May 5–6, 2018 · Liberty, IN · 📍 3801 West Old Dunlapsville RD
GREY STREET BBQ won Grand Champion at the Smoke on the Water on May 5, 2018 in Liberty, IN at 3801 West Old Dunlapsville RD, scoring 693.6684 in a field of 28 teams. BANKIN BABY BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 691.9428. Category winners: Chicken — THE PIG'S BLANKET (177.7144); Pork Ribs — SMOKE-N-PEPPERS (176.0116); Pork — THE PIG'S BLANKET (176.5600); Brisket — EXTRA MILE BBQ (176.5600). This is the 4th of 14 editions of this contest on record; the 2017 edition was won by VICTORY SMOKERS; the next was held in 2019.
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 2025 — 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.
GREY STREET BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
2 of 13 tracked editions
Thunder Hog BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 13 tracked editions.
Chicken places 3–4: LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ and BANKIN BABY BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: BROTHERS OF OHIO BBQ and THUNDER HOG BBQ tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 9–10: WEQ4U and RETIRED AND RUBBIN' IT tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
THE PIG'S BLANKET won Chicken, Pork — a double.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: VICTORY SMOKERS (won 2017).
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 11, 2013 | Topeka, KS | Topeka, KS | 43 | 687.4516 | CHICKHOOVENSWINE BBQ | BLACK EYE BBQ |
| Oct 9, 2015 | Topeka, KS | Topeka, KS 66605 | 33 | 696.5600 | JO-BAWB'S BBQ | BOXER Q BBQ |
| May 6, 2017 | Liberty, IN | 3801 West Old Dunlapsville RD | 26 | 695.9084 | VICTORY SMOKERS | GREY STREET BBQ |
| May 5, 2018 ← this one | Liberty, IN | 3801 West Old Dunlapsville RD | 28 | 693.6684 | GREY STREET BBQ | BANKIN BABY BBQ |
| May 4, 2019 | Liberty, IN | 381 W Old Dunlapsville | 26 | 696.5140 | Thunder Hog BBQ | SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ |
| May 1, 2021 | Liberty, IN | 3801 W Old Dunlapsville Rd | 27 | 706.2400 | The BBQ Bus | GETTIN PIGGY WITH IT BACKYARD BBQ |
| Oct 15, 2021 | Topeka, KS | 3435 SE East Edge Rd | 25 | 699.3600 | Mad Mutt's BBQ | SMOKE RINGERS |
| Apr 29, 2022 | Liberty, IN | 3801 W Old Dunlapsville Rd | 25 | 707.9888 | Thunder Hog BBQ | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS |
| Oct 14, 2022 | Topeka, KS | 3435 SE East Edge Rd | 28 | 701.6688 | Cow Creek BBQ | MAN MEAT BBQ |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Topeka, KS | 3435 SE East Edge Rd | 39 | 707.4176 | Slaps BBQ | WOOD HOOK BBQ |
| Sep 20, 2024 | Pine Bluff, AR | 1 Regional Park Dr | 42 | 698.2628 | Kith n Kin | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ |
| Oct 11, 2024 | Topeka, KS | 3435 SE East Edge Rd | 31 | 700.5372 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | Bocephus BBQ |
| Oct 10, 2025 | Topeka, KS | 3435 SE East Edge Rd | 30 | 703.3828 | Squealin N Dealin BBQ | Damn Fine Beef & Swine |
| Oct 9, 2026 | Topeka, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7144 | 175.4628 | 172.5600 |
| Pork Ribs | 176.0116 | 168.5372 | 167.3944 |
| Pork | 176.5600 | 173.1200 | 169.6800 |
| Brisket | 176.5600 | 171.9656 | 169.1200 |
28 entries · top 693.6684 · median 666.7772
27 entries · top 177.7144 · median 168.5828
28 entries · top 176.0116 · median 165.9600
28 entries · top 176.5600 · median 167.6914
28 entries · top 176.5600 · median 166.2456
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.
7 entries · top 180 · median 170.8456 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BUTTS-N-RACKS BBQ, LLC | |
| 2 | THE PIG'S BLANKET | |
| 3 | WILBUR'S LAST RIDE | |
| 4 | GRILLIANT FOODS | |
| 5 | BURNING PIG BBQ | |
| 6 | SQUEALERS AWARD WINNING BARBEQUE | |
| 7 | EXTRA MILE BBQ |
9 entries · top 177.7028 · median 165.0856
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WILBUR'S LAST RIDE | |
| 2 | CAL-COOP BBQ | |
| 3 | HISTORIC BBQ | |
| 4 | GRILLIANT FOODS | |
| 5 | SQUEALERS AWARD WINNING BARBEQUE | |
| 6 | EXTRA MILE BBQ | |
| 7 | LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ | |
| 8 | BLUE DOG BBQ | |
| 9 | Amhearst Artillery |
13 entries · top 175.4172 · median 170.2972