2008 Recap

Following our success in Carpenter we decided to try our hand at the real deal. We began looking for a KCBS sanctioned competition in the area. After comparing schedules we decided to enter the Ben Biken BBQ Bash in Sparta Wisconsin. We had a great time in Sparta and were amazed at our finish...out of 25 teams we placed:

16th in Chicken with a 148.57
5th in Ribs with a 158.85
2nd in Pork with a 164.57
2nd in Brisket with a 163.57
2nd place overall with a 635.43

Needless to say we were very pleased(with the exception of the dried-out chicken)!

With winter fast approaching I decided to try to get one more competition in before the snow flew. This time I would take my family to the Barn Burner BBQ in Libertyville Illinios. Before heading to Libertyville I decided that I "needed" another smoker! So a couple of weeks before the trip I purchased a Backwoods Fatboy to go along with my Party. The Fatboy is very similar to the Party, its slighty bigger, better insulated, holds more coal, and more meat. The weather was a bit cold overnight and it was a long trip but we still managed to have a great time. We came back down to earth a bit results wise...out of 32 teams:

11th in Chicken with a 155.42
21st in Ribs with a 144
9th in Pork with a 153.71
3rd in Brisket with a 157.14
11th overall with a 610.28

I was happy with the results, I thought the scores were about right with the exception of the ribs. They were by far the best ribs I have ever made, but thats the way it goes I guess!