Question about Competition Dessert entries

[bignburlyman]

Just curious about a trend I have been seeing at competitions that have a dessert category. Very few of the teams seem to be participating in dessert anymore. I have judged 2 contests so far this year with these limited dessert turn-ins.

Enid Ok 64 teams 18 desserts 28%
Abilene, KS 27 teams 5 desserts 18.5%

Looking at KCBS.us just for May:

Kannapolis, NC 80 teams 29 desserts 36%
Salisbury, MD 43 teams 12 desserts 28%
Green Lane, PA 54 teams 17 desserts 31.5%
Fremont, WI 62 teams 17 desserts 27.5%
Lansing, KS 26 teams 7 desserts 27%


So why the low participation? In Abilene KS if they pay out to 10 places a team could have turned in a plate of Oreo cookies and got at least 6th place. I just was wondering what everyone's thoughts are.

 

[Lake Dogs]

I'm from a completely different area/location. A while back we used to try to participate in everything. Since then we've gotten more serious about the sanctioned categories, so we not longer participate in ancillaries. It may be this; more concentration on the butts & ribs.

For example, we get Friday dinner take-out some place; we aren't cooking.

 

[bignburlyman]

I can certainly understand this and appreciate your response. I know at our local contest we used to do a dessert category and didn't have any limitations on when or where it was prepared, or how it was turned in, so I am sure many of the cheesecakes :wink: that were entered were prepared at home.

I'm from a completely different area/location. A while back we used to try to participate in everything. Since then we've gotten more serious about the sanctioned categories, so we not longer participate in ancillaries. It may be this; more concentration on the butts & ribs.

For example, we get Friday dinner take-out some place; we aren't cooking.

 

[Rub]

Some reasons we don't like them all of the time:
*distracts from the main contest
*some teams don't make their own desserts, they buy them
*some teams don't make their own desserts, they turn in someone else's
*some contests it seems you have to spend a lot of $$ to win
*cheesecake dominates, not much else wins
*lack of clear rules
*celebrity judging

All that said there are a few contests where we enter desserts and enjoy doing it. Rules are clear, judging done by certified bbq judges, no store-bought, must be made on site, etc.

 

[Ron_L]

Some reasons we don't like them all of the time:
*distracts from the main contest
*some teams don't make their own desserts, they buy them
*some teams don't make their own desserts, they turn in someone else's
*some contests it seems you have to spend a lot of $$ to win
*cheesecake dominates, not much else wins
*lack of clear rules
*celebrity judging

All that said there are a few contests where we enter desserts and enjoy doing it. Rules are clear, judging done by certified bbq judges, no store-bought, must be made on site, etc.

All of these, plus he dessert turn in tends to be on Saturday after brisket turn in in this area and about the last thing I want to do after brisket turn in is another turn in :-D We may do dessert if it was on Friday evening, but then gain, the reason the Rub gave still hold true.

 

[Gowan]

Rub makes an excellent point. It's too late for this year's Euharlee event, but I think in 2015 we're going to do "Anything Dessert that's not cheesecake" to mix things up.

 

[bbq.tom]

Just judged Sevierville, TN and of the 56 teams we had 50 desserts!!! How's that figure into your stats??? Turn in was following brisket.

 

[MikeJ65]

One reason is probably that you pretty much have to get a 180 to win it or even finish second. Last year, we did two true dessert contests and one 'anything on a stick' that gets several desserts turned in. There were a total of 5 180's out of 37 entries (we got one). One contest we had 4 999's and 2 989's and finished tied for 4th out of 11 entries. Around here, most comps only pay one or two places on the extra categories.

 

[bignburlyman]

Just judged Sevierville, TN and of the 56 teams we had 50 desserts!!! How's that figure into your stats??? Turn in was following brisket.

Well, that is much better than the ones I listed, I must not have caught that one to post.

 

[bignburlyman]

I see that also. It seems once the meat judging is over we CBJ's go a little crazy when the sweet stuff hits the table. When our local contest still had dessert the payout was the same as the other categories with no additional entry fee.

One reason is probably that you pretty much have to get a 180 to win it or even finish second. Last year, we did two true dessert contests and one 'anything on a stick' that gets several desserts turned in. There were a total of 5 180's out of 37 entries (we got one). One contest we had 4 999's and 2 989's and finished tied for 4th out of 11 entries. Around here, most comps only pay one or two places on the extra categories.

 

[Rub]

Rub makes an excellent point. It's too late for this year's Euharlee event, but I think in 2015 we're going to do "Anything Dessert that's not cheesecake" to mix things up.

Great call Gowan.

 

[RumRunner_1492]

I'm focused on my entries for the competition. I don't have the time to put the extra effort into a dessert.

 

[Jason TQ]

Just curious about a trend I have been seeing at competitions that have a dessert category. Very few of the teams seem to be participating in dessert anymore. I have judged 2 contests so far this year with these limited dessert turn-ins.

Enid Ok 64 teams 18 desserts 28%
Abilene, KS 27 teams 5 desserts 18.5%

Looking at KCBS.us just for May:

Kannapolis, NC 80 teams 29 desserts 36%
Salisbury, MD 43 teams 12 desserts 28%
Green Lane, PA 54 teams 17 desserts 31.5%
Fremont, WI 62 teams 17 desserts 27.5%
Lansing, KS 26 teams 7 desserts 27%


So why the low participation? In Abilene KS if they pay out to 10 places a team could have turned in a plate of Oreo cookies and got at least 6th place. I just was wondering what everyone's thoughts are.

Most of the contests that have dessert around here seem to have about 25-40% participation if I had to guess. Like most have said I'm sure it is mostly because teams want to focus on the main meats. I know I sure did.

Then when I met this chick I would eventually marry she asked why I didn't do dessert when we first met and I told her I had enough trouble with the other meats. She asked if she could do it and I of course said yes. So that is the only reason we do it now because I have a "head dessert maker" and I don't have to worry about it. She loves it and has 100% say as to what she wants to do and what "goes into the box".

Another thing I thought of is most desserts here only pay 1st place and that is $150 on average so I bet that is a big deterrent. I actually can't think of one that paid 2nd place. So not much to be made in dessert :razz:.

 

[jaestar]

I cook alone and will do dessert when I can make them off-site. I don't have time to make them on-site and concentrate on the four main meats. I also won't enter it if it has low payouts. The Treasure Island contest last year had big dollar payouts for ancillary events and got a lot of entries. Friday night turn in for all ancillary events would probably also get more participants.