Jun 6–7, 2014 · Mayetta, KS
JP CUSTOM SMOKE won Grand Champion at the Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest on June 6, 2014 in Mayetta, KS, scoring 701.7372 in a field of 54 teams. SMOKEAHOLICS took Reserve Grand Champion with 689.1316. Category winners: Chicken — JP CUSTOM SMOKE (177.7028); Pork Ribs — JP CUSTOM SMOKE (177.1772); Pork — Smokin Co BBQ (178.2972); Brisket — WICHITA SWINEMEN (179.4400). This is the 2nd of 9 editions of this contest on record; the 2013 edition was won by PIGSKIN BBQ; the next was held in 2015.
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2021 — this edition picked out.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 73 times in 100
JP CUSTOM SMOKE came in rated below the field's top team, HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 27-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Wider than 93% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The champion won by 12.6056 points — a wider margin than 93% of championships in the data.
Chicken places 1–2: JP CUSTOM SMOKE and B & C SMOKERS tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 2–3: B & C SMOKERS and GETTIN' SAUCED tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: HAROLD'S HOT MEAT SMOKERS and SMOKEAHOLICS tied on 173.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
JP CUSTOM SMOKE won Chicken, Pork Ribs — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
JP CUSTOM SMOKE took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was brisket at 7th.
WICHITA SWINEMEN turned in 179.4400 in brisket — past the 177.1428 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: PIGSKIN BBQ (won 2013).
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 7, 2013 | Mayetta, KS | Mayetta, KS | 69 | 702.2856 | PIGSKIN BBQ | WOODWARD BARBEQUE |
| Jun 6, 2014 ← this one | Mayetta, KS | Mayetta, KS 66509 | 54 | 701.7372 | JP CUSTOM SMOKE | SMOKEAHOLICS |
| Jun 5, 2015 | Mayetta, KS | Mayetta, KS 66509 | 64 | 684.5372 | CLARK CREW BBQ | TRUE SMOKE BBQ |
| Jun 3, 2016 | Mayetta, KS | 12305 150th RD | 55 | 691.4172 | PORKY BUTTS BBQ | THUMP & STRUM BBQ |
| Jul 14, 2017 | Mayetta, KS | 12305 150th Rd | 58 | 695.3944 | HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB | SMOOTH SMOKE |
| Jul 13, 2018 | Mayetta, KS | 12305 150th Rd | 48 | 697.0968 | SPITFIRE | BOOM CHICKA COW COW |
| Jul 12, 2019 | Mayetta, KS | Prairie Band Casino | 59 | 706.8344 | Boomerang BBQ | HIGH i QUE |
| Jul 10, 2020 | Mayetta, KS | Prairie Band Casino | 61 | 698.8684 | Smokin Timbers BBQ | MAN MEAT BBQ |
| Jul 9, 2021 | Mayetta, KS | Prairie Band Casino | 43 | 713.1316 | Happy Grillmore | SLAPS BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7028 | 173.7144 | 172.5600 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.1772 | 172.5944 | 169.7372 |
| Pork | 178.2972 | 174.8456 | 170.2628 |
| Brisket | 179.4400 | 174.8456 | 170.2628 |
54 entries · top 701.7372 · median 655.6800
54 entries · top 177.7028 · median 165.1314
54 entries · top 177.1772 · median 161.9716
54 entries · top 178.2972 · median 165.6970
54 entries · top 179.4400 · median 161.6914
Run by the organizers alongside the sanctioned contest. These are judged on their own terms and do not count toward the overall score, so they're kept out of the meat stats above.
38 entries · top 172.0228 · median 157.4342
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BOYS IN BLUE BARBECUE | |
| 2 | DOVER BOYS BBQ | |
| 3 | B & C SMOKERS | |
| 4 | MAD PIG BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKEAHOLICS | |
| 6 | CHIP ON OUR SHOULDER | |
| 7 | F.O.M.S.B. | |
| 8 | BIG WIGS BBQ | |
| 9 | 3 B'S BBQ | |
| 10 | GETTIN' SAUCED | |
| 11 | HOT GRILL ON GRILL ACTION | |
| 12 | PIG NEWTON | |
| 13 | WHITE MOOSE BBQ | |
| 14 | MIDNIGHT STOKERS | |
| 15 | WICHITA SWINEMEN | |
| 16 | K.C. CAN CREW | |
| 17 | FNA BBQ | |
| 18 | HAROLD'S HOT MEAT SMOKERS | |
| 19 | LAZY BUTT BBQ | |
| 20 | PIGSKIN BBQ | |
| 21 | PARK AVENUE PORK | |
| 22 | Smokin Co BBQ | |
| 23 | Rubbed Raw | |
| 24 | Rabbit Gulch Cookers | |
| 25 | DIXIE BOYS BBQ | |
| 26 | PORK PULLIN PLOWBOYS | |
| 27 | Rub Me Tender, Rub Me Sweet | |
| 28 | HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE | |
| 29 | MIDWEST SCUBA-QUE | |
| 30 | BLACK EYE BBQ | |
| 31 | RED OAK BBQ | |
| 32 | PARK AVENUE PORK | |
| 33 | GOTHIC TOWN GRILLERS | |
| 34 | CRAZY BONES BBQ | |
| 35 | MAKE M' SQUEAL | |
| 36 | Smoking Pallet | |
| 37 | Not a Clue BBQ | |
| 38 | INDIGO PIG |
15 entries · top 170.3200 · median 162.8572
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | K.C. CAN CREW | |
| 2 | FNA BBQ | |
| 3 | CHIP ON OUR SHOULDER | |
| 4 | B & C SMOKERS | |
| 5 | RED OAK BBQ | |
| 6 | CRAZY BONES BBQ | |
| 7 | MAD PIG BBQ | |
| 8 | PARK AVENUE PORK | |
| 9 | BOYS IN BLUE BARBECUE | |
| 10 | WICHITA SWINEMEN | |
| 11 | BLACK EYE BBQ | |
| 12 | SWINE WINE AND DINE | |
| 13 | GOTHIC TOWN GRILLERS | |
| 14 | Smoking Pallet | |
| 15 | MIDNIGHT STOKERS |