Same issues with the edges for me.
Do you use the water pan?
I’d love to learn about the competition side of BBQ. Do you use the WSM for it?
Affirmative on the water pan.
As for contests: Dude, I could go on for hours.
KCBS sanctions many(?)/most(?) of the contests in the US and overseas, and their rules are always the same. 4 categories: Chicken, ribs, brisket, and pork. Many contests will have extra categories, but they are optional. If you do NOT enter all 4 categories, you may not be allowed back - a lot of contests have waiting lists to get in and a team that takes up a slot and doesn't cook in all categories is looked at as wasting a space.
Most first timers think, "Hey, I can do that!" Then they find out the logistics can really catch you by surprise.
WSMs are a big deal at a lot of competitions, but you'll need at least 2 and preferably 3 of the 18", or 1 of the 22" plus another. For years, we made do with 3 18" WSMs. Many ribbons have come out of a WSM.
At the bare minimum: 1 brisket, 1 butt, 1 slab of ribs, and 6 bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs.
A good beginner quantity to aim at: 1 brisket, 1 butt, 2-3 slabs ribs, and a dozen thighs. (Note that chicken can be any chicken in any combination - whole, drumsticks, breasts, thighs, or Cornish Hen.)
When we compete, we usually do 2-3 briskets, 4 butts, 4-6 slabs, 12-18 chicken thighs, plus whatever optional entries we want to try.
The extra meat gives you options for what you turn in: You must have at least 6 samples (6 ribs, 6 chicken pieces, 6 slices) or enough pulled meat for 6 servings (pulled pork, pulled brisket, pulled chicken). You try to turn in the best 6 of whatever you have. And nobody complains about taking leftovers home.
Easiest way to get yourself ready is to do a backyard 'contest' on your own with a few buddies. Not a big deal, but make absolutely sure to write down every piece of equipment you touch - you will have to take it with you. That includes wash pans, cutting boards, knives and sharpeners, charcoal, wood, tables, chairs, gloves, paper towels, soap, sleeping bags, pop-ups or other shelters, band-aids, beer, water, Gatorade, rubs, sauces, ice, foil, thermometers, Aleve, and all the other things I'm forgetting.
The cooking is the easy part - if I had a way to transport and set up all the "stuff", I could do a whole contest myself but it would be a LOT of work. There have been times that only 2 of us were able to make it. There are a lot of teams that are husband/wife only. Most of those 2-person teams have learned how to be very efficient on what they bring and how they pack.
And, since you will be spending the night on Friday night, you should plan a party, too. Even if it's just you and your teammate(s), do something fun.
Plan your time so you serve on this schedule on Saturday:
Chicken - noon
Ribs - 12:30pm
Pork - 1:00pm
Brisket - 1:30pm
You get +/- 5 minutes for turn in.
All samples of each category must fit into a 9x9 foam box. Garnish is optional, but most people will use lettuce and parsley. Using illegal garnish (like red leaf lettuce, only green is allowed), will get you a DQ, but NOT using garnish at all is not supposed to cost you points. Garnish is to keep the meat from sliding around, but some teams really like things to look pretty.
Do it once at home, then enter a small contest. I'm not sure where you live, but there are contests all over.
https://www.kcbs.us/events
Here are the rules:
https://www.kcbs.us/downloads/rules_reg_2018_2.pdf
Somewhere I have a flyer that's for beginner competitors. It gives some pretty good tips and suggestions.
Notes on contest cooking: All meat must be raw and unseasoned when you check in at the contest. You can trim ahead of time, but you can't season or brine. Judges generally base their points on a single 10 second glance for appearance, and a single bite for taste/flavor and tenderness. 3 different judging categories, but it's almost always a single first impression based on one look and one bite. So a lot of pros will over-season to make their entry 'pop' and stand out, it's not something you would do when cooking at home. There are other tricks you'll pick up along the way, but they generally are things you would not do when cooking at home.
Finally - after you've done a few contests, take a judge class and then judge when you aren't cooking.
