My First Judging Experience

[Paola Greg]

Oh and Greg - WHY are you messing with your chicken! If I were you I would cook them exactly like you did at Laurie last year.

Wayne, after Laurie, I wondered if it wasn't just a fluke there. Cooked them the same after that with little success at our last 3 contests after Laurie. So I experimented this winter and practiced lots with the skinless thighs. I'll probably stay with the current way for 2 more contests, then make a decision.

 

[Jeff_in_KC]

Greg and Jeff good to see you guys Friday - and Greg thatks for the beers. It was grest seeing everyone again..and to meet Steve (Yankee BBQ).

Absolutely, Wayne! It's good to start seeing everyone again! While the winter hasn't been difficult, it has been looooong!

I am sort of curious why some of you seem to think that it is a sin for a judge to take home leftovers. The alternative is it throw it out. A judge could not eat all of the meat that is presented to them. When I judge I usually only take 1 or 2 bites of each sample.

Wayne, I don't think taking it home is a sin so to speak. Myself, I cook enough, have enough in the freezer and so forth that I personally don't feel the need to take it home. My objection was the feeling I got was that there were more than a few there who were there to eat BBQ and hoard it to take home and not fairly judge for the teams. In short, I got the feeling that their motives weren't all in the right place.

Good report Jeff. If I had to choose between a KCBS certified judge and someone who cooks on a team that may not be certified, I would take the cook everytime..

Thanks Wayne and I absolutely agree about prefering someone who cooked being in the judging tent, regardless of CBJ status. I believe I could have done as good a job as I did and not have been certified to do it because I cook and have at least gotten in a few contests and I know the rules. The main reason I got certified was to 1. Hear what KCBS is telling the judges and see what their reactions and questions were to help me in my turn-ins and 2. so that I could learn the process inside the judging area and feel comfortable going in and judging a contest myself and not feel like an idiot as things started progressing.

 

[Bill-Chicago]

Was WSM there?

Wonder what his impression was about people packing food away.

 

[Sawdustguy]

Thanks Jeff,
That experience is exactly why I personally feel it is a waste of my time and MONEY to compete. I know I smoke some average BBQ and maybe not as good as someone that competes, but how would a person know if that's the way it's judged? And, I think ALL contests are probably about the same in the judging issues.
I really do think comps are all about getting together and having fun. That's the most important thing!!!! The winners? Well, probably don't matter as long as everyone has a good time. I really think it is a toss of the coin and your story validates that for me.
I got 2 first place trophys at my first comp and the stuff I turned in was MARGINAL at best in my opinion. What the heck did everyone else turn in on that day? I am sure there was Q better than mine and they didn't win. What's the point?
I am smoking for my friends and family and catering jobs and those people always tell my it's the BEST Q they have ever had. Good enough for me.
If you want to party with a bunch of GREAT people that smoke, go to a comp and have some fun. They should give a trophy to everyone that attends. In MY opinion, those trophies just signify that a person attended and had some fun.
PARTY!!!!!!!!
Smoke On!!!!
ed

Ya know, isn't it funny how the better teams, with the better product always seem to come out on top, no matter what. Lets face it, we are human beings making subjective decisions. It ain't ever gonna be perfect. Sure there is the element of luck involved in drawing a table that may score a little bit higher. Face it, we are all not robots. Actually after thinking about it. I like the way it is right now because gives a new team hope when competing against the big boys because on any given day, they have a chance to win a catagory, maybe not the grand championship, but a single catagory. If that wasn't true the sport would be devoid of newcomers.

 

[midnight]

I have judged at the Minnesota in May contest on two seperate occasions. The rule on leftovers there is that you can keep the piece of meat that you actualy judged if you want, but all "leftovers" in the box get put on a table in the back of the judging area. After the entire contest is over anyone who wishes can go and load up on the leftovers, but not untill all judging is over. This allows the judges to concentrate on thier work and not worry about if they will get any leftovers. It also allows you to taste more than just the 6 entries you judged at your table.
I don't think table capt. are allowed to taste any of the entries untill after the judging. Many of the table capt. were spouses of people cooking and therefore not allowed to judge.

I agree with you about people not talking enough about the entries after the judging. I try to encourage everyone at my table to offer up thier thoughts on the good and the bad entries especialy if there are non certified judges at the table.

 

[Jeff_in_KC]

Something I heard this morning

I stopped by the KCBS headquarters to see about getting some new membership stickers, including the oval "BBQ" ones. Anyway, as I was going up to the building, Ed Roith was coming out and so I took the opportunity to a.) tell him about the Brethren site (which he seemed interested in) and b.) get his feelings on this topic of some judges seemingly being there only to take home barbeque. He told me that he's called people on doing things like that before. And the example he gave was of a woman who was starting to cooler her samples as he walked by and a piece of chicken didn't even appear to have been tasted yet she scored the sample. He asked her about it and she turned over the chicken to show her bite. According to Ed, it was so tiny you could barely see it. How does one get a fair assessment of a team's product when things like that are going on? I wish I had the answer. I wish ANYONE had the answer. :roll: So then I go buy ten farking pounds of thighs for the thigh contest this weekend hoping that someone digs in and loves it rather than nibbling a tiny little piece off the back side...

Ed, if you found your way here to our neck of the woods, I appreciate the time you took this morning to relate your experiences and feeling about the subject!

 

[BrooklynQ]

He asked her about it and she turned over the chicken to show her bite. According to Ed, it was so tiny you could barely see it. How does one get a fair assessment of a team's product when things like that are going on? I wish I had the answer. I wish ANYONE had the answer.

I don't have the answer Jeff, but in the judging class and at the contests, the judges are instructed to limit their food intake so that they can get through all the categories. This may be contributing to the problem.

Maybe judges should only judge two categories instead of all four. Maybe then they'd take human bites and really taste the food.

Also, this just confirms that you only have one chance to wow the judges. If your Q doesn't blow them over in the first "little" bite, forget about it.

 

[ModelMaker]

I just went to a judging school in marshalltown iowa last weekend and even at the table that my wife and I were at the other 4 people were not eating the cracker or drinking the water between the bbq samples. I don't know some things can be explained fifty times and some people just don't get it.

It's a Farkin crap shoot no matter where your at. Your at the mercy of the judges and thats that. Live with it, cause that's how it is.

Scotty d

Scotty, I beleive I was one of the other four at your table. As far as eating crackers and drinking water, that issue was never properly addressed by Mr.Lake as being of such importance. While I nibbled on a few crackers here and there I did have what I thought was a enough drinks between samples. You made it sound like the rest of the table was not up to your level of perfection! I have eaten plenty of BBQ over my years and was more intent on listening to what was being requested of me rather than my action at the table.
All of the concerns presented here hopefully will only make me a better judge.
As far as sample grabbers, the three contests that I have been accepted for this spring are all not allowing any samples to be coolered. It looks like it will become a trend between KCBS and organizers in IA.
And Scotty thanks for telling me about this group, it has provided a huge amount of info into the minds of the cooks as well as being a great place to hang out occasionally.
Just lighten up a pinch. If our paths ever cross again rest assured your sample as well as everybody elses will get my total best effort.
ModelMaker