A razor-thin finish
0.5144
points between champion and reserve
Closer than 94% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5144 points — closer than 94% of every championship in the data.
- QUETOPIA
- HOGLINE
Minnesota in May 2016
May 13–14, 2016 · Falcon Heights, MN
QUETOPIA won Grand Champion at the Minnesota in May on May 13, 2016 in Falcon Heights, MN, scoring 690.2056 in a field of 71 teams. HOGLINE took Reserve Grand Champion with 689.6912. Category winners: Chicken — GRUMPY OLD MEN BBQ (175.4400); Pork Ribs — TOTALLY SAUCED (174.2744); Pork — THE DOCFATHER BBQ (177.7372); Brisket — NECTAR OF THE HOGS (180.0000). This is the 4th of 12 editions of this contest on record; the 2015 edition was won by SPITFIRE; the next was held in 2017.
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.
583.23
median 649.60
690.21 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 175.44
- Pork Ribs 174.27
- Pork 177.74
- Brisket 180 🔥
135.97
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
71
4 judged meats
Top score
690.2056
Winning margin
0.5144
GC over RC
Field average
650.85
583.23690.21
median 649.60 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
1.6800 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
679.9084
583.23690.21
10th place overall
Field spread
106.9712
winner to last place
Double threats
2
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 71%
beats 29% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
60%
36 of 60 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.66 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,518
avg power rating going in · stronger than 13% of contests
Storylines (12 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.
An upset on the books
28-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 72 times in 100
QUETOPIA came in rated below the field's top team, SHIGGIN & GRINNIN, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 28-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1634
- top seed 1794
Won without a category win
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
QUETOPIA won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 4 boards, best of them 4th. Consistency beat fireworks.
- Chicken 8th
- Pork Ribs 17th
- Pork 10th
- Brisket 4th
A first Grand Championship
24
tracked contests to get there
This was QUETOPIA's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 24th tracked contest.
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
A knife fight at the top
2.2284
points across the top five
First to fifth in the overall standings covered just 2.2284 points — 3 teams sat within a single point of the lead.
- 1st QUETOPIA
- 2nd HOGLINE
- 3rd SHIGGIN & GRINNIN
- 4th MUSTANG SALLY BBQ
- 5th CITY SLICKERS BBQ
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 14 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 4–5: Croix Valley Sauces and CLOVER RIDGE SMOKERS tied on 173.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 9–10: GUS'S BBQ and LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY tied on 170.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 8–9: SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS and BLACK DOG BBQ IA tied on 170.8456 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 4–5 · tie
- Chicken 9–10 · tie
- Pork Ribs 8–9 · tie
- Brisket 6–7 · tie
A contest record in pork
177.7372
best pork ever cooked here
THE DOCFATHER BBQ turned in 177.7372 in pork — past the 176.0116 that had stood across 3 earlier editions.
- old best 176.0116
- across 3 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
71
teams on the grounds
Bigger than 95% of the 5,462 contests in the data
71 teams — bigger than 95% of the 5,462 contests in the data.
The biggest field yet
71
teams — a contest high
This contest usually draws about 56 teams
71 teams is the deepest field this contest has drawn in the data, against a typical 56.
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.
- NECTAR OF THE HOGS · Brisket
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 | St. Paul, MN | St. Paul, MN 55346 | 60 | 692.5600 | SPITFIRE | QUETOPIA |
| May 13, 2016 ← this one | 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 | 175.4400 | 173.7028 | 170.8572 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.2744 | 172.5944 | 170.8344 |
| Pork | 177.7372 | 174.2972 | 171.4056 |
| Brisket | 180 | 175.4400 | 172 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
71 entries · top 690.2056 · median 649.6000
Chicken
71 entries · top 175.4400 · median 163.4628
Pork Ribs
71 entries · top 174.2744 · median 163.4056
Pork
71 entries · top 177.7372 · median 164
Brisket
71 entries · top 180 · median 162.8000 · 🔥 perfect 180