Just what do the KCBS Judges want?

mostly it depends on what taste the judges have in their mouth for the weekend... hopefully your not making your rubs HOT (spicey).. thats the first thing that turns off a judge is a lot of heat... a little sweet a lil heat (or tang as I like to call it)... Myself i think the cooks should do the judge course.. that way they know it and don't have to try and cipher their wives interpretation of the whole deal... just my thoughts

Judging is the first step, this way you'll know where you stack up against some of the other turn ins, but don't get discouraged with your finish.  You were quite a way from last.  As long as you had fun and enjoyed your day, that is the main thing.  I have 4 comps in the next 2 months, it's been a month and a half since my last one, so I am amped and ready to go. 

JMHO,

If it was me, i would not send the wives to the class . I would make sure that whoever is in charge of cooking and taste of the meat takes the judging course. A lot of it has to do w/ the area of the country you are in. Down here it's sweet w/ a touch of heat . Out east it's more  tang w/ a touch of sweet.

 The best thing would be to get certified and judge a few comps so that you are among other judges w/ varying levels of experience. Then you can see why it is so hard to please them all.

In the little time that I have been doing comps, I have found that most KCBS judges will prefer a sweet sauce over any other sauce. That is half the battle tho. You never ever know! The table next to you might be totally different. I go into it just to have fun. I figure if I can make a couple new friends, and learn alittle every comp, It was worth the 200 dollar entry fee! 

I would probably start off by taking a few classes from successful competition cooks.  It may seem like an expensive investment initially, but doing several comps and not getting in the money will be more expensive in the long run. 

Then I would sign up as a judge personally and not just send the wives unless the wives are cooking. 

Once you feel really confident setup 1-2 mock cooks where you pack up my truck, and smoker and cook at a friends back yard just to get used to packing and cooking out of the comfort of your own home and adhere to ALL of the specific turn in times including not prepping your meat until after what would normally be an inspection time.

If your not sure how good your food is simply invite a few CBJ's over and have them treat it like a real comp and score each entry accordingly.  It's best if you don't know the CBJ's so they won't hold back and could give you some live Feedback and well needed criticism. 

I don't think it would be hard finding a few CBJ's in your area willing to help out.

I know it may seem like a lot of work up front, but if your serious about being successful and placing in the money the above is a great way to really prepare.

As a CBJ myself, i can tell you that you have to find out what the local taste is. Sample meat from the local primary Q place and go from there. Judges are instructed to judge on how THEY feel about the product, not judge how a book tells them too.

I still say if you are doing it for fun, cook how you want to cook. If its serious comp, do your homework. Taste is most important, then tenderness and appereance.

Practice and experience is also pretty important.


Good luck!

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