A new contest record
703.9428
highest overall ever cooked here
703.9428 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 693.6800 Dirtbag Barbeque set in 2023.
- old record 693.6800
- set 2023 by Dirtbag Barbeque
Frog Alley Brew-B-Que Cookoff 2025
Jun 21–22, 2025 · Schenectady, NY · 📍 108 State Street · State championship
Reps: Jeff Chambers, Regina Bodnar · Prize money: $5,000
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA won Grand Champion at the Frog Alley Brew-B-Que Cookoff on June 21, 2025 in Schenectady, NY at 108 State Street, scoring 703.9428 in a field of 18 teams. ELJEFE SMOKE took Reserve Grand Champion with 700.0000. Category winners: Chicken — Let It Smoke Barbecue (177.7372); Pork Ribs — Let It Smoke Barbecue (179.4400); Pork — SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA (180.0000); Brisket — FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY (176.5600). This is the 3rd of 3 editions of this contest on record; the 2024 edition was won by ELJEFE SMOKE.
The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)
How the field scored
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
644.43
median 688.50
703.94 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 177.74
- Pork Ribs 179.44
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 176.56
147.34
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2023 to 2025 — this edition picked out.
Entries
18
4 judged meats
Top score
703.9428
Winning margin
3.9428
GC over RC
Field average
681.32
644.43703.94
median 688.50 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Chicken
1.1772 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
687.3600
644.43703.94
10th place overall
Field spread
59.5084
winner to last place
Prize money
$5,000
on the line
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 19%
beats 81% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
57%
12 of 21 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.71 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,561
avg power rating going in · stronger than 47% of contests
Storylines (7 found in this contest's numbers)
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 6 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 2–3: NEANDERTHAL Q and New Pigs on the Block tied on 177.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 3–4: SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA and STICKS & STONES BBQ tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 3–4: New Pigs on the Block edged Mullen It Over BBQ by 0.0116.
- Chicken 2–3 · tie
- Brisket 3–4 · tie
- Chicken 3–4 · 0.0116
- Pork Ribs 3–4 · 0.0116
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
Let It Smoke Barbecue won Chicken, Pork Ribs — a double.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork ribs at 8th.
- Chicken 5th
- Pork Ribs 8th
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 3rd
A contest record in pork ribs
179.4400
best pork ribs ever cooked here
Let It Smoke Barbecue turned in 179.4400 in pork ribs — past the 178.2972 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
- old best 178.2972
- across 2 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: ELJEFE SMOKE (won 2024).
- ELJEFE SMOKE · 2024
A perfect score on the table
1
perfect 180s
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA · Pork
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Category showdown (top / average / median score per meat)
Score distribution
Biggest rating movers (power-rating points won and lost at this contest)
Did form hold? (pre-contest rating vs overall finish — ratings called it if the dots climb to the right)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 24, 2023 | Schenectady, NY | 108 State Street | 19 | 693.6800 | Dirtbag Barbeque | INSANE SWINE BBQ |
| Jun 22, 2024 | Schenectady, NY | 108 State Street | 21 | 693.6456 | ELJEFE SMOKE | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY |
| Jun 21, 2025 ← this one | Schenectady, NY | 108 State Street | 18 | 703.9428 | Smokin Hoggz BBQ - MA | ELJEFE SMOKE |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7372 | 176.5600 | 173.1084 |
| Pork Ribs | 179.4400 | 175.4172 | 170.8228 |
| Pork | 180 | 176.5600 | 171.4400 |
| Brisket | 176.5600 | 173.7372 | 166.2628 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
18 entries · top 703.9428 · median 688.4970
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 2 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 3 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 4 | NEANDERTHAL Q | |
| 5 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 6 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 7 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 8 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 9 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 10 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 11 | 73-BBQ | |
| 12 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 13 | HOG WASH BBQ | |
| 14 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 15 | Joe’s BBQ Old #22 | |
| 16 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 17 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 18 | 518 Smoke Master |
Chicken
18 entries · top 177.7372 · median 173.6856
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 2 | NEANDERTHAL Q | |
| 3 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 4 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 6 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 7 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 8 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 9 | 73-BBQ | |
| 10 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 11 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 12 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 13 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 14 | 518 Smoke Master | |
| 15 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 16 | Joe’s BBQ Old #22 | |
| 17 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 18 | HOG WASH BBQ |
Pork Ribs
18 entries · top 179.4400 · median 171.1200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 2 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 3 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 4 | 73-BBQ | |
| 5 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 6 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 7 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 8 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 9 | NEANDERTHAL Q | |
| 10 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 11 | HOG WASH BBQ | |
| 12 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 13 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 14 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 15 | Joe’s BBQ Old #22 | |
| 16 | 518 Smoke Master | |
| 17 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 18 | Mullen It Over BBQ |
Pork
18 entries · top 180 · median 172.2742 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 2 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 3 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 4 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 5 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 6 | NEANDERTHAL Q | |
| 7 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 8 | HOG WASH BBQ | |
| 9 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 10 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 11 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 12 | Joe’s BBQ Old #22 | |
| 13 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 14 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 15 | 518 Smoke Master | |
| 16 | 73-BBQ | |
| 17 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 18 | Mullen It Over BBQ |
Brisket
18 entries · top 176.5600 · median 167.3942
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 2 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 3 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 4 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 5 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 6 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 7 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 8 | NEANDERTHAL Q | |
| 9 | HOG WASH BBQ | |
| 10 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 11 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 12 | 73-BBQ | |
| 13 | Joe’s BBQ Old #22 | |
| 14 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 15 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 16 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 17 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 18 | 518 Smoke Master |