Pitfaced BBQ - Meat Massage, Spicy Meat Massage, and On Point - Standing 10% off for TW!

I just posted up the first of the details of our little fundraising cook. Every year that we've competed, we've tried to do a little even to help us raise a few bucks to offset our costs. @RickS came out last year! This year, we hope to grow the prize list for the raffle over last year (and it was pretty solid last year!) and grow the size of the event overall. It's pretty informal, but it is fun and we have a good time doing it.

First of the details here:
http://www.pitfacedbbq.com/competition-fundraiser.html

Don't need to be present to win

@Misplaced Nebraskan, here is my plan for Sunday, if you're down. I'll be in Dripping Springs, I think, this upcoming Sunday afternoon for a distillery tour. If you're going to be home, I'll bounce of out that when it is done and swing by your place to smell (or taste ) whatever you've got cooking. I can hang out for a little bit, then I have to hop back in the truck and get home that evening. I'll try to nail down times a little better, but let me know if that is in the cards!

 

We've been tracking this since the wife spotted it on your FB page. Last year we headed up to the Audacity Brewery afterwards but sadly they've closed. Maybe we'll try Martin House this go round.
Noticed the tickets for Bedford have already gone on sale.

 

I will be buying tickets again this year.

 

Martin House is a really great brewery. If you're in to whiskey at all, the Witherspoon distillery up in Lewisville is a great option, too!

Yes, the Bedford tickets have gone on sale. It's going to be a great event again, this time done bigger.

Looking forward to seeing you again.

Thanks a bunch! We're working on sweetening the pot .

 

Getting our Spicy on at the station.

 

Pitface doing it's thing

 

Just re-upped my stash

 

Received! I'll get it out as soon as I can.


Question for the group:

I'm considering changing our packaging on the smaller size from a shaker to a resealable bag (similar to the larger package size). The smaller size bag would have a foil front, but a clear backing. My main reason for considering the move is that the product "feels" better in the bag, in my opinion. It gets packed down really tight in the shaker upon packaging, whereas in the resealable pouches, you can feel that the product is dense, but still not a brick.

What say you? If you were shopping, is a shaker like we have now an important packaging style or not? If ~12 oz by weight were in a pouch and it 'only' took up about 60% of the volume of the bag (which you could see through the clear rear panel), is that an issue? I'll try to get a picture of the pouch I'm talking about when I get home.

@Misplaced Nebraskan
@scottalot
@horstuff
@Martyinco
@Chipskip
@truchador
@Kanyon71
@RickS
@WBF610
@Rakso
@anyone-else-with-an-opinion

 

I see where you're going with it. Personally, I prefer to buy or make rubs in bulk once I know I like them, so I'd be all for it. I keep old shakers to transfer them too when I go to apply it if I'm not doing it by hand that is. So I see it as a good thing for ME.

Now on the flip side, I would think new customers would want a shaker to try out first before committing to a larger pouch to see if they like it at all.

I use my spice grinder to break up the rub and then hand pour it on. I know you're trying to find a solution to an unfair perceived problem of the clumping due to better ingredient choice that some see (myself included at first, but obviously I've converted ).

Whenever the wife and I come across a little desiccant pill bottle widget thing, we add it to the shaker and it helps.

Not sure I pointed you in one direction or another, so I'll end it with "Do it, but maybe not"

 

or I guess a smaller pouch, equivalent to the shaker size could work

 

No, this definitely helps.

To be clear, the smaller pouch would be the same price as the current shaker (I'm reasonable certain of this, anyways), so customers wouldn't have to spend more money to try it prior to buying in bulk.

 

The shaker does have a more professional feel/look to it. However, I think your product would do better in a bag. The last few times I used the shaker, I had to spend several minutes with a knife and fork trying to break it up. A bag does a much better job of not clumping up, but it also allows you to easily and quickly break it up. All that said, your product, fresh and without tons of preservatives, will sell well in a bag. It will come off as a fresh and natural.

 

I'm leaning towards this would be an OK route to take then.

 

That's been part of the rub (pun intended) regarding our packaging. We have had numerous reformulation examples sent to us where the brown sugar is replaced with granulated brown sugar at different ratios. It is a much drier product, but it doesn't have the same feel, flavor, or effect on the meat.

 

Stick to what works!

 

Ideal solution would be a bag like the one in pic below... I bought some ant killer and it had a resealable bag with a shaker layer below the seal. With a bag like this, your customers could squeeze and massage the bag a bit before unsealing it, and then shake right from the bag, and then reseal.

 

Pl

Plus... Ant killer would be a secret ingredient for that extra kick

But that's a cool idea