How do you get home after a contest?

[Rub]

I can be ready to go 45 minutes after last turn in. But I usually like to stay over and have some fun Saturday night, besides I'm too tired and worn out to safely drive 15,000lbs of truck and trailer down the road at 70mph. Just not worth it.

 

[Gowan]

The answer is ... "it depends".

When we had a five man team, one of our guys was the dish man, and two others packers.

When just my lady and I cook, we stay over Saturday night to be rested for the drive home Sunday.

When we cooked with no water at SAMs, we used all the disposables we could, threw everything in bus tubs and hauled it home for cleanup on Sunday.

 

[chambersuac]

We were/are? a family team. My wife and daughter don't like to do any of the cooking, so they clean as we go and we all pitch in after brisket turn in. The girls had all the dishes clean and sanitized before we left. My wife is an organizational/packing genius and could get everything situated quickly and for easy unpacking. As a pastor, I had to be home Saturday night, so we drove home and unloaded the perishables ASAP. Much of the gear stayed packed for next time. What we needed out, was unloaded over the next couple of days. ,an, I love my wife!

 

[New Pal Frank]

As a wife and husbamd team, we are usually ready to go 45 minutes to an hour after Brisket turn in. We pull a toyhauler, so after we get back from last turn in i start getting the fire annd grease out of the Backwoods while she is finishing the last of the dishes then she moves to the prep area in the garage area of the camper and gets it ready for loading the smokers and 1 table.

We usually stay the night unless we just need to be home that night or it's a Sunday contest.

 

[Candy Sue]

I'm a solo cook and have a class b, so have to clean/pick up after use. I've got my timetable set so that most of the time I get 6 hours interrupted sleep. I put all my dirty pans etc. in the cooker to take home. I have a minimal setup to unpack, so minimal re-packing too. After last turn in, I am ready to leave in about 15 minutes. Amelia Island last weekend was a 14 hour drive to/from home. I left immediately after awards (first out) and drove to an RV park west of Tallahassee. Sunday was a 10 hour drive. I'm still road-weary today.

 

[Stoke&Smoke]

We usually clean it up and pack up on Saturday evening and stay until Sunday morning to get the needed rest. We leave around 7 AM on Sunday for the drive home.

^^^^ This, whenever possible!

If I'm close to home (< an hour) we might hurry up and get out, but after the long night before, and the turn in grind, I want to relax, visit, and maybe have a cold one or two. I don't like driving tired, so would rather pack everything right after the contest, and get a good nights sleep. (except we take our time leaving Sunday as well)

I know we are in the minority, but really don't care! I have no need to run around like the proverbial chicken with it's head cut off to hurry and get out!

Also, we have eliminated most of the dishwashing and carry a single tub of dirty dishes home as others have mentioned, and, other than the WSM's, have scaled down on extra stuff so our packup is pretty easy these days!

 

[nmayeux]

I use Dave.... Or the woman in a pinch!

 

[riblette]

I usually tear down as soon as the last turn-in and hit the road as soon as the score sheets are received and reviewed, eyes rolled, and judges appropriate whined about.

If we did well I usually proudly place the hardware in the trophy case (AKA the designated dusty shelf in the remote corner of the garage) and then wait until Sunday morning to unload. If we did poorly I tend to unload, clean, and restock/repack everything, as if it never even happened.

The exception to this process is if/when we ever GC. At that point I will simply leave everything… cookers, tables, EZ-UP, leftover Royal Oak…EVERYTHING (except the check) at the cook site. Ya want it? It’s yours!! If we ever win one of these things I ain’t NEVER gonna load and unload that crap again…no need, cause that’s the last you’ll see of me…go out on top, baby! :grin:

 

[rolfejr]

Clean and pack as we go, usually ready to roll after awards.
We pack the same way every time so when we're done we're ready for the next comp minus meats, sauces, coolers etc....
On late awards we'll sometimes grab a hotel on the way home just to ease the long day. It helps if they have a casino!

 

[Slim Jim]

I'm replying as a KCBS judge since I've not actually done an official comp cook yet. The last comp I judged I hung around and also judged the leftover and dessert category. Big mistake! OMG! My daughter lives less than 2 miles away. It seemed like a long drive and I felt like a beached whale for the rest of the evening!!

 

[The Duke]

Plan your contest and always try to think how you could can keep it simple,clean, and put things away when done. Think light weight. Do not bring too many tables people just put stuff on them. Try to do everything in one smoker if possible. I keep all prep stuff in one tool bag, and keep all rubs, injections in another tool bag. I have paper towels, gloves, clock, knifes, and timeline on a stand up board with insta reed thermometer, when done just put it away.

 

[bigdogphin]

Most of the time we have a 5 to 6 hour drive home on Sunday nights. Most of our comps are Saturday/Sunday. Key is to try and get as much rest Sunday. Pack up quick and be ready to hit the road. I am not gonna lie sometimes this is grueling and I have had to pull over for a short nap.

 

[Patrickkva]

Our team learned the hard way that we just have too much stuff. We most likely still do. Do you really need 4 spatulas, 3 tongs, 10 knives and 6 silicone pot holders? It's always nice to have a spare so you don't have to borrow stuff from another team, but a checklist can help keep your inventory of extra stuff down.

Disposable cutting boards like others have mentioned are nice to have. Also cleaning as you go is a big help too.

 

[peterz]

Just like camping.........=)

 

[rolfejr]

Our team learned the hard way that we just have too much stuff. We most likely still do. Do you really need 4 spatulas, 3 tongs, 10 knives and 6 silicone pot holders? It's always nice to have a spare so you don't have to borrow stuff from another team, but a checklist can help keep your inventory of extra stuff down.

Disposable cutting boards like others have mentioned are nice to have. Also cleaning as you go is a big help too.

Of course you can always stop by Rockin' Robyn's General Store!

"If we don't have it, you don't need it!"

 

[MattG]

After turn ins we rest for 30-45 min. Then I (or we if someone is with me) cleans everything up. So after awards were gone. The only reason that wouldn't wash everything is if I run out of water. By doing this when we get home everything is already clean and in its place and all I have to do is take a shower and go to sleep.