First Competition

[MattS]

Going to my first bbq competition tomorrow. Well, not to compete, but to check out everyone's rigs and eat some Q. Its a new comp that is actually close to me. Had several people ask if I was entering, but I am not ready for that show yet. Just want to go and check it all out. The do have a special tent that is supposed to be set up so people can pay $5 to get in and taste all the competitors bbq and vote on your favorite. I am excited about that part. Hopefully get some ideas on smokers also.

[Frank_Cox]

now that's a good time! is it a KCBS comp?

[MattS]

I don't think its sanctioned by anyone. Its a benefit for something. Not sure how many will be there.

[Frank_Cox]

I'm putting one of those together for september. gonna be the first one for me too. back yard smokin rules

[MattS]

Well the comp wasn't that impressive. There was maybe 15 teams there and there was a couple cool cookers. But most were using webbers. The tasting wasn't what I expected. Paid $5 to get a medicine cup size sample of pulled pork. Got maybe 12 samples and 3 of them I liked. I am surprised how different they all were. It was worth going just to see how it was all set up. We were only there for about a half hour. It was just too hot to hang around and they had a band that had the music so loud we couldn't even talked to anyone there.

[Tom_Heath]

I guess part of it is me getting OLD!!!! But I really hate it when the music is so loud that you can't even talk.

Matt, some of the sanctioned events have a (Peoples Choice tent.) Most of the time you pay extra to enter peoples choice. They give you a brisket or such and you cook it and turn it in. Then for so much a head different people go in and sit down, and sample all the different briskets.

Kinda cool deal.

And then if you win, its one more trophy or ribbon.

In the old days of the American Royal, you would walk around to all the teams and eat different stuff. But now days everyone is having private parties. No invite, No food.
Plus, now days you have to pay 10 bucks to get in to the Royal. Horse Hooie I say.

I went last year but I got in FREE!!!! LOL The only way to go.

[machinerepairman]

The wife a I went to a riboff in Toledo a couple of weekends ago, I had hi hopes for some knockout ribs, and well all I can say is, I'm glad that I can cook my own. We tried three sample boxes of four bones each, two had no smoke flavor and one was not bad. It was a fun day, with a good crowd.

[Frank_Cox]

comp food is almost never as good as you can cook yourself. comps are judged by texture, tenderness, and appearance. then taste. at home it's taste first then the other 3

[Tom_Heath]

Were supposed to make it look nice too?????


Great!!!!!

[k.a.m.]

The wife and I have several Friends that compete in the Gulf coast BBQ association. We really enjoy the visits to the comps. I get to take loads of pics of cookers and visit with Friends. The Gulf coast and IBCA both use public judging which makes it nice. The head judge is a sanctioned member and pics judges from the crowd. You can taste some really good BBQ if your on the final table. There are no pretty stuff in these comps as far as greenery. The turn in is ribs, brisket, chicken. The wife and I will compete in both sanctions mainly because our area is mostly IBCA and our Friends compete in Houston which is mostly GCBA.

[sassy's]

I watched some competition on T.V. and thought that this lifestyle would be so fun. When I got word that there was going to be a competition at our local county fair (basically no rules) I knew that I was going to enter. Pretty basic. Four categories chicken, beef, pork, and other. I entered all four with bacon wrapped chicken breast, ribs, ribeye, and a bacon explosion (my way). Talking to the other competitors was very interesting, I wish that I could say that I learned something,but I thought that I already knew more about it than what they were telling me. To me they had all the basics wrong. They had a people's choice award there also. People paid five dollars to sample any item that they wanted to. I should probably add that the meats and what not were all furnished by the competitors. There were 13 people entered and most all of us cooked all four categories. For 5 dollars that,s a lot of eats. I quickly realized that this people's choice award was a big deal. I would rather please the masses than please the judges. The first place people's choice winner made blueberry muffins (from a box), the second place winner made some wings, and my explosion got third. I have entered two contests since being reeled in by that experience and have come to the decision that winning people's choice is more important than winning the judges favor (depending on the prize money). My last comp (kcbs rules) we were given 6 racks of ribs and what was supposed to be 3 whole cut up chickens turned into 6 chickens. I bet I fed 200 people that day. It was a cook-off slash tailgate party outside of a bar. The people came in hordes, it was awesome. I got third over all and third in chicken and fourth in ribs, there was no peoples choice award, but judging by the amount of food that the other 12 competitors had left compared to my lack of food, I would say that I won the crowd over. Competitions are addicting and very fun. I hear a lot of trash talk and bragging, but it's all in good fun. I hope that you get to experience what I have from both sides of the smoker.

[Tom_Heath]

The comp scene is an awesome deal!!!! I love it.

Even coming in dead last is a good weekend.
I cook because I love it. Not because I have to do good on the scoring.
Its a crap shoot every contest.

BTW... been there done that on the dead last deal. The step daughter and her friend took 7th to my last.
But I did take 1st in beans.

I love the friends you make along the way. Don't take it wrong, there are some jerks out there.

But for the most part, if someone walks up to my trailer and ask to borrow something, they leave with there hands full. I always take more then I need. The what comes around goes around deal comes into full play around a bunch of smokers.

[sassy's]

In the few comps that I have done, I have found that my favorite part is the turn ins. After all of the anticipation during the day and the sleepless nights for countless days before hand, I get so nervous I could puke. This is my favorite part it reminds me of a week long roller coaster ride. Of course, I enjoy talking to the other guys and throwin in a little trash talkin and a lot of sarcasm. I'm really good at sarcasm.

[Tom_Heath]

I agree, once its turned in you can take a breath. Well after the last turn that is.

I wish they would make the turn times an hour apart vs 30 minutes.

[01fordgazguzler]

I agree that the turn in is the best part. Esp if your not competing but helping a friends team out (by helping I mean making sure they dont have to carry as much beer out at the end). The whole attitude shifts that 40 mins b4 turn in.

[Gizmo]

...and the ideas you get just walking around and studying other equipment, the sleepless night, the aromas, the good people, did I say sleepless night?, the little tips you get (and give) that can make all the difference, and sleepless night too - don't forget that!

[Tom_Heath]

Hey now I resemble that remark.....sleepless nights.

The bad news is that I am getting older and can't hang like I used to. WAIT a minute......I don't even have an air mattress. LMAO.

But I have a nice chair.

The not started yet remodel will include a smoker that can roll out the back and sit under the side awning. Allowing me to build bunks like they have on a crab boat. LOL smoker trailer that sleeps 4. The only way to roll.

Oh ya and the smoker will be insulated too. That way I can spend more time exercising my arm ( the can lift exercise ) and less time playing with the fire.