I’m sure most of you have noticed by now there’s a brisk fall breeze in the air and it’s nowhere near as hot in the afternoons as it was a few weeks ago.

What better way to spend that cool weather than with your barbeque grill?

Several weeks ago I mentioned that my barbeque team – Loose Cannon BBQ – would be one of four teams participating in a Barbeque 101 class at the University of West Alabama. Well the deadline for entry in that class is coming up Oct. 13 and space still remains.

Between taking up residence in a hotel and the subsequent move, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to spend some quality time with my smoker and a pile of hickory and pecan logs and I am looking forward to it.

The classes will take place Oct. 17-18 and Nov. 14-15 on the UWA campus, and will give participants the opportunity to learn about the rules, equipment, meat preparation and other aspects of competition cooking. A $75 registration fee covers both weekends of barbecuing, including meals and all competition supplies.

With Christmas on the River coming up, now is as good of a time as any to get some barbeque tips.

Your $75 investment in the class could turn into megabucks if you elect to enter the Christmas on the River State Barbeque Championship.

It doesn’t matter what kind of cooking equipment you have at home. What you’ll learn at this class will translate to any size smoker, both large and small. Whether you prefer beef, chicken or pork, you’ll walk away from the weekend with a new knowledge of how to prepare the meat of your liking.

Do you prefer a dry rub? We can show you how to make some. Maybe you want to learn to make your own barbeque sauce. You can learn that, too.

What you’ll learn are the basics. If you like one ingredient more than another, you can go home and tweak the recipe and make it your own. That’s part of the fun.

You could consider this class like a crash course at the Cordon Bleu but with your backyard buddies as instructors. And don’t worry about missing any Alabama or Auburn football games.

The classes will end about noon on Saturday and the lessons you learn from these few days will make you the king or queen of your tailgate parties for years to come.

For more information, or to sign up for BBQ 101, please contact Monica Moore at 205-652-3497. I hope to see you there.

Jason Cannon is the publisher of the Demopolis Times.