The question every Comp Cook Faces

[B&K Smokers]

Ok....

So after a good run of top 10 finished in 15 cook offs I am now in the biggest string of shut outs I have ever faced. now the questions start popping in my head. Is it time to completely change everyting? Have any of you been in this situation? What do you suggest?

1. Start building new profiles from scratch?
2. Stay the same and ride the wave?
3. Sell all your gear and throw the towel in? ( )

[BigDave]

If you biggest string of shutouts is a few cookoffs, I wouldn't change nuthin! If it is 15 cookoffs, then maybe start tweakin some. Never just change everything. One thing at a time. Otherwise you aint gonna know where the problem wuz! Were the shutouts repeat cookoffs or new areas? Sometimes if new areas a good ideer is to visit what the locals call the best bbq in the area and see if that que is spicey, sweet, bland, real smokey, etc. maybe even buy a pint of their sauce and use at cookoff. If your cookin IBCA or LSBS the judges more than likely are gonna be locals.

[3 star redneck]

If you biggest string of shutouts is a few cookoffs, I wouldn't change nuthin! If it is 15 cookoffs, then maybe start tweakin some. Never just change everything. One thing at a time. Otherwise you aint gonna know where the problem wuz! Were the shutouts repeat cookoffs or new areas? Sometimes if new areas a good ideer is to visit what the locals call the best bbq in the area and see if that que is spicey, sweet, bland, real smokey, etc. maybe even buy a pint of their sauce and use at cookoff. If your cookin IBCA or LSBS the judges more than likely are gonna be locals.

Agreed big Dave!!!!.... In my 11 th yr of cooking and have cooked the same recipes ... Except for tweaking.... For th past 8 yrs .....

[jtilk]

+1 on the tweaking, but dont change EVERYTHING...
And this may sound like a no brainer, but I'll hammer it home. Whatever you tweak... measure it, write it down... do whatever you have to do so that you can duplicate it if it turns out to be a winner or what you're looking for.