Competition Day Planner
Put in your turn-in times and it works every category backward to one clock, then hands you the Friday prep list and the gear list.
Arrives June 2027, free for bundle holders
Why it exists
A contest is four cooks running at once against a window that does not move. The cooking is the part you already know. The part that beats people is the schedule, and the box that goes in six minutes late scores zero no matter what is in it.
What it does
Four categories on one timeline
Chicken, ribs, pork and brisket, each planned backward from its own turn-in, laid out on a single clock so you can see where they collide.
The turn-in window, not the turn-in time
Standard windows are built in, so you are aiming at the middle of the window with the box built, not sprinting at the last minute.
Defaults you can change
KCBS turn-in times are the starting point. Change them to match whatever your sanctioning body runs.
Friday prep and the gear list
Trim, inject, build the fire, load the truck. The list of things that ruin a weekend when they are left in the garage.
Three steps, start to finish
Put in the contest date and confirm the turn-in times.
Set your pit temperatures and cook times per category.
Print the timeline for the trailer and the prep list for Friday.
Who it is for
First-time competitors, mostly. Teams already running a tested schedule have one that works. This is for the cook doing their first contest who does not yet know what 9 a.m. Saturday feels like.
What it will not do
It plans the clock. It does not judge your food, and it cannot tell you what a particular table wants to taste. Rules and turn-in windows vary by sanctioning body, so check yours against what is loaded here.
Questions
Is this only for KCBS contests?
The defaults are the standard KCBS turn-in order and times. Every one of them is editable, so any sanctioning body or backyard contest works.
Can I use it for a backyard cook with several meats?
Yes, and people do. Treat each meat as a category and give it the time you want to eat.
Does it include the box build?
It puts box build time in the schedule ahead of each turn-in, because that is the step that runs long when the cook runs late.
Competition Day Planner arrives June 2027
The store is not open yet. Tools will sell one at a time, or as a bundle that keeps feeding you the rest as they land. One payment either way, and up to three devices.
The tools open shortly. Join the newsletter and you will hear the day they do. Already have a code? Open your tools. Have a claim code? Claim your tools.
Works alongside
These three come up most often on the same cook.
Cook Timeline Planner
Tell it what you are cooking and when you want to eat. It plans backward and hands you every clock time that matters, with the rest built in so you finish early instead of late.
See what it does ›Live Pit Tracker
Log your probe readings as the cook goes. It works out how fast the meat is climbing, calls the stall when it hits, and tells you the clock time to expect for wrap and pull.
See what it does ›Cost & Profit
Know what a cook really costs before you light the fire, then price a plate or a catering job with the margin spelled out.
See what it does ›