KCBS Competition BBQ Cooking Timeline

This is a Competition BBQ Cooking Timeline I have used when cooking KCBS Contests. You can take my timeline and use it as a good foundation to build your own. It’s crucial to have a game plan and a timeline when cooking competition bbq. I always plan out my cook times and have created a guide that I take with me to every KCBS cook. Here’s a Competition BBQ Cooking Timeline that I use as a solid guide for all my KCBS BBQ Competitions: Click HERE to Print PDF of KCBS Competition BBQ Cooking Timeline
KCBS Competition BBQ Cooking Timeline
Time: Chicken: Ribs: Pork: Brisket:
Friday
9:00 AM Meat Inspection Meat Inspection Meat Inspection Meat Inspection
10:00 AM Marinate and place in cooler
1:30 PM Inject/Rub and place in cooler Inject/Rub and place in cooler
5:00 PM Cooks Meeting – Pick up Blind Boxes Cooks Meeting – Pick up Blind Boxes Cooks Meeting – Pick up Blind Boxes Cooks Meeting – Pick up Blind Boxes
11:00 PM Fire Up Smokers for Pork Fire Up Smokers for Brisket
Saturday
12:00 AM Remove Meat from coolers bring to outside temp and reapply rub Remove Meat from coolers bring to outside temp and reapply rub
1:00 AM Place on Smoker
2:00 AM Place on Smoker
3:30 AM Baste Baste
6:00 AM Remove Meat from cooler – Start Fire In Rib Cooker Wrap in Foil Wrap in Foil
7:00 AM Apply Dry Rub to Ribs
8:00 AM Remove from cooler & marinade Place on Smoker
8:45 AM Start Fire In chicken smoker 1st Baste Ribs
9:00 AM Apply Dry Rub When Brisket hits 195 internal, Remove  from Smoker, Vent & Place in Dry Cooler
9:30 AM 2nd Baste Ribs
9:45 AM Chicken on Smoker
10:00 AM Wrap Ribs and return to smoker When Pork hits 195 internal, Remove from Smoker, Vent, & Place in Dry Cooler
10:45 AM Baste Chicken
11:30 AM Glaze Chicken Check Ribs for Tenderness Unwrap Butts, Return to Smoker, Glaze
11:50 AM Remove Chicken and Build blind Box Glaze Ribs
12:00 PM Turn in Chicken Glaze Separate Point/Flat – Flat Back in Cooler – Cut Burnt Ends, Sauce, Place on Smoker
12:15 PM Build Blind Box
12:30 PM Turn in Ribs
12:45 PM  Remove Butts from Smoker and Build Blind Box
1:00 PM Turn in Pork Check  Burnt Ends for tenderness, remove if ready
1:15 PM Build Brisket Box
1:30 PM Turn in Brisket
1:35 PM                          Drink a Cold Beer

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12 responses to “KCBS Competition BBQ Cooking Timeline”

  1. Bryan Brown says:

    Thank you for posting your timeline. I’m going to do a trial run this weekend getting ready for next weekends competition. Can you advise what your smoker temps are for this timeline? Are you running 225-250, or higher at 275-300?

    • Malcom Reed says:

      for this timeline, I was running around 250. But this is a basic guideline to give you a jumping off point. I suggest going through the trial run and making changes to fit how you cook and your temps.

      • Greg Scallan says:

        Malcolm, love your videos. Thank you!
        So your running 250 appx with this timeline on all your meats?

      • Greg Scallan says:

        Malcolm,
        Is this timeline at 250 as you mentioned for ALL the meats?

      • Jeromy Bock says:

        Very novice question but can you rest your briskets on an electric smoker to hold temp? Thank you so much for what you do! I need to figure out how I can trade you fresh salmon for rubs. Cheers!

  2. Steve says:

    Malcom,
    I’m having trouble pulling out the tubes after I cut the money muscle off are there any videos or can you explain the best way?

    • Malcom Reed says:

      If it’s cooked right, it will muscle out pretty easily. You will just separate the muscles and you can find the tubes. I don’t have any videos, but I’m guessing there are some out there if you google it.

  3. PETE COOPER says:

    Malcolm thank you taking the time out of you day to help everyone. i have been backyard cooking for years this year I started thinking about comp cooking. I have entered to comps and have finished 3rd both times with my ribs now I think i may be ready to go to the next level. What advise would you give me to get started.
    Again thank you for the help

    Pete Cooper

  4. Richard Clifford says:

    Malcolm,

    What size brisket and Boston Boston Butt do you smoke at the competitions normally?

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