a prize, don't do it. PC works best when you are doing it to make extra money from your sales. Usually (at last here in california) you just serve your extra meat from your cooks unless yo go all out like some of us do.

I never do PC in search of a trophy but we usually end up with one. We enjoy talking to the crowds and serving them. It gives the spectators something to do and they keep coming back. Believe me if you don't get spectators out to these events, the sponsors will stop contributing and there will be far fewer contests.

Do your part, even if you only serve for an hour and run out of food. Teams with more space will pick up the slack. Support the contests and support the sport. Make it fun for the people who come out and spend their money to see us and taste some championship bbq.

 

[SirPorkaLot]

I'm an outsider trying to understand competition BBQ. I've read other threads that indicate that spectators are a PITA, and now I'm reading that People's Choice competition is a PITA.

Are competitions at the KCBS private parties that spectators are, reluctantly, allowed to attend, as long as they shut up and stay out of the way?

I've thought about attending a big comp, but I wouldn't want to feel like a nuisance.

If part of the mission of KCBS is to promote BBQ -- what exactly does that mean? Where do spectators fit into the program? I can understand not being able to chat when you are preparing your entries, but is there any time that spectators and public relations aren't a PITA?

If competitors find it unpleasant to talk to spectators and hand out food, why not just close competitions to the public? Then you can focus 100-percent on winning and payouts, and not have to fark with the riff-raff.


CD

CD: The public can be a PITA at comps when the organizers open up the festival to the public at 9 or 10am, as this is the height of activity in he pressure chamber (cook site).

They are curious and come asking questions, and unless you are set up (like at MIM) where you have enough resources and room to have people manning a public area, then answering a bunch of questions while you are trying to prepare 4 meats for turn-in is not a good thing.

On the flip side though, I love to show off my craft and answer questions about it, just not Saturday morning after I have been up half (or most) of the night.

PC has it's advantages as disadvantages. I don't care for them for reasons already stated above.

 

[Bigmista]

Caseydog,

I think people's compliants about the PC's is that they arent set up in a fair manner. Not sour grapes, but I did PC's at a contest this year, and our location of our site was awful. We had ZERO foot traffic, no way to win. We paid $25 to enter plus we supplied our own pork plus the pans for cooking, rub, our sauces, etc. So we had a cost and pretty much no shot to win. Plus the PC's turn in's were at the same time as the KCBS turn in - total nightmare building boxes, running to judges and serving PC's from our own tent.

I know organizers use PC's to help raise money usually for a good cause, so its hard to be totally against it, just wish it was more "team friendly" especially when we are paying to enter, paying for the meat, etc.

To make it fair, PC's should be blind and the food should be handed out by the event staff at a central location at the event and people vote blindly for their favorite - especially if the PC's contest is at any time close to KCBS/main content's turn in time for the judges.

When I have done contests, unless I am working on boxing / turning in the food, I never mind people coming up, talking to us, wanting to see our pit, our booth set up, etc. For the ~2 hrs around boxing and clean up after, we like to keep to ourselves. We are at the contest usually around 24-30 hours between load in, cooking, turn in, packing up and going home. For about 4-5 of those hours (boxing and packing up) we like to be left alone. The other 20+ hours, come by to say hello!!

Here in California, it doesn't cost extra to be in the PC contests. Perhaps, that's an issue with the promoters. We generally do a 50/50 split with the organizers and less if they supply the PC meat for us to cook. A lot of the times, the local teams win because they bring out their friends, but if you made some extra cash, do you really care? I'd rather go home with cash in my pocket than a trophy. And when I do, Mrs. Mista let's me come out and play the next time...

 

[Fat Freddy]

I'm an outsider trying to understand competition BBQ. I've read other threads that indicate that spectators are a PITA, and now I'm reading that People's Choice competition is a PITA.

Are competitions at the KCBS private parties that spectators are, reluctantly, allowed to attend, as long as they shut up and stay out of the way?

I've thought about attending a big comp, but I wouldn't want to feel like a nuisance.

If part of the mission of KCBS is to promote BBQ -- what exactly does that mean? Where do spectators fit into the program? I can understand not being able to chat when you are preparing your entries, but is there any time that spectators and public relations aren't a PITA?

If competitors find it unpleasant to talk to spectators and hand out food, why not just close competitions to the public? Then you can focus 100-percent on winning and payouts, and not have to fark with the riff-raff.


CD

Fair question Caseydog and I can only speak for myself and my very limited experience. I have cooked 2 contests in my life did not win but did not embarrass myself. Both had a PC where people walked around and sampled all and voted. The contest were at 2 quite different locations and yet at both of them the "local teams" were at then entrance/exit from the event and that happened to be where you voted. Like I said at one of the contests the PC champ finished DAL in all other categories and at the other event the top 3 spots out of 66 teams were all the "local" teams. To me it makes me question the fairness.

Also the biggest stress of each competition was the PC from stuff we were not made aware of. Example at one we got the pork loins but they were frozen solid which added stress and then of course the health dept mess. If they would have showed up at even 10am I would have been fine. The other contest we were told for PC we would be cooking a certain amount which was furnished however at 9pm Friday night the organizers went around and said we need each team to cook an additional 4 butts because they did not get any last minute entries. Total of 6 butts for PC. That was stressful. I have an 18WSM a GMG and a Big Steel Keg. Cook 4 contest meats and an additional 6 butts not easy but I got it done:shocked:.

I am willing to visit with anyone at almost anytime and share my very limited knowledge but at this point in my competitive cooking I am not a fan of the PC. Now if it was blind judging and organized from top to bottom within reason I would have no issue doing the PC if I had cooker space.

So it is not the spectators to me that is a PITA but everything else about the PC.

 

[eggzlot]

Bigmista -

The events I have seen out here mostly do not allow teams to sell during PC's, if you could do that, then its another ball game, it is a good way to recoup some money.

I am by far the most experienced comp cooker, I am doing comps and even a PC's for fun, no grand ideas of making big money doing it. That being said, if I am going to shell out the entry fee plus cost for the meat and all of my supplies to cook it, I'd just hope the process is fair - blind judging for People's Choice. I can only speak for myself, if I were a spectator, I'd be ok with going to a central area to taste food, but then walk the grounds to see what teams are doing.

I agree, PC's is important for the event organizers so I did it and supported it, just saying it was more money out of pocket with little chance to recoup. If the meats were supplied, if the tasting was done blindly in a centralized area, or if we could have sold our samples, those are different stories.

 

[Fat Freddy]

Here in California, it doesn't cost extra to be in the PC contests. Perhaps, that's an issue with the promoters. We generally do a 50/50 split with the organizers and less if they supply the PC meat for us to cook. A lot of the times, the local teams win because they bring out their friends, but if you made some extra cash, do you really care? I'd rather go home with cash in my pocket than a trophy. And when I do, Mrs. Mista let's me come out and play the next time...

Heck Neil, I would be happy with even a trophy right now :mrgreen:

 

[Nordy]

Around here I haven't seen any PCs that let you sell (Probably mainly due to health dept regulations). But they will sell "tasting kits" and some will provide meat... some don't.

So there's no real profit/recoup in it for the teams, unless you win. (just like the rest of the contest...) IF I could make a little cash on the PC... different ball game.