Cookin' in the rain

A little rain and Riverfest barbecue
Cookin’ in the rain
BBQ teams say wet weather adds work but doesn’t hurt taste
By Paul Huggins, Staff Writer, The Decatur Daily

Chris Byrd, and Chris Perres with Cajun Bandits BBQ crew from Huntsville prepare for this weekend’s Riverfest.Rain won’t beat the heat when about 70 barbecue teams fire up their grills and smokers and compete for $20,000 in prize money during Saturday’s Riverfest at Ingalls Harbor.
But wet weather could keep grillmasters busier as they work extra to keep their cooking operations at the proper temperature.
Some teams will simply have to cook longer.
The National Weather Service forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm Saturday, with the high temperature near 82.
Showers remain likely, a 70 percent chance , Saturday night with a possible thunderstorm.
“If it rains, it could increase your cooking time a couple of hours,” said Jeff Cooper of the Whiskey River BBQ team from Athens. “And you have to feed it more (fuel) when the wind’s blowing and it’s cool or wet.”
Cooper, whose team finished second in the rib category at last year’s Riverfest, has several cooking methods, but the one that will require the most attention is his cast iron smoker. He had a heavy moving van blanket draped over it to add insulation and hold the heat inside.
The rain can cool cast iron cookers fairly quickly, Cooper said, but some of the more expensive modern smokers with thermostat controls won’t be affected at all.
Riverfest, which began Friday, is a state barbecue championship sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society. It is part of a circuit of competitions in which teams can earn points and qualify for the national championship. The grand champion Saturday will receive $3,000, and the reserve champion $2,000. The top five finishers in each meat category also will receive cash prizes.
Barbecue vendors will sell ribs, chicken, pork and brisket. Non-barbecue vendors will have roasted corn, hot dogs and hamburgers, gumbo, nachos and smoked turkey legs.
The event also will feature live bands, children’s activities, a rock climbing wall and a raft race. Pepsi Bottling of Decatur is a new sponsor this year and will bring the No. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. NASCAR vehicle, which includes a video game and simulator.
“We’ll go on rain or shine,” said Tiffany Brightwell, co-chair of the event. “The bands will go on as long as it’s not lightning and the rain’s not blowing in on their equipment.”
Helping charities
Riverfest uses all the money from competition entry fees for prize money.
The Jaycees depend on gate receipts and beer and soft drink sales for revenue. All proceeds go toward local charities, Brightwell said, so it’s important people come out and support the event.
Riverfest admission is free until 3 p.m. and $10 per person afterward.
The Cajun Bandit team from Huntsville actually welcomes the rain because it provides a chance to show off a conversion kit the team sells.
Chris Byrd, team member and co-owner of C&C Grillin Co., said he and his partner, Chris Perres, specifically designed the alterations to work with dome-top Webber grills. Perres works at a metal fabrication and plating shop.
The main change they made is that the lip of the dome lid covers the outer edge of the conversion kit side, thus preventing water from dripping in and cooling the coals.
The cooker is so well sealed, weather has little effect on it, Byrd said, and it’s much less expensive than many models. The kit costs $175 and could work with a $75 Webber.
One of his customers, Blue Smoke, won the state championship in Washington and another championship in British Columbia. Word on their adaptation quickly spread, and calls for orders quickly followed.
“Just about everybody who buys ours is in competition barbecue,” Byrd said.
Attendees will find all manner of cooking operations at Riverfest, ranging from $10,000 custom-made stainless steel smokers to homemade rigs.
Stainless steel cooker
Joey Boyd of Jobeaz Blazing Butts & Wings out of Athens has a stainless steel cooker he converted out of a water heater.
“It doesn’t take a lot of fire to heat it up, but once the fire goes down, it will cool real fast,” he said.
If it rains, Boyd said, he’ll have to add more wood fuel, but he’s cooked enough in the rain to know how much it takes to keep it at the desired temperature.
“Cooking in the rain doesn’t affect the taste of the meat. It just makes it miserable to cook,” he said.