I wrote this article for another forum where we're getting a lot of interest in judging lately. Thought there might be a reader or two here that might enjoy it, too.
Hub
So You Want To Be A KCBS Judge . . .
By Gordon Hubbell
KCBS MCBJ & CTC,
Getting to be a certified barbeque judge is relatively easy. Check the KCBS website or a recent edition of the Bull Sheet for a class location convenient to you, sign up and pay your dues and the class fee, and go to the class. That’s the easy part.
Actually being a judge – a GOOD judge – is one of life’s more interesting challenges. I find it interesting that the KCBS judging class pretty much teaches you all you’ll need to know. You don’t have to be an experienced cook or even know a lot about barbeque. The challenge, and it is an unending one, is properly applying the knowledge and being mentally ready to give the cooks an honest effort at evaluating their entries. That’s the hard part.
The Attitude:
Being a judge is a significant ethical responsibility. When you add up contest entry fees, the cost of the meat and supplies used for the cook, and miscellaneous expenses like travel costs it is common for most teams to invest $500 on up just to get a little white Styrofoam box in front of you. You owe them your best effort and all your concentration.
First, pay close attention during your judging class and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Concentrate! The folks who teach these classes are experienced and educated in how to get the sometimes difficult concepts across. Take the class seriously as a license to practice a fun and interesting avocation, not as a way to get to a free lunch!
Second, sign up for some contests and do some judging! I know judges who have never judged. Why? Most are competition cooks who really didn’t want to get into judging but who wanted some “immersion training” to learn what judges look for and how they are trained to do the evaluation. Makes sense. Some folks, however, must have decided judging wasn’t for them and just never practiced or maybe moved on to some other hobby. Go figure.
What to Expect:
KCBS judges work in “tables” of six headed by a Table Captain who presents the entries, collects the scorecards, keeps things in order, and is the on-the-spot person in behalf of the Contest Representative. Table Captains may judge, too, on some occasions when the contest doesn’t have enough judges, but usually they don’t. Their main function is order and flow. When questions arise, they get rulings from the Reps as needed.
For each of the four meat categories (Chicken, Ribs, Pork, and Brisket) each table will receive, at random, five or six entries to judge. At most contests the Chicken comes in at noon, the ribs at 12:30, the pork at 1:00 and the brisket at 1:30. The Table Captain gets the entries from the turn-in area (where the numbers are changed to create “blind” judging) then reads out the box numbers to the judges so they can enter the numbers on their scorecards, then presents each box in turn for appearance judging. Following appearance judging, the boxes are passed around for each judge to take a sample for their “plate” (a heavy paper sheet with six divisions clearly marked). After all judges have a sample, judging begins and the Table Captain returns the entry cartons to turn-in. As each judge finishes entering their scores (three ratings, one for appearance, one for taste, and one for tenderness) they hand their score cards to the Table Captain who checks them for completeness, neatness and readability before taking them to the Rep or scoring table. The Table Captain may request judges to clarify entries that are hard to read and fill in any missing information.
Do you eat a lot as a contest judge? Only if you want to. One of the first things you learn is to pace yourself. If you ate all of every sample you take you’d be eating a huge meal. Most judges take bite-sized samples of each entry. After the scoring is completed, some will go back and “re-visit” some of their favorites. At some contests (depending on sponsor and local health department requirements) judges are allowed to keep their uneaten samples. At others it is required that you throw all uneaten food away.
How To Get Judging Assignments:
Go to the KCBS website (
www.kcbs.us) and click on “Events”. You can then page through the information broken out by month. For best results try to work ahead at least 90 days or longer if the event is open to applications that early. The organizer’s website will be listed and you can go to that site and look for the application page. Some allow you to apply online, others may ask you to mail or fax the application. There is usually a contact name and phone number, too. Use this if you have questions not answered on the site but don’t “bug” the contest organizer or judge recruiter with unnecessary questions. Most organizers will let you know from a month to two weeks before the contest date if you have been selected. E-mail has become the main method of handling applications and notifications.
Don’t pout if you don’t get selected! It’s a numbers game and in most parts of the country there are enough judges. Being a new judge is not a big handicap, though. Most contests welcome new judges and will endeavor to seat you with a table of more experienced folks to help you learn. Keeping the judging pool growing and refilled, as necessary, is enhanced by letting judges get experience. A few, more prestigious events may limit selections, but they are rare. One thing for sure: You won’t get selected if you don’t apply!
Recommendation: Even if you’re not selected, you can volunteer for support work. Judges are also useful at the turn-in table, VIP/grazing table for guests, and (especially at larger contests) to help with general logistics and supply details. Contest judging is an interesting, choreographed process and the only way you’ll ever get to see the whole thing is to volunteer to work support instead of sitting at a table!
Finally:
Make friends with your fellow judges. We’re a gregarious lot and enjoy chatting between the entries. Most experienced judges are pleased to answer questions for and even mentor new judges.
Visit a cook team, too. Some contests even have special programs to match judges who volunteer to visit with a team after the contest (contest morning isn’t a good time to visit and judges are even prohibited from “fraternizing” at that time).
I get PM’s with questions about judging and love to help anyone who wants to learn more, whether they ultimately become a judge or not. So, drop me a line if you want more information.
Hub
Some FAQ’s based on actual PM’s and e-mails:
Q: What is a “Master Judge” or MCBJ?
A: To qualify for this you must judge 30 contests, cook with a team at a contest, and pass a written exam. It is an honor, but doesn’t mean you are a better judge than anyone else or that you get any special privileges.
Q: What is a Table Captain Certification (CTC)?
A: You get a CTC certification by taking a specific course on the Table Captain role. You do not have to be CTC to act as a Table Captain, however (just volunteer). The class is interesting and goes into more depth on certain rules and on the role of the Table Captain in the contest. Interestingly, you do not have to be a certified judge to become a CTC, but most are.
Q: Are judges paid or compensated for their work?
A: No. It’s a volunteer job, including your travel expenses.
Q: How many contests can you judge in a year?
A: As many as you can get accepted for. The “season” (time of the year when most contests are held – most are on Saturday) runs from roughly April through mid November. If you were willing to do a lot of travel and got accepted for say, 75% of the ones you applied to you’d easily judge 30 contests or more (and some folks have done this!).
Q: How many judges are required for a contest?
A: Roughly one per team plus a few. That doesn’t mean one judge is assigned to a team, that’s just how the math works out. Let’s say there are 40 teams. Forty teams turning in 4 entries each equals 160 entries to be judged. Each table of 6 judges can judge 4 X 6 boxes or 24 entries. Divide 160 by 24 and you get 7. Seven tables of six judges equal 42 butts in chairs. Add Table Captains (7 in this instance) and some help with turn-in, etc. and you’re going to see about 50 judges working this example event.
Q: How does KCBS blind judging work?
A: Each cooking team is assigned a team number by the Rep and provided 4 white Styrofoam boxes with that number printed on it (one for each meat type – chicken, ribs, pork and brisket). When the teams turn in their entries, a judge re-numbers the boxes using a sticker to cover up the team number. Records are kept (secret) of the change. Judges see only the “new” number and score based on it. Once the scores are computed, the Rep (or a team working for him) translates the number back to the original team number so that teams can get their scores (and some, awards!).
Q: What is the time commitment?
A: As far as the judging class goes, maybe three or four hours, one time. As to the time it takes to judge a contest there is the travel to get there and return plus being early enough to attend a mandatory judges’ meeting (usually around 10:30 a.m.) and stay for all four categories. The last category, brisket, comes to judging at 1:30 p.m. and judges are usually dismissed by 2:00 p.m. or so. For the majority of contests I judge, it’s a day’s effort.
Q: Do you ever get to judge food other than the four standard categories?
A: Yes. Some contests will include sauce. Others might have dessert or “sides” competitions and judges are usually asked to volunteer for the extra duty if they are included. There are very few instructions and standards for these “added” competitions and they are fun. The winning cooks often don’t get any prize money, either but they get “bragging rights”!
Q: What is “fraternizing”?
A: Basically, judges doing anything more than just waving and saying “hi” to the cooks on Saturday morning. The rules prohibit “meaningful contact” specifically on the morning of the contest in order to both cut down on any chance of collusion between a team and a judge (mighty hard to do, anyway given blind judging) and to keep the atmosphere in the cook area focused and free of distractions for the teams. “Fraternizing” the day before the contest and after the judging is over is actually encouraged and fun.
Q: Is contest barbeque the best?
A: No. It is usually a lot better than most restaurant barbeque because there is abundant time, love and expense devoted to its preparation. However, “backyard” barbeque can be subject to even more time, love, creativity, and expense. Like a lot of others I’ll modestly tell you that the best barbeque in town is at my house!
Q: Do entries vary by regional style in different areas of the country?
A: Not much, if any. The major, dominant teams compete all over the country and don’t typically change their recipes and approaches by region. It is also common for judges to come from different areas, particularly at large contests. Further, the standards and rules result in popular contest “styles” for food that tend to be fairly universal in application. Given these aspects and the fact that good judges don’t judge based on their preferences, I don’t think regionality is a significant factor.
