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Competition BBQ *On Topic Only* Discussion regarding all aspects of Competition BBQ. Experiences competing or visiting, questions, getting started, Equipment, announcements of events, Results, Reviews, Planning, etc. Questions here will be responded to with competition BBQ in mind. |
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01-05-2009, 01:12 PM | #1 |
Got rid of the matchlight.
Join Date: 01-03-09
Location: Puyallup,WA
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Lessons from a rookie.
As a rookie, I want to spare the other rookies out there the lesson I learned very hard after competing in a city picnic, best of chicken and ribs event.
I was stoked about this event! I would be using a rub my team mate and I developed along with a BBQ sauce recipe I have been developing for months, and on the third rendition of now, for the team. Now the rub was not rocket science, however it was from scratch and consists of some special secret ingredients, but the sauce has been a huge effort. I have been working with a 7 time World Champion BBQ competitor and winner twice, who we are fortunate to have local, revising and perfecting this sauce. Here in lies "the rub" or "how I got sauced"! And to top it all off, my team mate and I decided to compete against each other with our family as our teams, my team mate using the off-the-shelf stuff and me using our team's sauce and rub. The lesson I want you to learn is, before you go to great efforts in making a batch of your sauce for a competition, find out who or what kind of judges will be judging the event. Not by name, but, for example, city mayor, council members, professional, certified, or "who have never done it but were day trained to suffice", etc. If you happen to know that it will be a panel consisting of the sorts like city mayor, council members, directors of whatnot (all great people and there to have fun), then do not go to the effort of making a batch of competition sauce, save this kind of sauce for the professional events, not the city picnic or streat fair. It is a waste of a huge amount of effort in precompetition prep. For events like city picnics, with the mayor, directors, council members judging, just go buy a bottle of your favorite, sugary, thick sauce and use it - i.e. Sweet Baby Rays like my team mate used. Maybe tweek it a bit so you can say it's yours, but don't do too much to ruin it. And also don't go to great efforts to make you special rub either; Old Bay, Johnny's, Lowrey's, or the like will do. This is the lesson I learned the hard way. They went immediately for the sweet, home backyard variety, off-the-shelf sauce and the generic flavor of the off-the-shelf bottled spice. I placed 7 out of 7 in both categories and didn't even place in the top 5 in either category - admitting that the chicken, although moist, tender, and looking great, I had no chance in placing because it tasted too salty due to my way of seasoning, I screw that up. But the ribs, that was where I was extremely disappointed, but I was only one of two that didn't use store bought BBQ sauce....the other guy didn't place in the top three, I think he was fifth in ribs. The winners used the proven, of-the-shelf sauces. Do your reseach and, if going to a competition at a picnic, just go to have fun and not compete as if on a professional circuit, it will be much more rewarding.
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Brad - Our butts are your butts, here to be had. |
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01-05-2009, 01:19 PM | #2 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 09-12-08
Location: Kansas City, Mo
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I hope that isn't a sign of what is to come in future events!
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01-05-2009, 01:24 PM | #3 |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 05-03-07
Location: New Baltimore, Mi.
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You may want to stay away from the KCBS circuit as well.
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Owner of Bubba's BBQ & Catering L.L.C. Beer Snob I cook the #bestbrisketnorthoftexas. Get over it. #detroitporkmafia BBQ Person of the Year 2013 |
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01-05-2009, 01:31 PM | #4 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 09-10-06
Location: Fort Worth, TX
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I think we all have stories that sound about like that for our first couple of cookoffs. Nothing wrong with Sweet Baby Rays either, the judges love that! Why reinvent the wheel.
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"Grilla in the Pits" "IMAGRILLA" There's plenty of room for all of God's creatures. Right next to the mashed potatoes. Brinkmann Model 6668 Gasser Hibachi Grill Stumps GF223 w/ Stoker assist ECB that wins the $ Weber One-Touch Gold 22-1/2" #3 Komono Large BGE w/ Stoker assist 55 gallon Drum Smoker Wood Crate Cold smoker w/ smoke injector No need for certification, I already know good BBQ! |
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01-05-2009, 01:55 PM | #5 |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 05-10-06
Location: Overland Fark, KS
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This same problem is complained about on the professional circuit too.
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Asshattatron Farkanaut, CGCFO Chief Galactic Crockpot Foil Officer Certified MOINK Baller & IMBAS Certified MOINK Ball Judge #0003 - Are you MOINK Certified? Sole recipient of the Silverfinger and fingerlickin Awards! Don't forget about the Throwdown Thingies! The Secret Squirrel Society doesn't exist - Zero Club Duh. |
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01-05-2009, 02:13 PM | #6 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 07-13-08
Location: Happytown, IA
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So, this "7 time World champion" didn't know enough about competition BBQ to let you know that judges tend to prefer sweet sauce?
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John 21:9 |
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01-05-2009, 03:20 PM | #7 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 06-09-08
Location: Forker River, NJ
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"NO COMMENT" I am having a good day
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Jacked UP BBQ vending Ocean County Pig Assassins competition team retired and is now known as Jacked UP BBQ Fec 750 Fec 100 Large Spicewine |
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01-05-2009, 04:02 PM | #8 |
Got rid of the matchlight.
Join Date: 01-03-09
Location: Puyallup,WA
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"7 time World champion" competitor - he only one twice, but don't know what his sauce was either. HEH-HEH! He actually judges a lot here in the PNW, so I thought he would be a good judge and help with this project and he was...He just didn't judge at this comp. I more than likely should use the sauce in the sauce competitions and stick with the others for the meats, if I use any sauce on the meats again. He has been a great mentor no matter the case and I really appreciate and enjoy his help. But hey, in the end it's all about what I like anyway because I eat more that I compete, and I like my sauce a great deal, along with quite a few of my friends too, so no matter I will use it for gatherings of mine when I get to eat too. MMMM.
Thanks for the comments! I like to read them all, only way to learn.
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Brad - Our butts are your butts, here to be had. |
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01-05-2009, 09:27 PM | #9 |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 10-27-06
Location: Bothell WA
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Brad- C'mon out and cook a PNWBA event this year! You guys were setup next to me in Chehalis in 07' and seemed to be having a good time. Save that for a Sauce Turn-In and let the Judges tear it up!
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Brian - Left Hand Smoke BBQ PNWBA 2010 Team of the Year BGE's/WSM's/Pellet Pro WSM/BWS Gater/BDS Clones/Cookshack 008/Weber Performer w EZ-Que/Cajun Bandit/Rib-O-Lator Test Pilot/La Caja China/BBQ Guru/Weber 1000 RK Drum Coffee Roaster Follow Left Hand Smoke on Facebook!http://www.facebook.com/pages/Left-H...462391?sk=wall KCBS CBJ/PNWBA CBJ www.pnwba.com |
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01-05-2009, 09:29 PM | #10 | |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 11-07-07
Location: Ankeny, IA
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Quote:
First rule of competition bbq, It's the judges fault.
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Matt Head Cook Water Tower BBQ Current: 2017 Yoder YS640 (2021), BWS Extended Party (2012), 14" WSM (2019, used, I have a problem) Previous: BWS Competitor (sold 2012), WSM - 18.5" (2009, sold 2011), WSM - 18.5" (2004, sold 2010) Superfast Orange Thermopen, Yellow MK4, Fireboard, Railroad Detective |
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01-05-2009, 09:37 PM | #11 | |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 11-07-07
Location: Ankeny, IA
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Quote:
There was a post awhile ago about a guy who was really proud of a wasabi glaze he developed for his ribs. If I remember, he was really pissed that he didn't score better in a KCBS event. He went on and on about how the judges wouldn't know a good flavor if it bit them in the you know what. Anyway, it might taste great to him and his friends, but in a KCBS contest, a wasbi glaze isn't going to do you any favors. Could this be a similar situation. Don't know if this helps. Hope you weren't the guy with the wasabi glaze.
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Matt Head Cook Water Tower BBQ Current: 2017 Yoder YS640 (2021), BWS Extended Party (2012), 14" WSM (2019, used, I have a problem) Previous: BWS Competitor (sold 2012), WSM - 18.5" (2009, sold 2011), WSM - 18.5" (2004, sold 2010) Superfast Orange Thermopen, Yellow MK4, Fireboard, Railroad Detective |
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01-05-2009, 10:47 PM | #12 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 06-09-08
Location: Forker River, NJ
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tell us about the sauce, maybe you will get some good input from some people here.
not proud of it, but my brother was the guy with the wasabi glaze. For the correction on didn't score well in KCBS, it was never used in KCBS, it was used at the backyard at Yardley by him and won first place. He never cooked KCBS with it. If he said he did, he is a liar!!!!:)
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Jacked UP BBQ vending Ocean County Pig Assassins competition team retired and is now known as Jacked UP BBQ Fec 750 Fec 100 Large Spicewine |
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01-05-2009, 10:49 PM | #13 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 06-09-08
Location: Forker River, NJ
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One more question, maybe I am not reading correctly, but what makes a good sauce if it doesn't go with meat???? Sauce is meant to compliment, soup is meant to be eating alone. Don't tell me you put clam chowder on your ribs:)!
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Jacked UP BBQ vending Ocean County Pig Assassins competition team retired and is now known as Jacked UP BBQ Fec 750 Fec 100 Large Spicewine |
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01-06-2009, 06:26 AM | #14 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 06-02-08
Location: Knoxville, TN
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Sounds about right. Now ya know.
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Life's a party with a Backwoods Party! |
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01-06-2009, 05:35 PM | #15 | |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 11-07-07
Location: Ankeny, IA
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Quote:
__________________
Matt Head Cook Water Tower BBQ Current: 2017 Yoder YS640 (2021), BWS Extended Party (2012), 14" WSM (2019, used, I have a problem) Previous: BWS Competitor (sold 2012), WSM - 18.5" (2009, sold 2011), WSM - 18.5" (2004, sold 2010) Superfast Orange Thermopen, Yellow MK4, Fireboard, Railroad Detective |
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