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Using a Propane Torch

BrewerDJ

BrewerDJ

Knows what a fatty is.
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I was recently having a discussion with my team mates after a beerclub meeting about improving our chicken. There was a guy there that joined our conversion saying he was a KCBS judge. He suggested we hit the chicken with a propane torch after is comes out of the smoker to help with the skin. I said I think that is illegal. And he asked why. I said because you can't cook with propane. He said it's not cooking. I went back to drinking my beer and hoping he doesn't judge at any comp I'm at.

I went back and reread the rules.

And I searched here for "torch" and found a thread from 2008 about using a torch on brisket and everyone here seemed to agree with me that it is illegal. Have the rules changed or been clarified or am I correct and it is illegal?

Thanks.
 
How would a judge know this?

The way I interpret the rules it would be illegal.
 
Shouldn't a judge know the rules?
I wouldn't expect them to have them memorized but maybe they should know what kind of fuels are allowed.
 
It's illegal. It's illegal to use propane to relight your cooker with meat in it, even though it's unlikely doing something like that is going to cook your meat. Applying it directly to crisp the skin certainly is cooking it.
 
Sorry, I just cannot imagine the great spoofs one could pull with this one.

Like hitting it with the torch after the chicken is in the turn-in box.....black parsley and melted styro foam....now that's an appearance for ya!

All seriousness....I've got a torch but have never taken it out of the box (sorry, Santa Claus!). Wouldn't a propane torch give a blast that would scorch a sauced piece of chicken even in a few seconds? Again, I'm just asking, not being a total smartarse.

Now a Butane torch I could see, as it's commonly used in culinary applications.

Well, I really couldn't 'see it', as I also imagine it's as illegal as can be. It's enough of a craft as it is to cook great barbecue, I think we can leave the propane torches for the firebox!?

But please do let me know if that judge ever starts competing! I wanna see what he comes up with! A new trend-setter perhaps!?
 
BrewerDJ said:
I was recently having a discussion with my team mates after a beerclub meeting about improving our chicken. There was a guy there that joined our conversion saying he was a KCBS judge. He suggested we hit the chicken with a propane torch after is comes out of the smoker to help with the skin. I said I think that is illegal. And he asked why. I said because you can't cook with propane. He said it's not cooking. I went back to drinking my beer and hoping he doesn't judge at any comp I'm at.

I went back and reread the rules.

And I searched here for "torch" and found a thread from 2008 about using a torch on brisket and everyone here seemed to agree with me that it is illegal. Have the rules changed or been clarified or am I correct and it is illegal?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

From the KCBS Reps Manual

4.4 Propane for searing meat
Question: Should a team be disqualified if, it comes to the attention of the KCBS Rep they seared their meat with a propane torch?
Opinion: Yes, the team should be disqualified, from the contest, and the Rep chair should be notified of the violation and the team name. This is a violation of the rule regarding cooking with gas. November 12, 2008

Now what you can do is use a wire chafing dish holder, double aluminum pan and charcoal lit with a chimney to create a homemade broiler....

:twisted::twisted:That is totally legal:twisted::twisted:
 
I know that if at any point propane touches food that is illegal. But, what if you are cooking on charcoal and your fire goes out with meat on the smoker. While your meat is still on, can you re-light your charcoal in the smoker with a propane torch without breaking the rules??? (I vote no, but curious what everyone else thinks). I think to follow the rules the charcoal would have to be lit outside of the smoker (chimney). Just curious on opinions.

Eggspert
 
Rule 6) Fires shall be of wood, wood pellets or charcoal. Gas and electric heat sources shall not be permitted for cooking or holding. Propane or electric is permitted as fire starters, provided that the competition meat is not in/on the cooking device. Electrical accessories such as spits, augers, or forced draft are permitted. No open pits or holes are permitted, except at the election of the contest organizer. Fires shall not be built on the ground.
 
Truthfully, the rules that pertain to how the product is prepared have no bearing at all on the judging process, so it's not a big surprise that a CBJ wouldn't know this was illegal. In fact in my experience the more a judge knows about cooking the more likely they are to make some stupid assumption about why an entry was prepared the way it was (i.e. "they cut it thick because it was overcooked") or how it was prepared (i.e. "was brined for too long").

I know there are a lot of folks that like to say that judges should understand what cooks go through to prepare a box, but really that doesn't matter at all for the judging process. Judges should evaluate what is in the box and nothing more, not second guess about what went on at the cook site.
 
BrewerDJ said:
Shouldn't a judge know the rules?
I wouldn't expect them to have them memorized but maybe they should know what kind of fuels are allowed.
Click to expand...

They do know all the rules, when it comes to what can be in the box, what can't, etc. But why would they know all the rules pertaining to the cooking process? They do not go do site inspections or monitor teams cooking. I'm not surprised at all that judge doesn't know you can't torch food because it doesn't pertain to their part of the competition.
 
I suppose, technically, they don't need to know all the rules. However, as someone who would have taken the time to go to and pay for a class, I would think they would have taken the time to read the 2 pages of the KCBS rules. I understand that a judge only needs to know about what's in the box, ie illegal garnish, bones in the ribs, sculpted meat, etc. But personally I can't understand how someone who would be passionate enough about BBQ to become a judge wouldn't read and understand all the rules. It's not like they get paid for judging. They give up a Sunday to drive to comps and judge BBQ for no compensation or even gas money. Sometimes they may get a little swag. And apparently they get to take home some BBQ. Although I did see and email from the organizer of a comp I did recently that said judge would not be allowed to bring coolers to take home leftover BBQ. I thought it was a little strange that judges would do that.:shock:

What I'm saying is it's not War & Peace. It could be done as bathroom reading with time still left over for a Ken Ken puzzle.
 
We cooked a contest this year, and the rep reminded all the cook teams to be very careful about how we cooked/held our meat. They had to DQ a team last year because they were holding their meat in a chafing dish being warmed by sterno. (so it's not just judges who don't know the rules)
 
Rule 6) Fires shall be of wood, wood pellets or charcoal. Gas and electric heat sources shall not be permitted for cooking or holding. Propane or electric is permitted as fire starters, provided that the competition meat is not in/on the cooking device. Electrical accessories such as spits, augers, or forced draft are permitted. No open pits or holes are permitted, except at the election of the contest organizer. Fires shall not be built on the ground.
Click to expand...

so if your fire went out in your smoker and you removed the competition meat from said smoker, could you re light the pit with a propane torch?
 
BrewerDJ said:
I would think they would have taken the time to read the 2 pages of the KCBS rules. I understand that a judge only needs to know about what's in the box, ie illegal garnish, bones in the ribs, sculpted meat, etc.

But personally I can't understand how someone who would be passionate enough about BBQ to become a judge wouldn't read and understand all the rules.
What I'm saying is it's not War & Peace. It could be done as bathroom reading with time still left over for a Ken Ken puzzle.
Click to expand...

There are more rules than just that little sheet...I compiled a few of them on this thread -

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3047924#post3047924

and there are way more. Thats just my cheat sheet. I would say 10% of us know all the rules of KCBS.
 
RX2006JE said:
so if your fire went out in your smoker and you removed the competition meat from said smoker, could you re light the pit with a propane torch?
Click to expand...

Yes. I had this discussion with a rep once. OR if you are cooking on a smoker with a slide out charcoal pan(Spicewine) you can pull the charcoal pan out, light it, then slide it back in. But the pan can not be in contact with the smoker.
 
RX2006JE said:
so if your fire went out in your smoker and you removed the competition meat from said smoker, could you re light the pit with a propane torch?
Click to expand...

Technically yes...but why invite an accusation of rule breaking and then a long drawn out arguement about it on here:heh::heh:...just dump a chimney in there.
 
cpw said:
We cooked a contest this year, and the rep reminded all the cook teams to be very careful about how we cooked/held our meat. They had to DQ a team last year because they were holding their meat in a chafing dish being warmed by sterno. (so it's not just judges who don't know the rules)
Click to expand...

I had a first time KCBS cook tell me how he was going to hot hold his big meats in the Cambro with the electric heating element to keep it at 140 per the rules. I explained that it would be a DQ because of the electric.

I also explained that the Cambro would be fine for that short period of time without the electric. I asked that he tape the power cord plug to the front of the door for all to see that it was NOT plugged in.
 
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