Pro tip: A judge told me my brisket was "too clean" and I had no idea what that meant

Last year at a local comp in Kansas City, I got a score sheet back that said my brisket was too clean. I was pissed at first but then I asked around. Turns out they meant I trimmed off too much fat and bark. I used to shape my briskets like a football with zero edges. Now I leave a thumb thick layer on the flat and don't scrape the fat cap down to nothing. My scores went up 15 points after that one change. Anyone else get a weird comment like that from a judge?

2 comments

2 Comments

fisher.taylor25d ago

Is over-polishing everything just making it worse?

the_nathan24d ago

But what does "over-polishing" even mean to you? Like are we talking about editing a post ten times or spending three hours picking the perfect font for a personal project? I think the line is different for everyone and that's where the real conversation is. Is it bad when it kills the soul or just when it wastes time?