Minnesota in May
2026-05-08 – 2026-05-09 · St. Peter, MN · 📍 Nicolett County Fair Grounds · State championship
Reps: DAVE ROGERS, JOHN SCHARFFBILLIG, LAURIE TWETEN, PATRICK DILLER, PEG ROGERS · Prize money: $11,500.00
Grand Champion: Burnt Trees BBQ (700.0004) · 77 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 Smokin Suckers
Entries
Top score
Winning margin
Field average
Tightest race
Top-10 cutoff
Field spread
Prize money
Double threats
How hot was the win?
Traveled in
Form held
Field strength
Storylines
👑 A dynasty in the making
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN has won this contest 2 times across its 16 tracked editions.
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
BURNT TREES BBQ took the Grand Championship home to SD.
📸 Photo finishes
Master Series — Chicken places 3–4: Low Eye Que and RAZORRACKS tied on 178.2972 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 9–10: BIGG SMOAK BBQ and Steel Smoke BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Pork Ribs places 1–2: BBQ Pit Bros and Sugar Shack tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
🛡️ Back to defend
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: SHIGGIN & GRINNIN (won 2013, 2023), SPITFIRE (won 2015), IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ (won 2017), Hot Daddys BBQ (won 2023, 2024), Ash Kickin' BBQ (won 2025), KPG SMOKIN' (won 2025).
🃏 An upset on the books
BURNT TREES BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, GETTIN' BASTED, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 21-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
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)
Where the field came from (home regions on file)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-05-17 | Faribault, MN | 49 | 689.1424 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | MONKEYS' UNCLES BBQ | |
| 2014-05-16 | Falcon Heights, MN 55448 | 58 | 696.0228 | A BOY & HIS BBQ | SPITFIRE | |
| 2015-05-15 | St. Paul, MN 55346 | 60 | 692.5600 | SPITFIRE | QUETOPIA | |
| 2016-05-13 | Falcon Heights, MN | 71 | 690.2056 | QUETOPIA | HOGLINE | |
| 2017-05-12 | Falcon Heights, MN 55346 | 71 | 695.3484 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | RUB MY RACK | |
| 2018-05-11 | Falcon Heights, MN 55346 | 70 | 694.8344 | EGGSPERT BBQ MINNESOTA | ACES HIGH BBQ | |
| 2019-05-10 | 3101 HWY 95 NE | 57 | 698.8000 | Totally Sauced | HOGLINE | |
| 2021-05-07 | Cambridge, MN | 301 MN-95 | 60 | 697.1544 | Hogline | SIN CIRCLE BBQ |
| 2023-05-12 | St. Peter, MN | 400 Union St. | 59 | 698.2284 | Hot Daddys BBQ | Hogline BBQ |
| 2023-05-12 | St. Peter, MN | 400 Union St. | 46 | 177.1544 | Shiggin & Grinnin | — |
| 2024-05-10 | St. Peter, MN | 400 Union St. | 58 | 699.9772 | Hot Daddy's BBQ | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ |
| 2024-05-10 | St. Peter, MN | 400 Union St. | 49 | 177.1544 | Weez's Groovin' BBQ | — |
| 2025-05-09 | St. Peter, MN | 400 Union St. | 58 | 701.6688 | Ash Kickin' BBQ | Phoenix BBQ |
| 2025-05-09 | St. Peter, MN | 400 Union St. | 43 | 178.8572 | KPG SMOKIN' | — |
| 2026-05-08 ← this one | St. Peter, MN | Nicolett County Fair Grounds | 77 | 700.0004 | Burnt Trees BBQ | Smokin Suckers |
| 2026-05-08 | St. Peter, MN | Nicolett County Fair Grounds | 47 | 176.5944 | Que's Yer Daddy | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 179.4400 | 177.7144 | 176.5600 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 177.7144 | 174.8572 |
| Master Series — Pork | 180.0000 | 176.5600 | 175.4172 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 179.4400 | 175.4172 | 175.4056 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 176.5600 | 171.9772 | 168.5600 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 177.1428 | 174.8572 | 170.2628 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
77 entries · top 700.0004 · median 679.3260
Chicken
77 entries · top 179.4400 · median 171.4056
Pork Ribs
77 entries · top 178.8572 · median 168.5372
Pork
77 entries · top 180.0000 · median 169.6916 · 🔥 perfect 180
Brisket
77 entries · top 179.4400 · median 169.1428
Backyard Series
Overall
35 entries · top 350.2744 · median 330.2172
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SASSY SMOKE BBQ | |
| 2 | Big Ten Bones | |
| 3 | FENDER BENDER BBQ | |
| 4 | DAWGS BBQ | |
| 5 | Goner BBQ | |
| 6 | DAD BOD BARBEQUE | |
| 7 | Sensuous BBQ | |
| 8 | Tipsy Smoker | |
| 9 | Big Bear BBQ | |
| 10 | Taste of Freedom | |
| 11 | Porket About It | |
| 12 | Black Stack BBQ | |
| 13 | Sota Smoke BBQ | |
| 14 | Berg's BBQ | |
| 15 | Too Sauced BBQ | |
| 16 | Briskey Business BBQ | |
| 17 | Wildhart BBQ | |
| 18 | SMOKEY GQ | |
| 19 | Big Mike's Smokehouse | |
| 20 | Motley Crew BBQ | |
| 21 | Weasel's Bone Lickin' BBQ | |
| 22 | Brotherhood BBQ | |
| 23 | Blessed Girl BBQ | |
| 24 | Sloppy Hog BBQ | |
| 25 | All Smoked Up BBQ | |
| 26 | Natural Born Grillers | |
| 27 | Marty Party BBQ | |
| 28 | Blue Smoke | |
| 29 | Frankensmokers BBQ | |
| 30 | Sweet Natty's Smokin' Q | |
| 31 | Anchor Grills | |
| 32 | Not Bad BBQ | |
| 33 | Low & Slow Bro's | |
| 34 | The 'Que Response Team | |
| 35 | BUBBA LOU'S BBQ |
Chicken
35 entries · top 176.5600 · median 164.6060
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goner BBQ | |
| 2 | Sensuous BBQ | |
| 3 | SASSY SMOKE BBQ | |
| 4 | FENDER BENDER BBQ | |
| 5 | DAD BOD BARBEQUE | |
| 6 | Big Ten Bones | |
| 7 | DAWGS BBQ | |
| 8 | Weasel's Bone Lickin' BBQ | |
| 9 | Big Bear BBQ | |
| 10 | Taste of Freedom | |
| 11 | Big Mike's Smokehouse | |
| 12 | Porket About It | |
| 13 | Sweet Natty's Smokin' Q | |
| 14 | Natural Born Grillers | |
| 15 | Briskey Business BBQ | |
| 16 | Too Sauced BBQ | |
| 17 | Wildhart BBQ | |
| 18 | Tipsy Smoker | |
| 19 | Blessed Girl BBQ | |
| 20 | Brotherhood BBQ | |
| 21 | Sota Smoke BBQ | |
| 22 | Black Stack BBQ | |
| 23 | Motley Crew BBQ | |
| 24 | SMOKEY GQ | |
| 25 | Frankensmokers BBQ | |
| 26 | Berg's BBQ | |
| 27 | Marty Party BBQ | |
| 28 | All Smoked Up BBQ | |
| 29 | Sloppy Hog BBQ | |
| 30 | BUBBA LOU'S BBQ | |
| 31 | Blue Smoke | |
| 32 | Anchor Grills | |
| 33 | Not Bad BBQ | |
| 34 | Low & Slow Bro's | |
| 35 | The 'Que Response Team |
Pork Ribs
35 entries · top 177.1428 · median 165.0972
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Ten Bones | |
| 2 | Tipsy Smoker | |
| 3 | FENDER BENDER BBQ | |
| 4 | SASSY SMOKE BBQ | |
| 5 | DAWGS BBQ | |
| 6 | Black Stack BBQ | |
| 7 | Berg's BBQ | |
| 8 | Big Bear BBQ | |
| 9 | Porket About It | |
| 10 | DAD BOD BARBEQUE | |
| 11 | Taste of Freedom | |
| 12 | Sota Smoke BBQ | |
| 13 | SMOKEY GQ | |
| 14 | Goner BBQ | |
| 15 | Motley Crew BBQ | |
| 16 | Too Sauced BBQ | |
| 17 | Sensuous BBQ | |
| 18 | Briskey Business BBQ | |
| 19 | Wildhart BBQ | |
| 20 | Brotherhood BBQ | |
| 21 | Blue Smoke | |
| 22 | Sloppy Hog BBQ | |
| 23 | Blessed Girl BBQ | |
| 24 | All Smoked Up BBQ | |
| 25 | Marty Party BBQ | |
| 26 | Big Mike's Smokehouse | |
| 27 | Anchor Grills | |
| 28 | Weasel's Bone Lickin' BBQ | |
| 29 | Natural Born Grillers | |
| 30 | Frankensmokers BBQ | |
| 31 | The 'Que Response Team | |
| 32 | Not Bad BBQ | |
| 33 | Low & Slow Bro's | |
| 34 | Sweet Natty's Smokin' Q | |
| 35 | BUBBA LOU'S BBQ |
Ancillary categories
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.
Kids-Q — Junior Que 11-16
5 entries · top 173.1428 · median 161.1772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blake Stocker | |
| 2 | Peyton Martins | |
| 3 | Brianna Carey | |
| 4 | Casey Spellacy | |
| 5 | Colin Wiese |
Kids-Q — Kids Que 5-10
6 entries · top 167.9888 · median 166.8686
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drake Berndt | |
| 2 | Hazel Ellis | |
| 3 | Ryan Stocker | |
| 4 | Andrew Brelje | |
| 5 | Caitlin Leonard | |
| 6 | Henry Leonard |