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Curious-how many forum participants also routinely enter sanctioned Q competitions?

Seems there has been an increase in the level of well beyond backyard Q knowledge being brought to the forum.  I find these insights and suggestions provide great value and perspective.  Anything to broaden the knowledge base.   
I am not one of those who compete.  FWIW-
Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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Comments

  • SSN686
    SSN686 Posts: 3,500
    I don't compete, but I am a KCBS Judge & that is a lot fun

    Have a GREAT day!

       Jay

    Brandon, FL


     

  • Wardster
    Wardster Posts: 1,006

    Or how about the other way around?  Think back, over the years, about the members who now compete.  Several can now be seen on TV and when they started here, they were... well.... backyarders like the majority of us.  I always give a chuckle of delight when I hear or see them on the circuit. 

    Apollo Beach, FL
  • msloan
    msloan Posts: 399
    I compete to the tune of 2-3 contests per year......originally had planned to do five this year but my partner had some financial issues.

    full disclosure though, when I compete I dont use an egg.
    gettin lucky in kentucky!   2 XL eggs!
  • Thecoiman
    Thecoiman Posts: 134
    I would like to compete but the cost & lack of knowledge drives me away. I never really been to a bbq contest so the whole process is foreign to me but I like the idea of competing.  
    Garland, TX

    2 Large, 1 Mini Max, 1 Mini
  • Ladeback69
    Ladeback69 Posts: 4,482
    @MeatChurch is the first one to come to mind and he brings a large BGE with him, but smokes everything on a stick burner.  

    I have helped out my brother-in-law a few times last year and plan it again this year.  The American Royal BBQ Contest is something to see with over 600 competitors.  It's at the Kansas's Speedway this year.  

    I would like to compete myself some day, but I want a larger smoker that will travel  better then an Egg and will handle a lot of meat needed for competion cooks.
    XL, WSM, Coleman Road Trip Gas Grill

    Kansas City, Mo.
  • Tspud1
    Tspud1 Posts: 1,486
    SSN686 said:
    I don't compete, but I am a KCBS Judge & that is a lot fun


    I am too. I use to stay up all night cooking & spent a lot just to give it away when I got in contests. Only bad part of judging is you don't know if you tasted any of the winners cooks.
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,170
    I may have to give that option (KCBS judging) a look again.  Thanks to @SSN686 and @Tspud1 for reawakening the thought.
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • JohnH12
    JohnH12 Posts: 213
    Why would I want to compete? Most pro's will say in a heartbeat that competion Q has nothing to do with backyard, great tasting, Q.
    I spend my time trying to please my family and friends with Q done the way we like it.
    OTOH: Attending the competitions is a lot of fun. Talking with the competitors and getting some new ideas is always interesting.
  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797
    I have competed for 6 years. What are your questions
  • @msloansaid:
    I compete to the tune of 2-3 contests per year......originally had planned to do five this year but my partner had some financial issues.

    full disclosure though, when I compete I dont use an egg.
    What are your comp cookers?

    NW IA

    2 LBGE, 1 SBGE, 22.5 WSM, 1 Smokey Joe

  • YukonRon said:
    Got to tell you, I have not, nor are there any plans to. Producing winners and losers for my friends and family is enough for me.
    I'm with YukonRon on this one.  But I do have a few people that buy Q from me from time to time.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!!
  • shucker
    shucker Posts: 483
    I compete in kcbs contests fairly regularly.  The goal was to do 12-15 this year and so far I'm on target.   I don't use an egg for the standard categories but always use my egg for the ancillary contests. 

    Shucker
    Eastern North Carolina
    Go Pirates!

    http://facebook.com/oldcolonysmokehouse

    https://www.instagram.com/oldcolonysmokehouse/

    L & MM BGE/Blackstone 36" Griddle/Pit Barrel Cooker/QDS/Shirley Fab 50" Patio/BQ Grills Hog Cooker/Stump's Classic/Weber 22" OTG


  • Jeremiah
    Jeremiah Posts: 6,412
    Not yet but full intentions of it once the trailer is finished. I've even scouted a ringer, @Dyal_SC
    Slumming it in Aiken, SC. 
  • Dyal_SC
    Dyal_SC Posts: 6,024
    Jeremiah said:
    Not yet but full intentions of it once the trailer is finished. I've even scouted a ringer, @Dyal_SC
    Likewise @Jeremiah!  Can't wait. 
  • Dyal_SC said:
    Jeremiah said:
    Not yet but full intentions of it once the trailer is finished. I've even scouted a ringer, @Dyal_SC
    Likewise @Jeremiah!  Can't wait. 
    I am willing to be the judge and sample all the tasty vitals =)
    Go Gamecocks!!!
    1 XL, 1 MM
    Smoking in Aiken South Carolina
  • northGAcock
    northGAcock Posts: 15,164
    Jeremiah said:
    Not yet but full intentions of it once the trailer is finished. I've even scouted a ringer, @Dyal_SC
    You building a trailer now? Wow....one drops out of site for a few days and misses a great deal. Will this be before or after the pool?
    Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax

    Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
    Run me out in the cold rain and snow
  • Hans61
    Hans61 Posts: 3,901
    I haven't competed in a Bbq contest but it I am seriously considering b/c so many of my friends and family who've eaten food off my egg keep bringing it up. One of the highest compliments I've recieved was from a former kitchen manager of Jethros, a popular Bbq  restaurant chain in Des Moines, (our wives are friends we had them over for dinner) I smoked ribs and Mac and cheese, I asked him if he'd like to take some Mac n cheese home and he said, "oh that's alright, but I'll take some ribs if that's alright!" 
    “There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.”
    Coach Finstock Teen Wolf
  • Toxarch
    Toxarch Posts: 1,900
    I do 2-3 per year helping out a buddy. We'll split up duties on what needs to be cooked for the team and then might enter other categories as separate teams. Like I'll do chicken on a different grill as my own team or we do 2 separate chili cooks.

    I will say competition cooks are different than backyard cooks. Backyard cooks are laid back and easy with your own taste of food. Overcooked? Nobody cares. Late meal? Nobody cares. Ugly serving dish presentation? Nobody cares. You get high praises from hungry guests. In a competition, it's the opposite. It's definitely high stress and you don't relax until the last turn-in of the day. You might not even cook enough to taste it yourself. Last competition I was doing chicken. They half a chicken if under 100 entries. Cool, I'll cook 2 halves and we can eat 1. Nope, had to turn in both since there were 160 teams, so I never even got to try it. It made it to the final judges table and I have no idea what it tasted like. Then after it's all turned in, you second guess your cooks and stress wondering how you did until they slowly announce the winners.

    There were a group of local big name restaurant chefs that were walking around. They said they could never do competition BBQ. I figured it would've been easy for them.
    Aledo, Texas
    Large BGE
    KJ Jr.

    Exodus 12:9 KJV
    Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

  • smokeyw
    smokeyw Posts: 367
    I have been competing for a number of years. I am also a certified KCBS judge. Our team has been fortunate. We have competed in the America Royal Invitational and also in the Jack Daniels Invitational World Championship twice. I don't use eggs in competition but I have 3 of them at home and they see a lot of use. The MM does go to competitions with us occasionally for us to cook a meal on for ourselves. Even though we don't cook the same way at home as we do in competitions, a lot of the things we learn carry over to home cooking and are useful. I have always said, when it comes to cooking, keep an open mind and never stop learning and trying things.
  • Tspud1
    Tspud1 Posts: 1,486
    lousubcap said:
    I may have to give that option (KCBS judging) a look again.  Thanks to @SSN686 and @Tspud1 for reawakening the thought.

    I did it to see what judges were looking for in the points they give. In a competition with 30 teams, there are supposed to be 30 judges and you don't get to see the same teams entry in another meat. If you see 6 of the ribs or 6 of the brisket entries, there are 24 you didn't taste. Just a number on a box.
  • billt01
    billt01 Posts: 1,523
    From another forum I am on...and its a lot of fun for a while..but you eventually get tired of burning cash...

    http://www.stumpssmokersforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=6131

    http://www.barbecuenews.com/forum2/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=24046


    Have:
     XLBGE / Stumps Baby XL / Couple of Stokers (Gen 1 and Gen 3) / Blackstone 36 / Maxey 3x5 water pan hog cooker
    Had:
    LBGE / Lang 60D / Cookshack SM150 / Stumps Stretch / Stumps Baby

    Fat Willies BBQ
    Ola, Ga

  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,170
    @billt01 -  appreciated the read.  thanks-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • Jeremiah
    Jeremiah Posts: 6,412
    Jeremiah said:
    Not yet but full intentions of it once the trailer is finished. I've even scouted a ringer, @Dyal_SC
    You building a trailer now? Wow....one drops out of site for a few days and misses a great deal. Will this be before or after the pool?
    Its a long term build, really just gathering the materials still. 
    Slumming it in Aiken, SC. 
  • msloan
    msloan Posts: 399
    @msloansaid:
    I compete to the tune of 2-3 contests per year......originally had planned to do five this year but my partner had some financial issues.

    full disclosure though, when I compete I dont use an egg.
    What are your comp cookers?
     we use my Myron Mixon MMS-48 H2O cooker.  It's a beast with plenty of room to handle everything you will do in a contest.
    gettin lucky in kentucky!   2 XL eggs!
  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
    I don't compete, but I'm at almost every one of them here in St. Louis.  We sponsor about a dozen teams and sometimes the entire comp, so I'm always visiting with the teams (and learning).  I'm also a certified judge.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,671
    billt01 said:
    From another forum I am on...and its a lot of fun for a while..but you eventually get tired of burning cash...

    http://www.stumpssmokersforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=6131

    http://www.barbecuenews.com/forum2/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=24046


    never would have thought it could be that expensive =)  they say boating and fishing is expensive, so far this year 43 trips out, roughly 300 hours trolling, 200 dollars in expenses, in comparison, bbq comps are crazy =)
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • I entered one this year. It was a local, NON KCBS, charity event. Took two XL's and a large. It was a lot of work just getting there. Then up all night and the following day. All 43 teams cooked 3 slabs of ribs and a brisket. The brisket was taken by the event and cut up and sold as sandwiches. The ribs were cut up and handed out by the teams. This was the fun part for me. It was great seeing people return and telling us we had the best. Even better was winning 1st for ribs and then having one of the judges talk to us after and the compliments from him. 
    Turned out to be a great day- Charity brought in about $25,000 for one day, thanks to Dark Horse Brewery.

  • Angela
    Angela Posts: 543
    Nope and zero desire to. IMO the judging criteria is arbitrary and based on things that don't matter. To me it's all about the taste and texture and zero to do with if the pieces match perfectly or how nicely decorated the box is. And don't get me started on the dumb rib rules. 
    Egging on two larges + 36" Blackstone griddle