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This was our pork at Smoke in the Valley.
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Welcome! I am new around the Brethren as well but been screwing around with BBQ for a long time and am a CBJ. No where near Master Judge or even expert status but I will share my 2 pennies. And like the subjectiveness of bbq judging in general much on the appearance front is in the eyes of the beholder.
So how about this? A rundown off the top of my head (and in no particular order) of what I think makes a good KCBS turn-in box. Not going to comment on how the meat itself should look. You can read what constitutes a DQ by reading the KCBS regs. 1. The garnish as intended is supposed to enhance the look of the product. Samples should sit above the plane (proud) of the garnish (not buried down in). 2. Neat and tidy - no sauce drips or smudges. After closing box open one last time to make sure the bottom of the lid isn't hitting the meat. 3. Appearance that some level of thought went into presentation/design and that the product wasn't just thrown into the box. 4. Keep it simple - to many go overboard or don't know when to stop adding garnish. Garnish between samples seems to draw your eye away from the product. Think of the garnish as the picture frame around a work of art. Should enhance but not become the focus. 5. Of course, the garnish should be fresh. Store the garnish the same way it was at the market. Mind that it doesn't end up covered in ice in your cooler. A couple hours before you begin assembling boxes cut the stems clean and place in water to plump things up. 6. 2nd part of #4 - Don't overcrowd. A consistent border around the product. If product is placed on the bias then each side should be somewhat symmetrical. Visual balance is key! If one side of the box looks "heavy" then you may want to moves things around a bit. 7. # of samples - 6 samples at a minimum but a couple extra is smart in case something happens en-route to the judges table. It is human nature to pick the best of the bunch. If the last judge has only one choice and it doesn't look that great, even though the overall appearance score has already been made I firmly believe subliminally it affects (however minor) the outcome of the remaining scores. 8. For ribs and brisket I like to see the cross-section of the meat highlighted. Judges are not supposed to factor the level of smoke ring but again there is the subliminal side to judging and a nice smoke ring makes the meat look more appetizing. All I can think of for now and I'm sure I missed something obvious!?! Quote:
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That's all well and good but it sounds to me like you are judging the garnish and want to judge the smoke ring too. As a judge shouldn't you compel yourself to focus on the meat and how that looks? When I look at a box I do my best to look at the meat primarily.
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As a judge you only have a moment to make an appearance determination and yes you are judging the product and not the garnish. That said, the quality of the presentation (however subconscious) does affect the overall "appearance" of the meat. If that isn't the case then all the effort that goes into the presentation of our product and the discussion within this thread is mute! |
I'll say that, as a judge, I can tell, and all the other (experienced) judges can tell when that box is opened and passed around for appearance . . . it's really an overall wow factor.
All of those little details contribute to the overall wow effect. A comment that experienced judges offer to inexperienced judges is to judge appearance on just how much the presentation makes you want to eat that Q! Typically those entries that appear neat and organized score the highest. Then come the little subliminal things like abundance (more than six samples), shininess (gloss from the sauce), uniformity (similar size and shape) and so forth. So, those are also the things I concentrate on when I am creating my turn-in boxes. What not to turn is simply a minimum number of disorganized samples that appear to not be cooked enough. That's what not to turn in. |
Sometimes I'm a dumbass! MOOT not Mute!
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Holy crap, this is the funniest thread ever!!! I guess its my turn. Here are the boxes from my first competition. I was so proud of these baby's I posted them on Facebook for everyone to see. Hahah I can't believe no one told me they look FARKING horrible. Can't imagine why I didnt win!
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t.../SCChicken.jpg http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t...hen/SCRibs.jpg http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t...hen/SCPork.jpg http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t.../SCBrisket.jpg |
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Once I saw a chicken entry that was six thumb-sized plugs of breast meat. No garnish. No sauce. Nothing else but the six plugs all rolling around in the turn-in box. |
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Two bad boxes from last weekend. 36th brisket and 32 ribs out of 39teams.:icon_blush::doh:
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On those two boxes the appearance scores were 7's,8's,9's so the look is not that bad. The problem was in taste and tenderness, the brisket was undercooked and tough and the ribs were undercooked also.:icon_blush: Problem with temps on a new cooker:doh: The key to appearance is to suttle garnish and meat that jumps out and says eat me. Good Luck.
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Worst turn in box
My turn...This was the pork turn in at my first comp.
http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/a...20bad/Pork.jpg |
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http://store.plowboysbbq.com/gallery...2003%20080.jpg
This was from our first ever KCBS contest. This placed 4th. What a hot mess. http://store.plowboysbbq.com/gallery...2003%20086.jpg What appears to be brisket from the same contest. |
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