General > Competition Related Information
Looking for assistance - possibly entering a BBQ competition
Ericd3043:
I am severely tempted to join a Backyard BBQ competition on July 16th put on by a local dealership along with the BBQ retailer that I have mentioned in other posts. This is a small 4 person team competition - actually thinking of bringing my daughters in to help (and wear the shirt I got for Father's day.....). Mainly to have fun but.... I would like to win!
The main details:
1) Registration is $50 (only 10 teams signed up so far, early deadline is Friday). Top prize is $300 for Grand Champ. Prizes for 1st - 5th place per category is $100 down to $50.
2) Categories: Ribs and Chicken. Also a peoples choice of 10lbs of Chicken Party legs required (meat provided)
3) Mid Atlantic BBQ Assoc. rules
4) KCBS Certified Judges
5) No gas (wood/ charcoal only), no tampering food after checked in.
My main concern is that I only have 1 smoker to use - would probably do the ribs and chicken in it (Red Box Smoker) and should be able to do both at the same time. I have a charcoal grill but I rarely use it. It has a gas side to it and I would have to figure out a way to transport it.
Questions:
1) Should I try for all 3 categories or just one?
2) Is it even possible to turn in a good shot with the equipment I have?
3) Since many of you are KCBS judges, what should I be aware of for the competition. I usually do well at home, but as I have read - that does not translate well in the competitions.
4) Any other recommendations/ suggestions/ etc
I may have other questions, but these are the ones that came to mind.....
tailfeathers:
I say go for it. It'll be fun for your daughters, and if you consider the entertainment factor the $50 entry fee looks pretty cheap for a day of fun, with the added kicker that you recoup it if you win or place. So all you REALLY have on the line is your self esteem, and I can think of a lot worse ways to lose that than not winning a BBQ competition! ;D
SouthGAQue:
Not KCBS, but I am a Master Judge in the Georgia BBQ Association. First thing to remember in competition BBQ is you are cooking for the judges not for your family. You need bold flavors since the judges will only take 1-2 bites.
Practice! Do a test cook using the contest timelines if you can get them. Load all your cooking equipment, rubs, sauces, etc & take them out to your test cook area. Don't allow yourself to go back in the house for something you forgot. Take notes of what you needed you forgot & what you brought that you didn't need.
Keep a detailed log of your practice cook starting when you light your fire. Be as detailed as you can. It seems like a lot of effort & it is, but the next day you can look back & see what you need to adjust. Get some clamshell plates & practice your box building. It will surprise you how long it takes to build a comp box. Go out to the site & get a feel for how far the walk is from the cook area to turn in. You will need to figure that in your timelines.
That Red Box Smoker is pretty small from what I know about it. At minimum, I would cook 10-12 thighs & 3 racks of ribs to get the best for the turn in boxes. Can you do all that at once time on the Red Box?
All that sounds like it will drain all the fun out of it, but if you really love queing & love the challenge of competing then it will be exciting & fun.
Ericd3043:
--- Quote from: SouthGAQue on June 21, 2016, 04:37:56 PM ---Not KCBS, but I am a Master Judge in the Georgia BBQ Association. First thing to remember in competition BBQ is you are cooking for the judges not for your family. You need bold flavors since the judges will only take 1-2 bites.
Practice! Do a test cook using the contest timelines if you can get them. Load all your cooking equipment, rubs, sauces, etc & take them out to your test cook area. Don't allow yourself to go back in the house for something you forgot. Take notes of what you needed you forgot & what you brought that you didn't need.
Keep a detailed log of your practice cook starting when you light your fire. Be as detailed as you can. It seems like a lot of effort & it is, but the next day you can look back & see what you need to adjust. Get some clamshell plates & practice your box building. It will surprise you how long it takes to build a comp box. Go out to the site & get a feel for how far the walk is from the cook area to turn in. You will need to figure that in your timelines.
That Red Box Smoker is pretty small from what I know about it. At minimum, I would cook 10-12 thighs & 3 racks of ribs to get the best for the turn in boxes. Can you do all that at once time on the Red Box?
All that sounds like it will drain all the fun out of it, but if you really love queing & love the challenge of competing then it will be exciting & fun.
--- End quote ---
Thanks for the information. TBH - I have no idea how to build a comp box. I have seen competitions on TV but that is no where near what I need to expect. As for the Red Box - I could do 3 racks of ribs in it - but that is about max. When I bought it, I was not thinking of anything other than what I do for the family. I was figuring to see if I could get someone's grill to use for the chicken and then do the racks on the Red Box. I have had some pretty good results and am now to the point where I can keep the temp right where I want it for quite a while. My last cook had the temps staying for about 3-4 hours without any fluctuation of 226 degrees.
I do believe it could be fun for my older 3 - I have to see when my oldest gets home from Costa Rica....
Big Dawg:
I started competing doing "Backyard Griller" competition at a Memphis in May contest. We cooked Boston Butts and Baby Back ribs and did them on one cooker. But I probably wouldn't try doing that again, especially on the high-tech piece of equipment I had at the time:
I would say that it would be difficult to do both chicken and ribs in the Red Box. Heck I wouldn't comfortable doing them both in one of 22" WSMs ! ! ! !
But, depending on what the other cooker was, it might still be workable, and depending on the relative turn-in times for the legs vs the chicken entries, it could still be workable. IF the legs were Friday night, it's a no-brainer. If they are Saturday, they could impact your contest chicken cook.
As far as the boxes, I'm not familiar with the Mid-Atlantic. KCBS and MBN are way different, though. One has greens, the other doesn't. One allows extra sauce, again, the other doesn't. See if you can find anyone that's been competing in Mid-Atlantic and pick his/her brain.
But, if there's any way that you can swing, give it a shot. I'm sure it will be a hoot ! ! !
BD
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version