Wichita Wagnmasters Dwntwn Chili Ckff OFFICIAL RULES (We hpe yu re impressed that we have fficial rules. The Wagnmasters dn t mess arund with any rdinary rules.) With teams frm Kansas and surrunding states, the Wichita Wagnmasters Dwntwn Chili Ckff has been a Wichita traditin fr well ver 30 years. The Wichita Wagnmasters tk ver the event and brught it back t Dwntwn in 2005. Since then, the event has explded with renewed enthusiasm frm cntestants and attendees alike. The Wichita Wagnmasters was frmed in 1974 t prmte the gd life in Wichita. The Wichita Wagnmasters Dwntwn Chili Ckff raises funds fr ur Gd Life Grant prgram. Gd Life Grants have been given t numerus nn prfit rganizatins in and arund Wichita wh help abused and trafficked children; prvide health care, fd, and clthing; and address ther vital cmmunity needs. The Wichita Wagnmasters are prud t hst the Wichita Wagnmasters Dwntwn Chili Ckff, an Internatinal Chili Sciety sanctined chili ckff that features cmpetitin in the fllwing categries. ICS RED CHILI ICS CHILI VERDE ICS SALSA NO BEANS ABOUT IT* ANYTHING GOES CHILI FOR CHARITY RESTAURANTS * Clever name, huh? SHARON SAWYER S PEOPLE S CHOICE** BEST BOOTH** CECILLE KALLENBERGER S TEAM SPIRIT ** GRAND CHAMPION** ** Teams are autmatically entered in and eligible fr prizes in these categries except as stated belw s keep reading! Wichita Wagnmasters Dwntwn Chili Ckff Official Rules We dn t like rules any mre than yu d, but if yu re cmpeting in any f the ICS categries, pay clse attentin t these ICS requirements. They matter t ICS and that means they matter t all f us t. T cmpete in any f the three ICS cmpetitins yu gtta be an active ICS member and be at least 18 years ld. 1
We need yur ICS membership number in advance s please be sure t include it n yur entry frm unless yu re jinin ICS fr the first time. If yu haven t ever been an ICS member and want t cmpete in an ICS categry n prblem just add the ICS membership fee when yu send us yur check and we ll send it t the ICS fr yu. (There s a place n the entry frm fr that.) We ll have a separate cntestant list at the Ck s Meeting fr the ICS categries. Yu gtta sign the list and write dwn yur ICS membership number r we can t give yu yur ICS judging cups. There s inf abut the judging cups belw. The winners in the ICS categries will qualify t cmpete in the Wrld Champinship Chili Ckff! If there is any discrepancy between these fficial rules and the ICS rules, the ICS rules prevail in the ICS categries. Yu can check ut the ICS rules n their web site. Have we mentined that we dn t like rules any mre than yu d? It might be hard t believe that after yu read these, but it s true. Anyway, here are sme mre fficial rules: We ll have a Ck s Meeting at 8:00 a.m. n the mrning f the Chili Ckff in the Judging Area. The head ck frm each team really needs t be there (and what we really mean is must ) because... We ll hand ut the Ck s Packets. We ll give yu a 32 z. judging cup fr each categry yu entered. Yu gtta have thse. Cks entering the ICS categries get an fficial ICS judging cup. Yu ll be the envy f all f the ther cks. Yur Tp Secret Cntestant s Number will be n the bttm f each judging cup. Yu can t mark, decrate, r therwise alter the appearance f the judging cups. The Ck s Packet will have the entry times fr each categry and they ll be psted utside f the Judging Area t. Yu ll als get yur Sharn Sawyer s Peple s Chice grwler. Mre inf abut the grwler later. 2
We ll give any final instructins and answer all yur questins at the Ck s Meeting. And, by the way, yu can t cme back inside the Judging Area after the Ck s Meeting except t deliver yur entries. We re getting a little ahead f urselves here, but each team has t deliver their chili r salsa t the Judging Area in the crrect 32 z. judging cup. Each cup has t have a secure lid and has t be filled t the bttm f the cup s rim. Yu gtta deliver yur chili r salsa during the fficial time fr that categry. Late entries can t be accepted and entry times fr sme categries verlap. We ll mark the spt where yu deliver yur chili r salsa n a table just inside the Judging Area. Please make sure yu put it in the right spt. We may nt be able t tell if yu put yur cup in the wrng spt. (Sme Wagnmasters might be able t tell the difference between red chili, green chili, and salsa but they may nt be able t tell the difference between yur entries in N Beans Abut It and Anything Ges. ) The cking perid starts when we fire the cannn, which we ll d right at 9:00 a.m. The cking perid will be a minimum f 3 hurs and a maximum f 4 hurs. Yu can ck during the whle cking perid if yu want t r nt; it s up t yu. Yu just can t ck befre that cannn ges bm. Cking chili befre that will get yu disqualified. We really hate it when that happens. (Yu can t ck any f yur chili makin s befre the cannn, but yu can fry up a little bacn fr yur breakfast. Actually, why dn t yu fry up a whle lt while yu re at it the Wagnmasters lve bacn. It s the candy f meats.) Yu gtta prepare yur chili in yur assigned bth using yur wn surce f heat. (Lts f stuff abut bths belw s keep n readin.) We think prpane stves are the Cat s Mew; all the clest cks use them. But yu can use a charcal grill r prpane turkey fryer if yu want t. Yu gtta bring all f yur wn utensils and stuff. If smething bad happens, like we eat, er I mean spill yur chili, ne f the Wagnmasters may cme running t ask fr a secnd 32 z. cup f chili r salsa. If that happens, he ll be running fr a reasn, s please be ready with mre chili. 3
S: Each cntestant must ck a minimum f tw quarts f cmpetitin chili prepared in ne pt which will be submitted fr judging. Sharing r splitting Chili, Chili Verde, r Salsa fr judging with anther cntestant fr the purpse f increasing the number f entries in any event will result in suspensin f ICS membership fr a minimum f ne year. S there! Please ck a lt mre than tw quarts fr Sharn Sawyer s Peples Chice chili cmpetitin. Yu need t have at least 10 gallns but yu ll want t have a lt mre. If yu re entering mre than ne categry yu gtta use a different pt fr each categry and prepare all f the ingredients separately. If yu put any alchl in yur chili r salsa, yu need t pst a sign saying s. That way the judges and the public knw that eating yur chili might get them drunk. (N sign is required fr putting alchl in yur ck r team members.) N ingredient may be pre cked in any way prir t the cmmencement f the fficial ckff. The nly exceptins are canned r bttled tmates, tmat sauce, peppers, pepper sauce, beverages, brth, and grinding and/r mixing f spices. Meat may be treated, pre cut r grund. The ICS des nt prefer ne ver the ther. MEAT MAY NOT BE PRE COOKED, in any manner. All ther ingredients must be chpped r prepared during the preparatin perid. We think this is what that rule means: Cking f meats and any fresh ingredients fr chili can t start befre yu hear the cannn. That means n pre cking f anything that ges in yur chili. Yu can t start chpping r preparing fresh ingredients until the cannn bms either. And yu can t pen r begin n site preparatin f stuff that s canned r bttled. That means canned tmates, tmat sauce, peppers, pepper sauce, beverages that are ingredients in yur chili, beans if they re allwed, and brth. Here s what yu can d befre the cannn ges ff. Meats can be pre cut r grund and pre treated. Yu can grind and/r mix dry spices. Adding beverages t yur ck and team members befre the cannn ges ff is kay t. 4
Sme cks have been knwn t fix a little breakfast fr their team (and an ccasinal Wagnmaster). That s kay especially the part abut sharing with yur favrite Wagnmaster. Just dn t use anything frm breakfast in yur chili. Yu gtta make cmpetitin chili during the cking perid but yu can make Sharn Sawyer s Peples Chice chili at hme r wherever yu make yur chili. It needs t be clearly marked as nn cmpetitin chili. Yur Sharn Sawyer s Peples Chice chili has t have beans. It s an ICS Rule. Lk it up if yu dn t believe us. Cntestants are respnsible fr cmpliance with the Health Cde. Public tasting begins at NOON and nt befre. TEAMS SERVING CHILI PRIOR TO 12:00 WILL BE DISQUALIFIED. Animals are nt permitted in fd preparatin areas. The Chili Ckff is an excellent place t btain cmmunity recgnitin and gdwill fr yur business and t make psitive cntact with ptential custmers. Hwever, cntestants are prhibited frm selling anything including fd r beverages, at the Chili Ckff site. Distributin f advertising materials r pamphlets withut prir apprval by the Wichita Wagnmasters is frbidden, except fr nn prfits entered in the Chili Fr Charity categry. All Wichita Wagnmasters decisins are final. Categry Definitins These are the fur categries that yu gtta ck n site during the cking perid that means nly after we fire the cannn. ICS RED CHILI: This is an Internatinal Chili Sciety sanctined categry. Traditinal Red Chili is defined by the Internatinal Chili Sciety as any kind f meat r cmbinatin f meats, cked with red chili peppers, varius spices and ther ingredients, with the exceptin f BEANS and PASTA which are strictly frbidden. N garnish is allwed. ICS CHILI VERDE: This is an Internatinal Chili Sciety sanctined categry. Chili Verde is defined by the Internatinal Chili Sciety as any kind f meat r cmbinatin f meats, cked with green chili peppers, varius spices and ther ingredients, with the exceptin f BEANS and PASTA which are strictly frbidden. N garnish is allwed. 5
NO BEANS ABOUT IT: This is nt an ICS categry. N Beans Abut It means any kind f meat r cmbinatin f meats cked with chili peppers, pre cked r canned tmates, varius spices, and ther ingredients. Yu might have guessed that yu can t use beans but yu can t use pasta either. Bth are nt nly frbidden, they re expressly frbidden. That means that we really mean it. ANYTHING GOES: This is nt an ICS categry. As the name suggests, it s ttally up t yu. Entries in this categry can have meat, chili peppers, precked r canned tmates, varius spices, any variety f beans, pasta, and ther ingredient; even garnishes are kay. Entries in any f the fllwing categries can be prepared in advance f the Chili Ckff. ICS SALSA: This is an Internatinal Chili Sciety sanctined categry. Salsa must be hmemade by the cntestant whse name and ICS # appear n the Cntestant Applicatin. It may be brught t the site that day r it may be prepared at the Ckff. Yu gtta have at least 2 cups f salsa fr judging plus quite a bit mre fr public tasting. This categry has been a great success, s plan accrdingly. Please bring chips fr public tasting. The Health Department says that salsa has t be held at r belw 41 F. They als recmmend that servers wearing glves prepare the chip with salsa fr public tasting. N public dipping (r duble dipping!) THE SALSA CATEGORY IS NOT CONSIDERED WHEN SELECTING THE WINNER OF SHARON SAWYER S PEOPLE S CHOICE r the GRAND CHAMPION. CHILI FOR RESTAURANTS: Open t any licensed restaurant that wants t shw ff its culinary prwess. (Smene let a lawyer get his grubby paws n these rules but we fixed it.) SHARON SAWYERʹS PEOPLE S CHOICE: Dn t send chili in this categry t the Judging Area because it s the peple s chice. Here s hw it wrks: In additin t all the ther stuff yu ll get at the ck s meeting, we ll give yu a glass grwler with yur team number n the bttm. Each f the tasting kits sld t the public includes a bead and sme ther stuff. (In the past, we used a large bean that we sprayed with sme paint. We plan t a bead frm nw n but the size and clr will prbably change frm year t year.) 6
Whever has the mst beads in their grwler wins the Sharn Sawyer s Peple s Chice prize. (The schedule in the Ck s Packet says when yu have t turn in yur grwler.) S invite yur family, friends, and c wrkers t help yu win by cllecting beads frm the public in yur grwler. Public sampling is a very imprtant cmpnent f the Chili Ckff. It draws the huge crwd that makes the Chili Ckff a success. T win the Sharn Sawyer s Peples Chice Award yu ll need enugh chili. Please have at least 10 gallns available fr public tasting but mre is better. T win Sharn Sawyer s Peples Chice Award yu ll prbably need at least 15 20 gallns. Please nly fill the 1 z. tasting cups. Chili that is nly entered in this categry can be prepared n site r it can be prepared in advance and brught t the Chili Ckff if it meets health cde requirements. The ICS says it has t have beans in it. Chili prepared in advance can t be submitted fr judging in any ther categry (except Chili Fr Charity). CHILI FOR CHARITY: Chili Fr Charity is fr nn prfit rganizatins lking t win cash and gain expsure fr their cause. This is the nly categry allwed t hand ut prmtinal materials. Stakes are high because the winning team gets a $1,000 dnatin t their charity (and basting rights fr a year). Teams that enter the Chili Fr Charity categry are nt eligible fr Sharn Sawyer s Peples Chice but are autmatically entered in the Cecille Kallenberger s Team Spirit, Best Bth, and Grand Champin cmpetitins like all the ther teams. Mre abut that belw s keep readin. Chili in this categry can be prepared in advance and brught t the Chili Ckff s lng as it meets health cde requirements. Nn prfits are free t enter any ther categry but entries in ther categries must meet all f the requirements fr that categry like cking their chili n site like everybdy else. Chili in this categry is submitted t the Judging Area in 32 z. cups just like ther categries. Nn cking categries As we said, the reasn we d this Chili Ckff is t raise mney that we give t lcal nn prfits. S the mre peple wh shw up and buy a $5.00 tasting kit and water, pp, r beer t quench the fire frm yur chili the mre mney we raise t 7
prmte the gd life in Wichita. We understand that the public shuld cme just t taste yur amazing chili. But sme peple cme because yu help us make this ne f the best parties in Wichita. S, decrate yur bth with a creative theme (that is apprpriate fr a family event) and dress up in cstumes t match yur bth s theme. The Chili Ptentate, the Ptentate s curt, and lng time Chili Ckff fficials (a/k/a geezer Wagnmasters) judge these categries. Judging begins at abut 10:00 a.m. Cecille Kallenberger s Team Spirit: The Wichita Wagnmasters encurage yu t have a cheering sectin t help generate excitement fr spectatrs thrughut the day. Cstumes: Matching T shirts r aprns are fine, but judges are lking fr splashy, clrful unifrms/cstumes that represent the team name and theme. Crwd Engagement: Playful antics that engage and entertain the crwd and create a sense f excitement will scre well here. Wichita Wagnmasters ask that all cntestants be willing t be phtgraphed and interviewed. Best Bth: Theme: Cleverness and a sense f humr will scre well in this categry. Creativity: Judges will be lking fr bth decr that cnveys a theme and creates a memrable visual effect fr the public. Grand Champin: Judging The Grand Champin must win, place, r shw in Cecille Kallenberger s Team Spirit r Best Bth. In additin, this is a chili ckff s the Grand Champin must demnstrate the ability t make chili that s gd enugh t win, place, r shw in at least ne categry. (Salsa is delicius but it ain t chili s it s excluded.) The Grand Champin is the team that des the best verall. We ask vlunteers frm the cmmunity t sample each entry in each categry and t recrd their impressins n a judging sheet. Then they rank their chices. If yu want t, yu can take a lk at the judge s cmments after all judging is cmplete and results are annunced. Judges will be tld that they shuld vte fr the chili, as defined by the ICS, based n the fllwing majr cnsideratins: 8
The principle ingredients in chili are meat r any cmbinatin f meats cked with red r green chili peppers. Other ingredients such as beans, ther spices, r pasta can be included but nly as prvided in the rules fr each categry. Judges are asked t vte based n the fllwing majr cnsideratins: Gd chili flavr: taste is the mst imprtant factr. The taste shuld cnsist f the cmbinatin f the meat, peppers, spices, etc., with n particular ingredient being dminant, but rather a blend f the flavrs. Texture and cnsistency f the meat: Chili shuld have a gd rati between sauce and meat. It shuld nt be dry, watery, grainy, lumpy, r greasy. Bite and blend f spices: Bite r after taste is the heat created by the varius types f chili peppers and spices. Chili shuld have a bite but nt be t ht r t mild; it shuld be just right. Arma: Chili shuld smell gd. Clr: Chili shuld lk appetizing. A reddish brwn clr is gd. Green is gd t, but nly if it s chili verde! Based n http://www.chilickff.cm/event/event_judging.asp 9