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IBCA / TGCBCA Merger

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 7:57 am
by erichasaces
I just heard on the bbq central podcast that the two sanctioning bodies are merging. I took a brief look at both websites on my phone and didn't see any details. Does anyone know which scoring/judging system they will be using? I was very much looking forward to the new TGCBCA rules. As a new team I feel like getting back our score sheets is invaluable feedback. I hope that plan doesn't all go away.

Re: IBCA / TGCBCA Merger

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 9:29 am
by k.a.m.
Texas Gulf Coast cook offs will now be run under IBCA. The two organizations merged into one and the cook offs will be absorbed into the IBCA pit in that area. I am glad the two organizations have finally come back together to create one organization.

Re: IBCA / TGCBCA Merger

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 11:05 am
by Okie Sawbones
This is probably a good thing. I personally don't like the way IBCA does chicken -- 1/2 fully jointed chicken. I also think IBCA should have a BBQ Judge Certification Program. But they seem to be doing fine without my suggestions. :laughing7:

Re: IBCA / TGCBCA Merger

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 11:22 am
by erichasaces
That sounds like the new TGCBCA rules and scoring system are going away. That's very disappointing.

Re: IBCA / TGCBCA Merger

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 12:08 pm
by k.a.m.
erichasaces wrote:That sounds like the new TGCBCA rules and scoring system are going away. That's very disappointing.

They quit using it anyway because it was flawed. Who knows down the road IBCA may look into implementing one that works.

Re: IBCA / TGCBCA Merger

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 7:57 pm
by erichasaces
I didn't realize that. What was the problem?

Re: IBCA / TGCBCA Merger

Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2016 5:53 am
by k.a.m.
erichasaces wrote:I didn't realize that. What was the problem?

Short version is the software was not owned by Texas Gulf Coast. You could not make the necessary changes to adapt for different formats. And problems had to be handled by the owners support group. You cannot operate a cook off under these circumstances so after several failed attempts using it in real time they scrapped the idea for now until they were able to have something they controlled and were trained in.

Re: IBCA / TGCBCA Merger

Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2016 8:43 am
by erichasaces
That makes sense. It wasn't necessarily the judging or scoring process itself, but a software issue? Who can I talk to about volunteering my time to develop software for IBCA to use?

Re: IBCA / TGCBCA Merger

Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2016 8:52 am
by k.a.m.
I am not sure the IBCA is going to try a new system anytime soon but they may. You could contact Craig sharry at the IBCA website he is the current president.

Re: IBCA / TGCBCA Merger

Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2016 9:18 am
by Speed
One thing I have noticed over the years.... Change comes very slowly for most of the sanctioning bodies here. I can honestly say, I was surprised about the rules changes that recently took place in IBCA. It seems like every time changes were mentioned previously, they were quickly shot down. I'm not specifically talking about IBCA but the sanctioning bodies in general. I'm glad to see some progress and the cooks ideas actually being heard now. There are still a lot of people with the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mentality. That's going to be the biggest challenge to overcome.

Re: IBCA / TGCBCA Merger

Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2016 10:44 am
by erichasaces
Am I just in the minority by wanting to get my scores and see my actual ranking when I'm outside the top 10? I absolutely love getting all that info when I do KCBS events, and it's been so helpful for me to know what to work on.

For example, in Huntsville, I finished 13th in ribs. I saw that 3 judges gave me perfect scores, and 3 gave me horrible taste scores. My appearance and tenderness were good, but the flavor profile I used was obviously polarizing. Knowing that, I kept my technique the same, and played it a little more down the middle of the road flavorwise. 2 weeks late in Fort Worth I walk away with a check for 5th place ribs. I'm not sure I could have done the same with IBCA contests because my name wouldn't get called, and I would have had no idea if I was 11th or 42nd. I guess that makes it more challenging, but as a newer team, I really appreciate feedback.

Re: IBCA / TGCBCA Merger

Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2016 11:24 am
by Swamp Donkeyz BBQ
If you are in the minority, then I am too.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

Re: IBCA / TGCBCA Merger

Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2016 1:25 pm
by Finatic
erichasaces wrote:Am I just in the minority by wanting to get my scores and see my actual ranking when I'm outside the top 10? I absolutely love getting all that info when I do KCBS events, and it's been so helpful for me to know what to work on.

For example, in Huntsville, I finished 13th in ribs. I saw that 3 judges gave me perfect scores, and 3 gave me horrible taste scores. My appearance and tenderness were good, but the flavor profile I used was obviously polarizing. Knowing that, I kept my technique the same, and played it a little more down the middle of the road flavorwise. 2 weeks late in Fort Worth I walk away with a check for 5th place ribs. I'm not sure I could have done the same with IBCA contests because my name wouldn't get called, and I would have had no idea if I was 11th or 42nd. I guess that makes it more challenging, but as a newer team, I really appreciate feedback.


That'd be good info to have. But seems like that would only be effective only with a certified judging system. I don't see those changes happening with IBCA anytime soon. But if it does I know where I'll be cookin.

Re: IBCA / TGCBCA Merger

Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2016 1:47 pm
by k.a.m.
Personally I do not care what 6 to 8 judges thought my food tasted like on that particular day unless they were going to be judging me the next week. Comments are personal opinions that if not reigned in by a cook can have you chasing your tail from here to eternity we all know that what worked today may bust next weekend. Even trained judges do not have the same taste buds so their tastes can never get together. Now appearance and texture are real things that can be taught what to look for.

Re: IBCA / TGCBCA Merger

Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2016 2:28 pm
by erichasaces
But that's kind of what I was saying in my post. My KCBS score sheet told me that I had hit the tenderness and appearance, so I knew that I had got them right.

I guess it's not that big of a deal, I just like the transparency and feedback for myself.