The Texas BBQ Forum

So, can anyone sign up at a event to judge? Being new to competitions, seems like it could be useful to be a judge .

I think so. I've always read that its a good idea to be a judge in a comp so you know what is expected when you go to compete. I plan on judging one of these days.

D

Traci wrote:So, can anyone sign up at a event to judge? Being new to competitions, seems like it could be useful to be a judge .

Traci, we encourage new cook to go sur down and judge àn évent or two
That way you can see what is bring turn in, and what is winning. Leslie will be judging the Marshall éventuel. She is family new to judging but she is good. Go there and tell her you know me and you want to judge à couple different foods.

Redneck,

I was thinking of going to judge the Marshall event. I work that day in the morning, what's the latest you would normally accept a judge to come in? Im assuming you have to give em some kinda crash course on judging.

wife and I judged at the TTH in San Antonio . It was a very eye opening experience.

What I got from it mostly was how important the initial appearance is and how much alike all the brisket tasted.

Also, how much better I like MY bbq. : )

atcNick wrote:Redneck,

I was thinking of going to judge the Marshall event. I work that day in the morning, what's the latest you would normally accept a judge to come in? Im assuming you have to give em some kinda crash course on judging.

Usually in lsbs th last turn in is at 2 pm, So you need to be there by 1:30pm for brisket, no crash course, bout 5 minutes will do it

I have not judged but my team mate has and the one thing they told me they were surprised by was how much bad food was actually turned in. It was a big event too the Pasadena Labor day cook-off. I was told about 50% of the ribs were not able to be cut with the plastic fork and knife and about 25% of the chicken was raw. I like those odd when you think about it if you put out a quality product you are already ahead of half the field. The rest is in the hands of the judges. I have always wondered why they don't give the cooks the judging cards when their number is called? Not to Hijack this thread.

ecto1 wrote:I have not judged but my team mate has and the one thing they told me they were surprised by was how much bad food was actually turned in. It was a big event too the Pasadena Labor day cook-off. I was told about 50% of the ribs were not able to be cut with the plastic fork and knife and about 25% of the chicken was raw. I like those odd when you think about it if you put out a quality product you are already ahead of half the field. The rest is in the hands of the judges. I have always wondered why they don't give the cooks the judging cards when their number is called? Not to Hijack this thread.

No kidding??!! Wow!! I've only been to one event. It was not a sanctioned event but you could pay 5 bucks and taste test everyones Q. It was bad!!!! only about two guys had anything decent.

I figured at a sanctioned event the cooks would be better.


-Nick via Tapatalk

I've judged and didn't like the experience very much, which is why I'm so grateful to anyone willing to do it and let us compete and have fun. Thank you Judges

FR8 Train wrote:I've judged and didn't like the experience very much, which is why I'm so grateful to anyone willing to do it and let us compete and have fun. Thank you Judges

You didn't like it because of crappy BBQ or other reasons?


-Nick via Tapatalk

atcNick wrote:

FR8 Train wrote:I've judged and didn't like the experience very much, which is why I'm so grateful to anyone willing to do it and let us compete and have fun. Thank you Judges

You didn't like it because of crappy BBQ or other reasons?


-Nick via Tapatalk

Food was mostly not very good.

Que'a Syde wrote:well i have only judged one event...it was kcbs and i had more good than bad que..I got lucky and got one of the 3 spots left open with no certified judge to fill.. I plan on taking the kcbs course in Sept to get it all learned all official like..Its a fun expierence and I would do it again if i got the chance..the one thing i didint like about the BRisket entries was the tough brisket..I only had one that tasted like total garbage..but there were several i had to use actual MUSCLES to tear apart,lol...I know most Tx dont do pork shoulder at alot of events but there was some great pork.. And i only had 2 bad ribs..lol..And Smoke in thighs was the non existant factor in all but 1 entry...Now idk about anything but the contest i did..But the Judges i met were nice for the most part but i also felt like i was around some True BBQ Snobs..lol..So the one thing i learned most about judging and trying to cook an event..There is NO WAY to please everyone at a judges table..I look at it like this now...I Sell Guitars For an Evil Music Conglomerate, I can hand 1 guitar to 5 different players, No matter the quality, and they will have 5 diff opinions about it..Same holds true for Judgin.I had 6 judges at my table an my opinion concurred with other maybe 1/2 the time on which one actually had that good bbq flavor..The other thing i learned..Bring Toothpicks and Sani-Wipes..LOL..I enjoyed the challenge of it and hope to do it any time i can..

The event you judges had some of the best teams in Texas if not the United States in it.

I may be judging Black eyed peas in Novice!! mmmmmmmm

Que'a Syde wrote:well i have only judged one event...it was kcbs and i had more good than bad que..I got lucky and got one of the 3 spots left open with no certified judge to fill.. I plan on taking the kcbs course in Sept to get it all learned all official like..Its a fun expierence and I would do it again if i got the chance..the one thing i didint like about the BRisket entries was the tough brisket..I only had one that tasted like total garbage..but there were several i had to use actual MUSCLES to tear apart,lol...I know most Tx dont do pork shoulder at alot of events but there was some great pork.. And i only had 2 bad ribs..lol..And Smoke in thighs was the non existant factor in all but 1 entry...Now idk about anything but the contest i did..But the Judges i met were nice for the most part but i also felt like i was around some True BBQ Snobs..lol..So the one thing i learned most about judging and trying to cook an event..There is NO WAY to please everyone at a judges table..I look at it like this now...I Sell Guitars For an Evil Music Conglomerate, I can hand 1 guitar to 5 different players, No matter the quality, and they will have 5 diff opinions about it..Same holds true for Judgin.I had 6 judges at my table an my opinion concurred with other maybe 1/2 the time on which one actually had that good bbq flavor..The other thing i learned..Bring Toothpicks and Sani-Wipes..LOL..I enjoyed the challenge of it and hope to do it any time i can..

Thats one of the reasons I really like IBCA, the judges have varied palettes and taste buds. You only judge the meat and that includes presentation of meat not sauces and lettuce, on last nights show (an old rerun) they showed how the teams slathered heavily with sauces and ???.
I've seen it over and over in IBCA that at the end of the day in almost every case the best bbq meat still wins after it filters through enough people. I say in almost every case because there may be occassions where you just happen to hit a table where your meat scores low enough to not go the next round, maybe the "group" of judges on that table have similar tastes ,and are all family or buddies, I've seen it.