Our three in a row streak is over. Reserve Grand this weekend

[Big Poppa]

OK Ill get it out of the way. It was Scooter's fault. hahahaha

We already had on our schedule to cook a smallish Northern California contest. I have not enjoyed the judging in Northern California and avoid it like most cooks that reside outside of Nor Cal.

I got a 4th Chicken, 2nd Ribs, 1st Pork and 3rd Brisket. Congrats to Son of Smoker for his GC. He had a great result!

Now Scooter I'll tell you my thoughts. Our chicken was outstanding and I actually feel is was under judged. Our ribs at 2nd were a gift from you guys. My pork was awesome but missing a 180 by one taste point I will point out the 6th judge gave us a 788. My brisket was third overall and third on the table...I was disappointed by that score of 169. The worst part is the 7 comment cards. I havent gotten a comment card in 2 years.....what is distressing is that most are telling you how to cook it instead of judging what was presented to them.

Having said that I would come back and Im never unhappy with a Reserve Grand. Also I dont want this to appear disrespectful to Zack......I was very happy for him.

 

[scooter]

Congratulations on RGC!!

The push from the KCBS reps up here, and down south, is to write more comment cards. Comment cards for 7's and 8's are encouraged not just for scores of 5 or below. Also cooks who are in the tent judging are speaking up during the judges meeting and requesting comment cards for teams that are close to a 9 but not quite and to let the cook know what, in our opinion, it would take to push our score on that particular criteria from an 8 to a 9. Less/more salt, overdone/underdone, too much/too little smoke flavor, etc. You have made is clear here, and in the past, you don't want judges to tell you how to cook but understand that the judges in the tent are not simply non-cook CBJ's, some or pitmasters on teams that know how to cook well. Add to that the reps and other cooks keep encouraging CBJ's to write more comment cards. Saturday I wrote a comment card on a rib entry I judged 9-9-9. It was more of a thank-you note indicating the rib was one of the best I've had in a long time and to congratulate the pitmaster on nailing every aspect of that rib which I know is difficult to do in a competition setting. It wasn't necessary to write the comment card when my score of 9-9-9 told the cook everything he/she needed to know about what I thought of their product but I wanted to congratulate the cook. So just understand the instructions we're getting from the reps is to write more comment cards.

If you would take pics of the comment cards you take issue with and email them to me so I can use them as training tools for other CBJ's (and MCBJ's) in our Judging Symposiums CBBQA puts on each year. I'm one of the instructors and writing constructive comment cards is part of what I talk about in my segment. It's an opportunity for me to take your feedback and present it to the judges in attendance up here (Alameda) and down south (Riverside).

 

[Big Poppa]

I like getting 999 comment cards...you sort of are leaning on a fence here on the idea.....I got one that said maybe a touch more pepper and I give it a 9....that isnt one that a cook wants to see....

on a 998 chicken.... "gorgeous chicken! perfect chicken in every way...maybe just a little more flavor inside....998...

Its chicken! It had great color, flavor was very balanced shape good...texture as good as we can cook. They agreed on that....but I didnt mask the chicken flavor enough?