Sep 8–9, 2017 · Silver Lake, MI · 📍 8453 W Silver Lake RD
FIREHOUSE SMOKE won Grand Champion at the Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival on September 8, 2017 in Silver Lake, MI at 8453 W Silver Lake RD, scoring 682.8344 in a field of 28 teams. BIG BROTHERS BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 681.7484. Category winners: Chicken — PapaDads BBQ (174.8572); Pork Ribs — BIG BROTHERS BBQ (173.7600); Pork — MUTTS & BUTTS BARK-BQ (175.4400); Brisket — SMOLDERING Q (173.7028). This is the 4th of 5 editions of this contest on record; the 2015 edition was won by MAC ATTACK BBQ; the next was held in 2018.
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 2018 — 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.
Closer than 85% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.0860 points — closer than 85% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 70 times in 100
FIREHOUSE SMOKE came in rated below the field's top team, iBQ'n, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 30-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
FIREHOUSE SMOKE won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 3rd. Consistency beat fireworks.
Chicken places 4–5: SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ and GOT SMOKE BBQ tied on 171.4400 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 8–9: PB&J'S BBQ TEAM and TWO CRACKERS Q'ING tied on 169.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 1–2: SMOLDERING Q and THE REAL SMOKIN ACES tied on 173.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 13, 2013 | Mears, MI | Mears, MI | 47 | 693.6684 | CANCERSUCKSCHICAGO.COM | iBQ'n |
| Sep 12, 2014 | Mears, MI | Mears, MI 49436 | 43 | 708.6056 | iBQ'n@TheBBQSuperStore.com | BIG BROTHERS BBQ |
| Sep 11, 2015 | Mears, MI | Mears, MI 49436 | 34 | 699.4744 | MAC ATTACK BBQ | SMOKIN' IN THE D |
| Sep 8, 2017 ← this one | Silver Lake, MI | 8453 W Silver Lake RD | 28 | 682.8344 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | BIG BROTHERS BBQ |
| Sep 14, 2018 | Mears, MI | 8453 W Silver Lake RD | 48 | 694.2512 | BIG "E" BBQ | BIG BROTHERS BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 174.8572 | 171.4400 | 168 |
| Pork Ribs | 173.7600 | 169.7028 | 166.2628 |
| Pork | 175.4400 | 171.4172 | 168.6400 |
| Brisket | 173.7028 | 172.0228 | 169.1428 |
28 entries · top 682.8344 · median 657.0570
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 2 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 3 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 4 | SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ | |
| 5 | GOT SMOKE BBQ | |
| 6 | TWO CRACKERS Q'ING | |
| 7 | iBQ'n | |
| 8 | PB&J'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 9 | AWW HELL | |
| 10 | PapaDads BBQ | |
| 11 | SMOLDERING Q | |
| 12 | MUTTS & BUTTS BARK-BQ | |
| 13 | BAD HABIT BBQ | |
| 14 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 15 | BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 16 | THE BBQ SHERPAS | |
| 17 | SWEET RACKS & SMOKIN' BUTTS BBQ | |
| 18 | SMOKIN GOOD TIME BBQ | |
| 19 | S & G BBQ | |
| 20 | BAD WOLF BBQ | |
| 21 | THE MEAT RUBBERS BBQ | |
| 22 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ | |
| 23 | HABS GOOD EATS N' TREATS | |
| 24 | NOT-A-CLUE BARBEQUE | |
| 25 | HOLY SMOKERS MI | |
| 26 | B.O.S.S. BBQ | |
| 27 | Mad Hunky Meats | |
| 28 | BIG GUYS Q |
27 entries · top 174.8572 · median 166.8572
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PapaDads BBQ | |
| 2 | TWO CRACKERS Q'ING | |
| 3 | BAD HABIT BBQ | |
| 4 | SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ | |
| 5 | GOT SMOKE BBQ | |
| 6 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 7 | BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 8 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 9 | Mad Hunky Meats | |
| 10 | NOT-A-CLUE BARBEQUE | |
| 11 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 12 | PB&J'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 13 | iBQ'n | |
| 14 | MUTTS & BUTTS BARK-BQ | |
| 15 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 16 | THE BBQ SHERPAS | |
| 17 | HOLY SMOKERS MI | |
| 18 | BAD WOLF BBQ | |
| 19 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ | |
| 20 | HABS GOOD EATS N' TREATS | |
| 21 | AWW HELL | |
| 22 | SMOLDERING Q | |
| 23 | S & G BBQ | |
| 24 | SWEET RACKS & SMOKIN' BUTTS BBQ | |
| 25 | SMOKIN GOOD TIME BBQ | |
| 26 | THE MEAT RUBBERS BBQ | |
| 27 | B.O.S.S. BBQ |
28 entries · top 173.7600 · median 164.2684
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 2 | GOT SMOKE BBQ | |
| 3 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 4 | SMOKIN GOOD TIME BBQ | |
| 5 | AWW HELL | |
| 6 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 7 | THE MEAT RUBBERS BBQ | |
| 8 | iBQ'n | |
| 9 | BAD WOLF BBQ | |
| 10 | PB&J'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 11 | SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ | |
| 12 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 13 | HOLY SMOKERS MI | |
| 14 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ | |
| 15 | SMOLDERING Q | |
| 16 | PapaDads BBQ | |
| 17 | SWEET RACKS & SMOKIN' BUTTS BBQ | |
| 18 | HABS GOOD EATS N' TREATS | |
| 19 | TWO CRACKERS Q'ING | |
| 20 | S & G BBQ | |
| 21 | THE BBQ SHERPAS | |
| 22 | BAD HABIT BBQ | |
| 23 | BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 24 | MUTTS & BUTTS BARK-BQ | |
| 25 | Mad Hunky Meats | |
| 26 | NOT-A-CLUE BARBEQUE | |
| 27 | BIG GUYS Q | |
| 28 | B.O.S.S. BBQ |
28 entries · top 175.4400 · median 166.8400
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MUTTS & BUTTS BARK-BQ | |
| 2 | SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ | |
| 3 | SMOKIN GOOD TIME BBQ | |
| 4 | BAD HABIT BBQ | |
| 5 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 6 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 7 | S & G BBQ | |
| 8 | PB&J'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 9 | TWO CRACKERS Q'ING | |
| 10 | BIG GUYS Q | |
| 11 | SWEET RACKS & SMOKIN' BUTTS BBQ | |
| 12 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 13 | iBQ'n | |
| 14 | SMOLDERING Q | |
| 15 | AWW HELL | |
| 16 | GOT SMOKE BBQ | |
| 17 | HABS GOOD EATS N' TREATS | |
| 18 | BAD WOLF BBQ | |
| 19 | PapaDads BBQ | |
| 20 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 21 | THE MEAT RUBBERS BBQ | |
| 22 | THE BBQ SHERPAS | |
| 23 | BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 24 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ | |
| 25 | NOT-A-CLUE BARBEQUE | |
| 26 | B.O.S.S. BBQ | |
| 27 | Mad Hunky Meats | |
| 28 | HOLY SMOKERS MI |
28 entries · top 173.7028 · median 167.1830
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOLDERING Q | |
| 2 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 3 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 4 | BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 5 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 6 | THE BBQ SHERPAS | |
| 7 | B.O.S.S. BBQ | |
| 8 | AWW HELL | |
| 9 | TWO CRACKERS Q'ING | |
| 10 | iBQ'n | |
| 11 | MUTTS & BUTTS BARK-BQ | |
| 12 | SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ | |
| 13 | PapaDads BBQ | |
| 14 | GOT SMOKE BBQ | |
| 15 | PB&J'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 16 | THE MEAT RUBBERS BBQ | |
| 17 | SWEET RACKS & SMOKIN' BUTTS BBQ | |
| 18 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ | |
| 19 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 20 | BAD HABIT BBQ | |
| 21 | NOT-A-CLUE BARBEQUE | |
| 22 | BIG GUYS Q | |
| 23 | S & G BBQ | |
| 24 | SMOKIN GOOD TIME BBQ | |
| 25 | HABS GOOD EATS N' TREATS | |
| 26 | BAD WOLF BBQ | |
| 27 | HOLY SMOKERS MI | |
| 28 | Mad Hunky Meats |
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.
12 entries · top 171.4056 · median 165.1486
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN BRICKS BBQ | |
| 2 | STILLS AND GRILLS | |
| 3 | DUTCH MAFIA BBQ | |
| 4 | BORCULO BBQ | |
| 5 | Q-JITSU | |
| 6 | UP IN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 7 | BREWIN-N-QUE-N | |
| 8 | SMOKIN WITH THE JOES | |
| 9 | Chupacabra BBQ | |
| 10 | It's in the Q | |
| 11 | DOUGS BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 12 | POPOVICK, NICK |
12 entries · top 174.8572 · median 163.4458
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | UP IN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 2 | Q-JITSU | |
| 3 | DUTCH MAFIA BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKIN WITH THE JOES | |
| 5 | It's in the Q | |
| 6 | BORCULO BBQ | |
| 7 | DOUGS BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 8 | SMOKIN BRICKS BBQ | |
| 9 | STILLS AND GRILLS | |
| 10 | POPOVICK, NICK | |
| 11 | BREWIN-N-QUE-N | |
| 12 | Chupacabra BBQ |