i think everyone did because of the poor judging.. i have not been in the competition end of this stuff very long but i know good bbq and i know what tastes good.... since i refuse to dumb down my bbq for those judges we got beat for it... the food was amazing and yet nothing.. not even a walk.. we got 899,789, 887, 765, and 764 in one category... and then i get a 4 from one judge on APPLE TENDERNESS!!?!? what a joke.. we made a complete flop for the apples and they loved the junk.. you know what it was!?!? A DAMN BOBOLI PIZZA CRUST WITH EVERY LEFT OVER WE HAD IN OUR FRIDGE, FROM PULLED PORK, TO HONEY HAM, TO BLUE CHEESE, MOZZ CHEESE... it was good.. but looked like hell and we took 7th!!!
judgeing at these competitions has become and joke and unless the KCBS changes their judging and gets professionals and some standardized judging into these comps i am done!!!!!
OK - first of all, you are fairly new to competition BBQ (and the Brethren) so I'll cut you some slack (for now.)
This is my team's second year competing and here are some thoughts:
- Why do so many teams (across the nation) seem to win consitently? They must be doing something right. in the NE it's I-Que, Lakeside Smokers, Purple Turtles, SIDE, Q-Haven, BBQ Brethren, Anchormen, Swamp Pit, Sledneck, etc. They generally finish in the top 10 in at least one category and many take GC and RGCs at least once a year.
- Yes, the judging can sometimes be frustrating: a 4 or 5 thrown in amongst 7s, 8s and even 9s. That's why they drop the lowest score - so they can weed out a bonehead at each table. We all get pi$$ed off at times with the judging and there are definitely some areas that could use improvement but overall see the previous point.
- We have been disappointed with our placing in some categories and totally surprised in others. We have not broken the top ten in any category but we are getting there. We also have not practiced enough and that is the main reason why we have not gotten better.
- Remember: You, your team members and friends and family may love your food but you have to remember the judges (most of them) have a standard that they are measuring against. Yes - there are issues that need to be addressed in judging and we hope they improve the system.
- Read this site and glean as much as you can re: turn-in boxes, flavor profiles, pictures, winning rubs and sauces (packaged, customized or scratch-made), temps, cooker mods, fuel, times, post-cook, etc. There is so much to learn and we are only beginning to get better. We finished in the middle of the pack overall a few times, and sometimes worse, but we are improving steadily.
- Most importantly: Have fun!!! It's a tough "sport" but it can be rewarding. If you're not having fun you should stop competing.