Holy smoke! Q 4 Causes raises money for Discover Hope

All 12 competitors in the Q 4 Causes BBQ Contest were given the same task: smoke meat. Sure it sounds simple enough, but there are plenty of other factors to consider. The types of equipment, the amount of rub, the length of smoke, the temperature and one’s own spirit of competition all play a part in the contest.

Landy Carkhuff, of Bonzai BBQ, was convinced his smoked pork butt was no good. Although he had a smile on his face when serving his pieces up in a container for the judges to inspect, the Altoona pitmaster kept shaking his head at the finished product. But at least it didn’t ruin his sense of humor.

“You can’t ruin this any more than I have,” Carkhuff said with a laugh.

When judging was completed, Carkhuff’s pork butt was still awarded third place. Perhaps his worries were for naught. Sean McDermott, of Q 4 Causes, said the BBQ contest at Newton Fest is typically a fairly laid back and friendly competition, but having bragging rights is still a lucrative prize for competitors.

Up two teams from the 2019 Newton Fest, the Q 4 Causes BBQ Contest moved to Maytag Park this year. McDermott said the competitors enjoyed the new setting, especially the shade from the trees and the occasional breeze. Tasters who got to sample all the good smoked meat afterward enjoyed it, too.

Q 4 Causes is a non-profit organization composed of four local families. The BBQ contest is held during Newton Fest, the proceeds of which all go toward a local charity. This year, Discover Hope 517 Ministry accepted the donations collected from tasters who purchased containers for food samples.

“The whole point of us doing this is keeping the charity we donate to local to our own community,” McDermott said.

Kyle Johnson, of Q 4 Causes, added, “The whole goal of our organization is to try to bring awareness to the community of what people are doing and help them out as much as possible. And raising money for them is just a bonus.”

WINNERS OF 2021 Q 4 CAUSES BBQ CONTEST:

Chicken

1. Chick Huggins BBQ

2. Smoke Suckers BBQ

3. Darty-Q

Ribs

1. Matty Mack’s

2. Prince Stoecker BBQ

3. Chick Huggins BBQ

Pork

1. Darty-Q

2. Chick Huggins BBQ

3. Bonzai BBQ

Reserve Grand Champion — Matty Mack’s

Grand Champion — Chick Huggins BBQ

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com