A new contest record
692.5260
highest overall ever cooked here
692.5260 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 689.6800 THE SMOKIN' C'S BBQ set in 2015.
- old record 689.6800
- set 2015 by THE SMOKIN' C'S BBQ
Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off 2018
Oct 19–20, 2018 · Union Grove, WI · 📍 19805 Durand Ave
BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. won Grand Champion at the Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off on October 19, 2018 in Union Grove, WI at 19805 Durand Ave, scoring 692.5260 in a field of 42 teams. D.F.G.'S BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 686.2516. Category winners: Chicken — BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. (173.7144); Pork Ribs — EF-Q (176.5828); Pork — BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. (178.2972); Brisket — D.F.G.'S BBQ (173.7144). This is the 4th of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2017 edition was won by ONE2BBQ.
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.
585.01
median 645.61
692.53 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 173.71
- Pork Ribs 176.58
- Pork 178.30
- Brisket 173.71
139.34
178.30
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2015 to 2018 — this edition picked out.
Entries
42
4 judged meats
Top score
692.5260
Winning margin
6.2744
GC over RC
Field average
643.23
585.01692.53
median 645.61 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Chicken
3.4516 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
665.6916
585.01692.53
10th place overall
Field spread
107.5196
winner to last place
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 63%
beats 37% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
54%
28 of 52 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.75 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,557
avg power rating going in · stronger than 43% of contests
Storylines (7 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
17-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 83 times in 100
BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. came in rated below the field's top team, One2BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 17-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1642
- top seed 1921
A first Grand Championship
57
tracked contests to get there
This was BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO.'s first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 57th tracked contest.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 11 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 1–2: BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. and SI2 BBQ tied on 173.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE and Littles BBQ Co tied on 170.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 4–5: THE BBQ BUS and QUE U tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 1–2 · tie
- Chicken 4–5 · tie
- Pork 4–5 · tie
- Pork 5–6 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. won Chicken, Pork — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was pork ribs at 9th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 9th
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 3rd
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: ONE2BBQ (won 2017).
- ONE2BBQ · 2017
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 23, 2015 | Union Grove, WI | Union Grove, WI 53182 | 44 | 689.6800 | THE SMOKIN' C'S BBQ | HOGLINE |
| Oct 21, 2016 | Union Grove, WI | 19805 Duran Ave | 51 | 681.5768 | WHITEWATER BBQ COMPANY | HOGLINE |
| Oct 20, 2017 | Union Grove, WI | 19805 Durand Ave | 52 | 689.6684 | ONE2BBQ | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ |
| Oct 19, 2018 ← this one | Union Grove, WI | 19805 Durand Ave | 42 | 692.5260 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | D.F.G.'S BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 173.7144 | 170.2628 | 168.5600 |
| Pork Ribs | 176.5828 | 170.8572 | 166.8344 |
| Pork | 178.2972 | 172.5600 | 169.7144 |
| Brisket | 173.7144 | 169.1200 | 166.2400 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
42 entries · top 692.5260 · median 645.6056
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 2 | D.F.G.'S BBQ | |
| 3 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 4 | ONE2BBQ | |
| 5 | QUE U | |
| 6 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 7 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 8 | EF-Q | |
| 9 | WICKED SMOKE BBQ | |
| 10 | BURNIN BENJAMINS | |
| 11 | FLYIN' FINN BREWERY & BBQ | |
| 12 | Littles BBQ Co | |
| 13 | 43RD PARALLEL BBQ | |
| 14 | BIG "E" BBQ | |
| 15 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 16 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 17 | TWO BREWS BBQ | |
| 18 | SMOKIN HIGHWAYMEN | |
| 19 | STRESS RELIEF BBQ | |
| 20 | SECOND HAND SMOKE SLV | |
| 21 | DU-LITTLE BBQ | |
| 22 | Steamboat BBQ | |
| 23 | CARNIVORE'S PARADISE | |
| 24 | ROLL THE BONES BBQ | |
| 25 | SMOKE INFUSION | |
| 26 | LEGENDS OF SMOKE - TEAM RED ARROW | |
| 27 | A BOY NAMED QUE | |
| 28 | CHIEFS OF BEEF | |
| 29 | OINK MASTER | |
| 30 | SI2 BBQ | |
| 31 | LIMP BRISKET | |
| 32 | PURPLE SHADOW | |
| 33 | CHOCOLATE CITY BBQ | |
| 34 | BIG AL'S BREW TOWN BBQ | |
| 35 | 4 Schmidt's and Giggles BBQ | |
| 36 | THE 4 SMOKEMEN BBQ | |
| 37 | SMOKE 2 PULL | |
| 38 | BRASS MONKEY BBQ | |
| 39 | THE GOOD OLD BASTER BOYS | |
| 40 | MOOSE'S BARBECUE | |
| 41 | AXE-MEN BBQ | |
| 42 | SMOKEY & THE WOOD CHIPS |
Chicken
42 entries · top 173.7144 · median 161.0972
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 2 | SI2 BBQ | |
| 3 | STRESS RELIEF BBQ | |
| 4 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 5 | Littles BBQ Co | |
| 6 | BIG "E" BBQ | |
| 7 | QUE U | |
| 8 | 43RD PARALLEL BBQ | |
| 9 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 10 | ONE2BBQ | |
| 11 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 12 | OINK MASTER | |
| 13 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 14 | D.F.G.'S BBQ | |
| 15 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 16 | TWO BREWS BBQ | |
| 17 | BURNIN BENJAMINS | |
| 18 | SMOKE INFUSION | |
| 19 | DU-LITTLE BBQ | |
| 20 | Steamboat BBQ | |
| 21 | WICKED SMOKE BBQ | |
| 22 | SMOKIN HIGHWAYMEN | |
| 23 | 4 Schmidt's and Giggles BBQ | |
| 24 | ROLL THE BONES BBQ | |
| 25 | BIG AL'S BREW TOWN BBQ | |
| 26 | CHIEFS OF BEEF | |
| 27 | SECOND HAND SMOKE SLV | |
| 28 | CHOCOLATE CITY BBQ | |
| 29 | SMOKE 2 PULL | |
| 30 | CARNIVORE'S PARADISE | |
| 31 | FLYIN' FINN BREWERY & BBQ | |
| 32 | A BOY NAMED QUE | |
| 33 | AXE-MEN BBQ | |
| 34 | EF-Q | |
| 35 | LEGENDS OF SMOKE - TEAM RED ARROW | |
| 36 | MOOSE'S BARBECUE | |
| 37 | BRASS MONKEY BBQ | |
| 38 | LIMP BRISKET | |
| 39 | THE GOOD OLD BASTER BOYS | |
| 40 | PURPLE SHADOW | |
| 41 | THE 4 SMOKEMEN BBQ | |
| 42 | SMOKEY & THE WOOD CHIPS |
Pork Ribs
42 entries · top 176.5828 · median 159.9658
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | EF-Q | |
| 2 | 43RD PARALLEL BBQ | |
| 3 | QUE U | |
| 4 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 5 | D.F.G.'S BBQ | |
| 6 | FLYIN' FINN BREWERY & BBQ | |
| 7 | ONE2BBQ | |
| 8 | CARNIVORE'S PARADISE | |
| 9 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 10 | SECOND HAND SMOKE SLV | |
| 11 | WICKED SMOKE BBQ | |
| 12 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 13 | BIG "E" BBQ | |
| 14 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 15 | A BOY NAMED QUE | |
| 16 | SMOKIN HIGHWAYMEN | |
| 17 | DU-LITTLE BBQ | |
| 18 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 19 | TWO BREWS BBQ | |
| 20 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 21 | LEGENDS OF SMOKE - TEAM RED ARROW | |
| 22 | Littles BBQ Co | |
| 23 | BURNIN BENJAMINS | |
| 24 | Steamboat BBQ | |
| 25 | CHIEFS OF BEEF | |
| 26 | THE GOOD OLD BASTER BOYS | |
| 27 | OINK MASTER | |
| 28 | STRESS RELIEF BBQ | |
| 29 | LIMP BRISKET | |
| 30 | ROLL THE BONES BBQ | |
| 31 | CHOCOLATE CITY BBQ | |
| 32 | PURPLE SHADOW | |
| 33 | 4 Schmidt's and Giggles BBQ | |
| 34 | BIG AL'S BREW TOWN BBQ | |
| 35 | BRASS MONKEY BBQ | |
| 36 | SMOKEY & THE WOOD CHIPS | |
| 37 | THE 4 SMOKEMEN BBQ | |
| 38 | SMOKE 2 PULL | |
| 39 | SMOKE INFUSION | |
| 40 | MOOSE'S BARBECUE | |
| 41 | AXE-MEN BBQ | |
| 42 | SI2 BBQ |
Pork
42 entries · top 178.2972 · median 165.1258
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 2 | D.F.G.'S BBQ | |
| 3 | SMOKE INFUSION | |
| 4 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 5 | QUE U | |
| 6 | WICKED SMOKE BBQ | |
| 7 | BURNIN BENJAMINS | |
| 8 | EF-Q | |
| 9 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 10 | FLYIN' FINN BREWERY & BBQ | |
| 11 | THE 4 SMOKEMEN BBQ | |
| 12 | CARNIVORE'S PARADISE | |
| 13 | ONE2BBQ | |
| 14 | Littles BBQ Co | |
| 15 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 16 | DU-LITTLE BBQ | |
| 17 | LIMP BRISKET | |
| 18 | ROLL THE BONES BBQ | |
| 19 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 20 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 21 | A BOY NAMED QUE | |
| 22 | TWO BREWS BBQ | |
| 23 | LEGENDS OF SMOKE - TEAM RED ARROW | |
| 24 | SMOKIN HIGHWAYMEN | |
| 25 | PURPLE SHADOW | |
| 26 | BIG "E" BBQ | |
| 27 | SECOND HAND SMOKE SLV | |
| 28 | MOOSE'S BARBECUE | |
| 29 | Steamboat BBQ | |
| 30 | CHOCOLATE CITY BBQ | |
| 31 | 43RD PARALLEL BBQ | |
| 32 | OINK MASTER | |
| 33 | 4 Schmidt's and Giggles BBQ | |
| 34 | STRESS RELIEF BBQ | |
| 35 | CHIEFS OF BEEF | |
| 36 | THE GOOD OLD BASTER BOYS | |
| 37 | SMOKE 2 PULL | |
| 38 | SMOKEY & THE WOOD CHIPS | |
| 39 | AXE-MEN BBQ | |
| 40 | BIG AL'S BREW TOWN BBQ | |
| 41 | BRASS MONKEY BBQ | |
| 42 | SI2 BBQ |
Brisket
42 entries · top 173.7144 · median 160.8114
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | D.F.G.'S BBQ | |
| 2 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 3 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 4 | ONE2BBQ | |
| 5 | SI2 BBQ | |
| 6 | BURNIN BENJAMINS | |
| 7 | STRESS RELIEF BBQ | |
| 8 | FLYIN' FINN BREWERY & BBQ | |
| 9 | EF-Q | |
| 10 | WICKED SMOKE BBQ | |
| 11 | Littles BBQ Co | |
| 12 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 13 | Steamboat BBQ | |
| 14 | SMOKIN HIGHWAYMEN | |
| 15 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 16 | ROLL THE BONES BBQ | |
| 17 | 43RD PARALLEL BBQ | |
| 18 | BIG "E" BBQ | |
| 19 | TWO BREWS BBQ | |
| 20 | LEGENDS OF SMOKE - TEAM RED ARROW | |
| 21 | SECOND HAND SMOKE SLV | |
| 22 | CHIEFS OF BEEF | |
| 23 | PURPLE SHADOW | |
| 24 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 25 | QUE U | |
| 26 | BRASS MONKEY BBQ | |
| 27 | SMOKE 2 PULL | |
| 28 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 29 | BIG AL'S BREW TOWN BBQ | |
| 30 | DU-LITTLE BBQ | |
| 31 | SMOKE INFUSION | |
| 32 | LIMP BRISKET | |
| 33 | THE 4 SMOKEMEN BBQ | |
| 34 | OINK MASTER | |
| 35 | AXE-MEN BBQ | |
| 36 | CHOCOLATE CITY BBQ | |
| 37 | 4 Schmidt's and Giggles BBQ | |
| 38 | MOOSE'S BARBECUE | |
| 39 | CARNIVORE'S PARADISE | |
| 40 | A BOY NAMED QUE | |
| 41 | THE GOOD OLD BASTER BOYS | |
| 42 | SMOKEY & THE WOOD CHIPS |