Contests run on judges. Judging is also the quickest way to learn what a good box tastes like, and many of the best cooks are judges too. You do not need a team, a cooker or a trailer to do it.
What a judge does
- Sits at a table with other judges. At KCBS there are six judges to a table, and a box carries six portions.
- Tastes each entry blind. The box has a number on it and nothing else: no team name, no hints.
- Scores appearance, taste and tenderness, then hands in the card.
- Does not talk about an entry with the others until the scores are in.
How to start
- Choose the sanctioning body whose contests are nearest you. KCBS sanctions a great many of them, and its judges are called Certified Barbecue Judges.
- Find a judging class. The sanctioning body’s website lists them, and local barbecue societies and contest organizers often sponsor one.
- Take the class. It is an afternoon or an evening: the rules, how scoring works, and a tasting.
- Join the sanctioning body if the class does not include a membership. You will get a member number.
- Tell the organizers or Reps of the contests near you that you are certified and available.
What it costs
The sanctioning body or the class sponsor sets the fee and it changes. Reports from past KCBS classes run from about sixty to ninety-five dollars, often with a year’s membership included. Check the sponsor’s page for today’s fee before you sign up.
In BBQOps
A Judge account is free, and it is opening soon. You enter your judge number, a Rep or organizer adds you to the contests you judge, and you can write to them. A judge can add Learn to use the Cook Time Calculator and BBQ Ops University and cook better at home. The Timeline Builder is for teams.
- KCBS judging classesCertified Barbecue Judge
- IBCAAsk about judging at its contests
- MBNAsk about judging at its contests