I've had lots of time to read everything on the BBQ Forum lately and DR BBQ's post on judges boxes and a post on the new rule 5B got me to thinking. If rule 5B is in place to protect the judges from potential illness and to protect the KCBS, organizers and cooks for potential lawsuits, then how come the judges don't have to follow it??????

Rule 5B states Cooked potentially hazardous food shall be cooled: 1) within 2 hours from 140 degrees F to 70 degrees F and 2) within 4 hours from 70 degrees F to 41 degrees F or less.

So the judges are sitting in a tent with open sides and it's 85 degrees F outside. At 12:15 they put their left over chicken in their courtesy clamshell. At 12:45 in go the ribs, etc. Now at 2 pm what temp do you think that chicken is at. OK considering we out it out of the cooker at 11:45 and picked the best ones and then put in the box. It's already been well over 2 hours and that chicken is still well over 70F.

Now the judge wanders around a little and gets to the car at 3 and puts the food in a cooler. Goes to the awards and gets home at 6. Now even with ice in the cooler we know it's still well above 41F. He then warms it we hope but to what temp. We the cooks have no control over that. So he just gets it warm because the wife wants a taste. At 1 a.m. he calls 911 cause she can't stop heaving.

The KCBS is condoning this practice as are the contest organizers BUT cooks will also get lumped into the lawsuit. So 24 teams get sued. If the KCBS continues to allow judges to make up unsafe boxes than all teams will now need big time liability insurance.

Judges are welcome at my site Friday afternoon and evening and even Saturday for breakfast if they can get up early enough.  And they can come by after turn-ins with a cooler full of ice and I'll give them a ziplock of food.   But only if I know it will be safe.

We need to be writing the KCBS at KCBS@KCBS.US to discuss this problem and danger all cooks face.