Judging area experiment in Rocky Mount

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99.99999% chance they wont recognize it, unless they're doing something
very special/unique in their box arrangement that would make it stand out...
Otherwise, by taste, they'd never be able to tell, not with any predictability.

I have to completely disagree. I have had people stop by and pick out 5 of 8 rub ingredients. Tell me what commercial sauce and what it was cut with and comment on the way the chicken was trimmed. A discerning palate is an amazing thing.

 

[Jacked UP BBQ]

I'd rather give them $25 bucks and tell them to hit the local restaurant on the way home.

 

[Jacked UP BBQ]

I was at a comp one time and I was standing there when a judge walked up to two teams and told them they were not happy with their food. Told the one guy his ribs are not as good as usual and told the other team, for such a good team, the pork wasn't that good.

 

[Jorge]

yea just like the double blind at the royal invitational this year they used the same # as your space open was different.

I do think that could be the case I do think that there are honey hole locations for cook that do well in a particular area of another. I think it would be far easier to have a box that could be considered marked for a judge to pick out that it would be for taste?

Fair enough, I wasn't there and hadn't heard that.

The bottom line is that there are other ways to accomplish the same goal, that the OP is talking about. The meat could be sent up with the final turn-in, and if there were teams that chose to opt out I'm sure there would be enough teams to fill the gap to make sure no judge went home with nothing. Teams could opt in to host a judge after judging as well.

Those that choose to participate can, and those that choose not to participate don't have to, and the judging system is at no risk of being tainted.

 

[Alexa RnQ]

A discerning palate is an amazing thing.

True dat. And one would hope that we'd be lucky enough to have discerning judges.

This might not be such an issue with teams that are using commercial sauces and rubs. We don't, though, we've spent two years refining our own distinctive flavor profile.

And once the judges visit us directly to pick up food, what's to keep us from "garnishing" each goodie pack with Benjamin or one of his friends? :icon_cool Most teams wouldn't be likely to, but you know there are areas where SOMEbody would get that kind of bright idea.

So central contribution/distribution seems best, and visiting after without food involved.

 

[motoeric]

This is an excellent thread.

I'm very happy to see a discussion where a solution is sought-after instead of just kvetching about the angst some teams have over the judges lack of appreciation for their efforts.

I wish that the thread was started a bit earlier so we had time to implement some of the suggestions at the Battle of the BBQ Brethren.

Eric

 

[Dustaway]

Fair enough, I wasn't there and hadn't heard that.

The bottom line is that there are other ways to accomplish the same goal, that the OP is talking about. The meat could be sent up with the final turn-in, and if there were teams that chose to opt out I'm sure there would be enough teams to fill the gap to make sure no judge went home with nothing. Teams could opt in to host a judge after judging as well.

Those that choose to participate can, and those that choose not to participate don't have to, and the judging system is at no risk of being tainted.

I agree it's all ok until you start to win then everything is open for someone to say something, and it's really never a good idea to have judges and cook mingle around the same time as an event. I think it would be better that if you have left over food that was kept at the correct temps and they had a drop off point then that would be ok I guess.

 

[crd26a]

I was at a comp one time and I was standing there when a judge walked up to two teams and told them they were not happy with their food. Told the one guy his ribs are not as good as usual and told the other team, for such a good team, the pork wasn't that good.

I might have just flipped my sh*t right then and there if I heard that crap.

 

[Gowan]

I've fed judges after turn-ins are complete, and I'm willing to bet that the majority of other teams have as well. I also don't think flavors are as unique as some might think, especially for teams that consistently finish in the top 10. The reality is that getting there means meeting a flavor expectation, and anyone who deviates from that greatly gets hammered on the score cards.

I'd also be willing to put my money down that if you blindfolded the cooks that finished in the top half at a contest and gave each a bite of every rib entry that less than 20% would be able to pick out their own stuff. I've personally judged contests where four out of six of the ribs tasted identical (Blues Hog).

What I'm trying to say here is that being familiar with the appearance of a turn-in box may give away the identity of a team, I think tasting rarely does.

 

[SaucyWench]

I've fed judges after turn-ins are complete, and I'm willing to bet that the majority of other teams have as well. I also don't think flavors are as unique as some might think, especially for teams that consistently finish in the top 10. The reality is that getting there means meeting a flavor expectation, and anyone who deviates from that greatly gets hammered on the score cards.

I'd also be willing to put my money down that if you blindfolded the cooks that finished in the top half at a contest and gave each a bite of every rib entry that less than 20% would be able to pick out their own stuff. I've personally judged contests where four out of six of the ribs tasted identical (Blues Hog).

What I'm trying to say here is that being familiar with the appearance of a turn-in box may give away the identity of a team, I think tasting rarely does.

While I have gotten Blues Hog sauced ribs more than once, I have a hard time believing that 4 out of 6 entries, sauced identically, would taste exactly the same (if so, good on those cookers!) Though a bad sauce can ruin the overall taste of the meat, the rib meat should prove itself, no matter what sauce is used. It has to do with the proper cooking of the ribs.

 

[swamprb]

**Actually YES!**

do you realize what the chances of the same team & the same judge hitting the same table would be? unless you do 15 team cook-off's all the time

give me a break

And you see the same 6 or 8 judges show up!

I'm more inclined to put meats in an extra turn in box for the Table Captains and Head Judge.

 

[Gowan]

While I have gotten Blues Hog sauced ribs more than once, I have a hard time believing that 4 out of 6 entries, sauced identically, would taste exactly the same (if so, good on those cookers!) Though a bad sauce can ruin the overall taste of the meat, the rib meat should prove itself, no matter what sauce is used. It has to do with the proper cooking of the ribs.

With a sauce as strong and unique as BH, it's mighty hard to set an entry apart under a heavy layer of the stuff. Do your own experiment and see for yourself.