new to the competition

Congrats on the chicken call! Judges seem to like really sweet. I know they say bite through tenderness with a slight tug but, that chit needs to be almost fall off the bone tender.

Did you pull the membrane on the ribs?
Did they pass the bend test?

Congrats on the chicken call. Judging is not supposed to be comparison judging, but when the next rib in line stands out with a punch of flavor, it is going to be scored accordingly. Best advice I ever headed was, you are not cooking for what you like, you are cooking to WOW a judge and need to do so with the first bite.

Welcome to the slippery slope!

Backyard division? Sanctioned competition or un-sanctioned?

First off, non-sanctioned competition, anything goes. Dont go to an area getting advice from regarding how to cook for a sanctioned cook and apply that to a non-sanctioned cook. They are NOT the same. For that matter, all sanctioning bodies are NOT the same.

For example, above said "not supposed to be comparison judging". Wrong. KCBS is not comparative. However, MBN, GBA and I'm sure a few others ARE comparative. My point is: it depends...

The comment about "bite through with a slight tug" again is a KCBS definition. MBN, GBA, others different...

My point is this, dont look for anything other than fun and practice cooking from a non-sanctioned cook, and to a smaller degree the sanctioned back-yard divisions. Doesn't matter if you got first place in anything, that same product could well get D.A.L. in a sanctioned contest.

Another thing to look at is the quantity (percentage) of CBJ's; and how many are new and how many are seasoned... Look to compete in competitions with ONLY 100% CBJ's. Otherwise, again, all bets are off. It's difficult enough with full CBJ's and hot and cold tables, dont need willy-nilly thrown in.

Who would want a rib with a tug? How did they come up with that.

I did my first Backyard competition this year also and didn't place. It rained most of the day. I didn't have an awning to cover my station but I had fun. The most important thing is to go out have fun(do compete)learn all that you can each time and Do your best to do better each time you compete

smoke ninja said:

Who would want a rib with a tug? How did they come up with that.

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Not everyone uses KCBS definitions. MBN/MIM you want more body to the rib than KCBS. Hence the tug...And MIM started before KCBS, so they came up with it first :becky:

My first competition is two weeks away and Im about as nervous as Ive ever been in my life.

arkman said:

My first competition is two weeks away and Im about as nervous as Ive ever been in my life.

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Make a list of absolutely everything you need. Follow it to the letter
Make a timeline. stick to it
Have fun, don't be nervous...its only Barbecue.

The best advice that I can offer for a new team is to figure out which event you'd like to compete at and then see if you can judge or help at the judging tent at an event prior to that.

You will hopefully see how experienced teams set up their boxes, what flavor profiles are common and hear the discussions of judges (hopefully post judging, not during).


Eric

TooSaucedToPork said:

Make a list of absolutely everything you need. Follow it to the letter
Make a timeline. stick to it
Have fun, don't be nervous...its only Barbecue.

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What he said