Hard to argue with the American Royal Champion.
Why does sweet win?
- Thread starter Bigmista
- Start date
Hard to argue with the American Royal Champion.
- Joined
- May 3, 2006
- Location
- Ventura, CA
Mista,
What is spicy/savory to you, maybe too much to the other person. You know you like hot chit, lol!
What is spicy/savory to you, maybe too much to the other person. You know you like hot chit, lol!
BobBrisket
Moderator
Could it also be because with sweet........it's one profile, sweet and unless you go over board, it's a pleasant flavor profile.
Whereas, with spicy, heat, savory, it's many different possible profiles that if even one judge finds too hot, bitter, too salty, too peppery, etc, and so on, that one low score kills you.
Chili cook offs are much the same way. Many think the hotter I make it the better, but too hot is hard on the palette and kills the flavor of everything else. Where as a sweet chili is not well scored either. Those that balance out all the elements score well.
Cool thread. Curious to see how our Judge Members respond.
Whereas, with spicy, heat, savory, it's many different possible profiles that if even one judge finds too hot, bitter, too salty, too peppery, etc, and so on, that one low score kills you.
Chili cook offs are much the same way. Many think the hotter I make it the better, but too hot is hard on the palette and kills the flavor of everything else. Where as a sweet chili is not well scored either. Those that balance out all the elements score well.
Cool thread. Curious to see how our Judge Members respond.
While I thank you for your confidence/respect, that was just a fortunate day ... very fortunate :thumb:. It could have been 100 other teams, my belief isn't worth more than anyone else's. I just wouldn't consider our BBQ necessarily sweet, but some of our turn ins do have a sweet element in the overall profile.
Keep in mind, flavors are subjective. So what I may not consider overly sweet, someone else is would.
Stoke&Smoke
Babbling Farker
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2007
- Location
- Western...
As a judge, I like balance, some sweet, some savory, salty, all in a nice combination. That said, as a cook in competition, it's all about what the judges like, and, at least in this part of the country, sweet seems to win more often than not. That is particularly evident by how many competition cooks use one particular brand of sauce so often.
Kosmo's Q
is one Smokin' Farker
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2006
- Location
- Mustang...
I guess Blues Hog was invented 1st :becky::becky::becky:
S
smoke showin'
Guest
sweet taste better cold ,when the meat has been sitting for 30 minutes it still taste sweet
Its all in the judges head.... Since we were kids, sweet has been associated with good things, (candy, soda, cake, etc) happy times. So when your brain senses sweet, it triggers a good sense.
Almost everyone likes sweets, I would guesstimate just from my family, 25% like spicy or peppery. My theory anyway lol
Almost everyone likes sweets, I would guesstimate just from my family, 25% like spicy or peppery. My theory anyway lol
B
Buster Dog BBQ
Guest
I like to think that sweet makes it easier for the table. Think about a buffalo wing or something spicy. You take a bite or two and then all your are tasting is heat. You can take a glass of water and try to wash it out but it doesn't always work. With sweet. You can take a bite, rinse and you're back to normal. That's my opinion anyway. I wouldn't want my entry coming in behind someone who had spiced it up and the judge can't taste the flavor of my food.
I guess this is why I like People's Choice contests. I can impress people with my BBQ as it is instead of having to make something special for the judges using ingredients that I would probably never use just to fit their flavor profile.
JD McGee
somebody shut me the fark up.
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2007
- Location
- Duvall, WA
...a little sweet...+...a little heat...+...a little twang...=...a whole lotta bang! 
The secret's in the sauce folks...:becky:
The secret's in the sauce folks...:becky:
Personally, I'm not much in favor of "sweet" all by itself. Gimme some heat, some layers of flavors, or better yet, just the meat! Unfortunatly I'm in a distinct minority on this - if I think that it's 9's in flavor other judges will be biotching about "it's too hot", "too much garlic", "not what I'm used to", etc. I think that the reps have to get on the judges about the part that says "as presented by the cook", not what that particular judge personally likes.
I'm a CBJ and I hate sweet. And if I get something super arse sweet I will mark it down. But the class I went to Bunny and Rich were the trainers and she said something that I still think of everytime I take a bite. If it's something you don't like, stop thinking of whether you like and and ask yourself, well IF I liked this type of flavor, would I think this is really good. So if I get something sweet I ask myself, if I did like sweet would I like this. Again, though, too super sweet (and I think some people out there are in danger of giving someone a sugar coma) then the score starts going down.
I wish KCBS would take that one line and somehow figure a way to include that in the judging instructions. You might see the scores start changing.
I wish KCBS would take that one line and somehow figure a way to include that in the judging instructions. You might see the scores start changing.
Jeff Hughes
is one Smokin' Farker
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2006
- Location
- tulsa...
It's all about balance for me.
Blues Hog is in my arsenal for, but never alone and never full strength.
For catering and at the take out stand, I provide sauce on the side.
Blues Hog is in my arsenal for, but never alone and never full strength.
For catering and at the take out stand, I provide sauce on the side.
Jeff Hughes
is one Smokin' Farker
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2006
- Location
- tulsa...
Peoples choice is cool, and the recognition is great for businesses, but I don't really think they are "true" contests...
I've judged in a number of contests, most being MIM/MBN. From what I've seen, there
is a difference in MBN to KCBS. The KCBS judges do seem to expect it to be sweeter
than the MBN judges, perse. However, in MBN, I've noticed a trend. 5, 6, 7 years ago
more often than not the winning entry had no sauce, none whatsoever, and the rubs
had very little sugars in them. 3, 4, 5 years ago we started seeing a little sauce on
a few, and occasionally one would win, but not often. Now, almost all have sauce.
It's not as sweet, averages being averages, as the KCBS that I've seen. I'm not
certain as to why the difference. For that matter, it could be the teams (different
teams KCBS vs. MBN) perception vs. the judges... (meaning the teams think the
judges want sweet so they make it sweet)
Many judges are women. In my personal experience, women prefer something a little
sweeter than the average guy. Being as spicy can get either skunky or just too hot
for some people, working averages, better to go with a little sweet than spicy. Also,
you can take the same entries on the same day, move them to a different table and
get different scores. It ends up that we're working averages, trying not to offend
anyone, and yet trying to stand out in a good way. There's a fine line between
standing out in a good way and standing out in a bad way.
I learned a lesson a long time back cooking in a chili cookoff. I'd made an average-hot
chili that day; not bland, but not really hot, just a good old fashioned chili. In the scoring
I got all 8's and 9's, except for one person. I was knocked right out of first place
by one person; she gave me a 1. Apparently it was too hot for her personal taste.
Mind you, it did tick me off. I wondered why someone who doesn't like spicy food ends
up judging a chili contest! She hasn't been back, thankfully. My point to this is that
there is a delicate balance, and the wise competitor will work the averages from the
center (meaning, dont offend). The thing in my chili that got me the 9's also got
me the 1. I'd rather have those 9's be 8's and have the 1 be a 7... This same thing
applies to BBQ, regardless of sanctioning body. THANK GOODNESS for
KCBS throwing out the lowest score!!!!!
I wonder, pondering, if KCBS tracks which judge gets their score thrown out the most
(percentage wise) and doesn't ask those judges back. Sorry, dont mean to hijack a
thread.
is a difference in MBN to KCBS. The KCBS judges do seem to expect it to be sweeter
than the MBN judges, perse. However, in MBN, I've noticed a trend. 5, 6, 7 years ago
more often than not the winning entry had no sauce, none whatsoever, and the rubs
had very little sugars in them. 3, 4, 5 years ago we started seeing a little sauce on
a few, and occasionally one would win, but not often. Now, almost all have sauce.
It's not as sweet, averages being averages, as the KCBS that I've seen. I'm not
certain as to why the difference. For that matter, it could be the teams (different
teams KCBS vs. MBN) perception vs. the judges... (meaning the teams think the
judges want sweet so they make it sweet)
Many judges are women. In my personal experience, women prefer something a little
sweeter than the average guy. Being as spicy can get either skunky or just too hot
for some people, working averages, better to go with a little sweet than spicy. Also,
you can take the same entries on the same day, move them to a different table and
get different scores. It ends up that we're working averages, trying not to offend
anyone, and yet trying to stand out in a good way. There's a fine line between
standing out in a good way and standing out in a bad way.
I learned a lesson a long time back cooking in a chili cookoff. I'd made an average-hot
chili that day; not bland, but not really hot, just a good old fashioned chili. In the scoring
I got all 8's and 9's, except for one person. I was knocked right out of first place
by one person; she gave me a 1. Apparently it was too hot for her personal taste.
Mind you, it did tick me off. I wondered why someone who doesn't like spicy food ends
up judging a chili contest! She hasn't been back, thankfully. My point to this is that
there is a delicate balance, and the wise competitor will work the averages from the
center (meaning, dont offend). The thing in my chili that got me the 9's also got
me the 1. I'd rather have those 9's be 8's and have the 1 be a 7... This same thing
applies to BBQ, regardless of sanctioning body. THANK GOODNESS for
KCBS throwing out the lowest score!!!!!
I wonder, pondering, if KCBS tracks which judge gets their score thrown out the most
(percentage wise) and doesn't ask those judges back. Sorry, dont mean to hijack a
thread.
Sticks-n-chicks
Full Fledged Farker
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2008
- Location
- Shawnee, KS
GREAT POINT! Should be read before each contest to the judges.
TooSaucedToPork
is one Smokin' Farker
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2009
- Location
- Buffalo NY
Cooking at MIM for 7 years I have noticed a trend...On my old team we had a spicy-sweet rub and a semi sweet glaze. We fininshed in the 70's and 60's.
Every year since starting our own team we have sweetened the rub and sauce...every year we have climbed up in rank. 74th, 55th, 42nd, 23rd We have cooked the ribs the same, and last year we basically candied the ribs. 23rd - best score yet in MIM for our team. I think it is like any BBQ cook I have talked to says, my competition ribs are not what I make at home...they are too sweet.
I think it is like others have said...sweet is safe, sweet is comfortable, and you will get judges that score well on spice, they just have to be experienced. if you have 6 judges at a blind table, how many will be experienced? 4 if you are lucky right? So even if you get all 9's and 10's those 2 inexperienced judges will score that spice a 6 or 7 and there goes the trophy. Sweet is safe plain and simple...
Every year since starting our own team we have sweetened the rub and sauce...every year we have climbed up in rank. 74th, 55th, 42nd, 23rd We have cooked the ribs the same, and last year we basically candied the ribs. 23rd - best score yet in MIM for our team. I think it is like any BBQ cook I have talked to says, my competition ribs are not what I make at home...they are too sweet.
I think it is like others have said...sweet is safe, sweet is comfortable, and you will get judges that score well on spice, they just have to be experienced. if you have 6 judges at a blind table, how many will be experienced? 4 if you are lucky right? So even if you get all 9's and 10's those 2 inexperienced judges will score that spice a 6 or 7 and there goes the trophy. Sweet is safe plain and simple...
