A razor-thin finish
1.2000
points between champion and reserve
Closer than 77% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.2000 points — closer than 77% of every championship in the data.
- SPITFIRE
- QUETOPIA
Minnesota in May 2015
May 15–16, 2015 · St. Paul, MN
SPITFIRE won Grand Champion at the Minnesota in May on May 15, 2015 in St. Paul, MN, scoring 692.5600 in a field of 60 teams. QUETOPIA took Reserve Grand Champion with 691.3600. Category winners: Chicken — SHIGGIN & GRINNIN (177.7372); Pork Ribs — TRUE SMOKE BBQ (173.1772); Pork — CITY SLICKERS BBQ (176.0116); Brisket — NAGAN FOR MORE BBQ (179.4400). This is the 3rd of 12 editions of this contest on record; the 2014 edition was won by A BOY & HIS BBQ; the next was held in 2016.
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.
596.50
median 655.03
692.56 🏆
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 173.18
- Pork 176.01
- Brisket 179.44
140.41
179.44
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
60
4 judged meats
Top score
692.5600
Winning margin
1.2000
GC over RC
Field average
651.88
596.50692.56
median 655.03 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork
2.8688 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
673.0740
596.50692.56
10th place overall
Field spread
96.0568
winner to last place
Double threats
3
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 62%
beats 38% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
48%
28 of 58 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.67 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,527
avg power rating going in · stronger than 20% of contests
Storylines (8 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.
Won without a category win
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
SPITFIRE won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 3rd. Consistency beat fireworks.
- Chicken 5th
- Pork Ribs 3rd
- Pork 9th
- Brisket 5th
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 12 tracked editions
Hot Daddys BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 12 tracked editions.
- 2023
- 2024
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 11 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 3–4: TRUE SMOKE BBQ and SONS OF BUTCHERS tied on 176.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: Big Time BBQ Buddies and Q Fanatic tied on 174.2972 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 8–9: TOTALLY SAUCED and SPITFIRE tied on 171.9772 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 3–4 · tie
- Chicken 6–7 · tie
- Pork 8–9 · tie
- Pork 7–8 · 0.0112
A contest record in pork
176.0116
best pork ever cooked here
CITY SLICKERS BBQ turned in 176.0116 in pork — past the 175.4284 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
- old best 175.4284
- across 2 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: SHIGGIN & GRINNIN (won 2013).
- SHIGGIN & GRINNIN · 2013
One of the big ones
60
teams on the grounds
Bigger than 92% of the 5,462 contests in the data
60 teams — bigger than 92% of the 5,462 contests in the data.
The biggest field yet
60
teams — a contest high
This contest usually draws about 54 teams
60 teams is the deepest field this contest has drawn in the data, against a typical 54.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2013 | Faribault, MN | Faribault, MN | 49 | 689.1424 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | MONKEYS' UNCLES BBQ |
| May 16, 2014 | Falcon Heights, MN | Falcon Heights, MN 55448 | 58 | 696.0228 | A BOY & HIS BBQ | SPITFIRE |
| May 15, 2015 ← this one | St. Paul, MN | St. Paul, MN 55346 | 60 | 692.5600 | SPITFIRE | QUETOPIA |
| May 13, 2016 | Falcon Heights, MN | Falcon Heights, MN | 71 | 690.2056 | QUETOPIA | HOGLINE |
| May 12, 2017 | Falcon Heights, MN | Falcon Heights, MN 55346 | 71 | 695.3484 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | RUB MY RACK |
| May 11, 2018 | Falcon Heights, MN | Falcon Heights, MN 55346 | 70 | 694.8344 | EGGSPERT BBQ MINNESOTA | ACES HIGH BBQ |
| May 10, 2019 | 3101 HWY 95 NE | 57 | 698.8000 | Totally Sauced | HOGLINE | |
| May 7, 2021 | Cambridge, MN | 301 MN-95 | 60 | 697.1544 | Hogline | SIN CIRCLE BBQ |
| May 12, 2023 | St. Peter, MN | 400 Union St. | 59 | 698.2284 | Hot Daddys BBQ | Hogline BBQ |
| May 10, 2024 | St. Peter, MN | 400 Union St. | 58 | 699.9772 | Hot Daddy's BBQ | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ |
| May 9, 2025 | St. Peter, MN | 400 Union St. | 58 | 701.6688 | Ash Kickin' BBQ | Phoenix BBQ |
| May 8, 2026 | St. Peter, MN | Nicolett County Fair Grounds | 77 | 700.0004 | Burnt Trees BBQ | Smokin Suckers |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7372 | 174.8572 | 172.5828 |
| Pork Ribs | 173.1772 | 170.2628 | 168.5944 |
| Pork | 176.0116 | 173.1428 | 171.4400 |
| Brisket | 179.4400 | 174.2972 | 170.2628 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
60 entries · top 692.5600 · median 655.0284
Chicken
60 entries · top 177.7372 · median 163.4114
Pork Ribs
60 entries · top 173.1772 · median 163.1372
Pork
60 entries · top 176.0116 · median 165.4000
Brisket
60 entries · top 179.4400 · median 163.6972