Went to my first BBQ competition

[Bruscar]

Not as a competitor, but to visit/help/eat/drink/learn with a couple I know that does compete. I've been thinking about taking my Train on the road & wasn't sure what to expect.
I expect my kids' college fund to disappear! Holy crap, if you think brewing has a lot of equipment, you are sadly mistaken!

While some of could be rented (trailer, RV, generators, etc.) there's a boatload you just have to have!
Wow, I want to do this, but I may have to setup a corner HB stand and sell to driveby alcoholics to raise funds!

 

[NJTomatoguy]

Nice starter rig here!

Them people get serious quick. I guy near me (MT. Laurel, NJ) made it to food network.

 

[hcarter]

Yeah, the Klose pit I looked at would run me about 23,000. Now it's the middle of the night so I may be off, but that's about what I recall. Still want it though!!

 

[Ceedubya]

I have won several ribbons and a few trophies (first place state chicken last year) cooking on some homeade barrel cookers.

You don't need a $25,000.00 cooker to produce good BBQ. Think about it, the origins of BBQ stem from people getting left the more undisireable cuts of meat and cooking on what they had. Yeah, sure I would love to have one of those bad boys, but there is something really nice about beating the guy with the big trailer unit by cooking chicken on nothing more than an old weber kettle that your wife rescued from the garbage heap :rockin:

I know a few competitors that travel in an old 4 door car pulling a hobby trailer with 3 weber smokey mountain cookers, a canopy, and a couple of tables. They travel all over the country, and do quiete well.

 

[Bruscar]

CW, it wasn't even the BBQ's themselves. It was all the other stuff you need. EZ-up's, generators, trailers, hell, even all the plastic tubs, trays, etc. You really have to be a mobile kitchen & some sorta sleeping arrangements.

That being said, the Gods may have been hearing my cries because a guy that I sorta know through someone I used to work with (still with me?) just happened to build out a box van into a mobile kitchen that has an attached sleeper. This thing has stainless counters, a fridge, freezer, outlets up the yazoo, a sink, you name it. Plus, he has 2 EZ-ups, two generators, and all kinds of kitchen supplies!

He happens to be lacking marketing, computer knowledge, an eye-catcher,etc. so we may be hooking up to do competes & catering!

So this

plus this

may end up equaling this

 

[Ceedubya]

yes, there is a lot of gack involved :rockin:

It took us a couple of years to really put everything together. The first comp was by the seat of our pants. Now we have the EZ ups, the tables, dish tubs, and all the accessories. Last year we bought two of the coleman on demand hot water heaters and I don't know how we have survived this long without them. They are awesome.

Man, I wish I sorta knew a guy through someone I used to work with who had a sweet setup like that Very nice. Good luck on the BBQ trail

One of the things I figured out early on, and still fight with today, is you have to decide if you are in it to have fun and drink a few beers with your friends or if you are in it to win. The guys who go home with the most trophies WORK at it. Then you have to decide if you are gonna cook what you think is "real" BBQ or if you are cooking for the judges (i.e. to win).

We finished DAL in chicken at every event until I decided I had enough and I would give in to what the judges want in this area, sticky sweet saucy. So my wife ate bbq chicken twice a week for 6 months until one day.... "Yummm, thats good". Since I knew she had similar tastes to the judges, thats what we coooked at the next comp and came home with a first place win.

Oh, and we sleep on cots in a sleeping bag (or in the car if its nasty)