Guy at a KCBS judging class in Springfield told me to stop saucing my turn-in boxes, and he was right

Victor Robinson · 2026-09-27T19:05:04.49808+00:00

I sat in on a judging class back in April and one of the master judges pulled me aside during the break. He said my chicken was solid but the sauce was hiding the smoke ring and the bark. He told me to try one comp with nothing but rub and let the meat talk. I did it at a small contest in Joplin two weeks later and got 4th in chicken, my best finish yet. The judges could actually taste the hickory and cherry wood mix I use on the drum. Now I keep sauce on the side for people who ask, but the box goes in naked. Anybody else make that switch and see their scores jump?

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Guy at a KCBS judging class in Springfield told me to stop saucing my turn-in boxes, and he was right | BBQ Pitmasters - Thought Shares