A stacked field
1641
average power rating going in
Stronger than 93% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1641 power rating going in — stronger than 93% of every contest tracked.
- top seed SHIGGIN & GRINNIN (1913)
- 26 rated teams
Back To Mayberry 2018
Jul 6–7, 2018 · Rodney, IA
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN won Grand Champion at the Back To Mayberry on July 6, 2018 in Rodney, IA, scoring 690.8000 in a field of 26 teams. SPITFIRE took Reserve Grand Champion with 689.0628. Category winners: Chicken — SPITFIRE (178.8572); Pork Ribs — SHIGGIN & GRINNIN (175.4172); Pork — SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ (176.0000); Brisket — 4 LEGS UP BBQ (177.7144). This is the 2nd of 3 editions of this contest on record; the 2017 edition was won by DIRT ROAD BBQ; the next was held in 2019.
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.
597.52
median 669.58
690.80 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 178.86
- Pork Ribs 175.42
- Pork 176
- Brisket 177.71
141.61
178.86
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2017 to 2019 — this edition picked out.
Entries
26
4 judged meats
Top score
690.8000
Winning margin
1.7372
GC over RC
Field average
663.80
597.52690.80
median 669.58 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork
2.8916 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
673.0172
597.52690.80
10th place overall
Field spread
93.2800
winner to last place
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 69%
beats 31% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
38%
11 of 29 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.74 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,641
avg power rating going in · stronger than 93% of contests
Storylines (4 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.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 10 calls decided inside half a point
Pork Ribs places 4–5: JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 and WHEN PIGS DIE tied on 170.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 9–10: 4 LEGS UP BBQ and HELPING U BBQ tied on 169.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 6–7: LAST CALL HEROES BBQ and B-S BBQ OUTLAWS tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Pork Ribs 4–5 · tie
- Pork Ribs 9–10 · tie
- Pork 6–7 · tie
- Pork 8–9 · tie
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was brisket at 14th.
- Chicken 3rd
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 2nd
- Brisket 14th
A contest record in brisket
177.7144
best brisket ever cooked here
4 LEGS UP BBQ turned in 177.7144 in brisket — past the 177.7028 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 177.7028
- across 1 past editions
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2017 | Rodney, IA | Oak Ave | 29 | 696.5600 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN |
| Jul 6, 2018 ← this one | Rodney, IA | Rodney, IA 51040 | 26 | 690.8000 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | SPITFIRE |
| Jun 28, 2019 | Rodney, IA | 10740 Oak Ave | 28 | 701.6916 | Slaps | DIRT ROAD BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 174.2628 | 170.8344 |
| Pork Ribs | 175.4172 | 170.2628 | 169.1200 |
| Pork | 176 | 173.1084 | 168.5828 |
| Brisket | 177.7144 | 170.8228 | 168.5372 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
26 entries · top 690.8000 · median 669.5770
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 2 | SPITFIRE | |
| 3 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 4 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 5 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 6 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 7 | LAST CALL HEROES BBQ | |
| 8 | SIN CIRCLE BBQ | |
| 9 | B-S BBQ OUTLAWS | |
| 10 | SCOTTS BBQ SHACK | |
| 11 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 12 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 13 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 14 | KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ | |
| 15 | RICHIE Z's | |
| 16 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 17 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 18 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 19 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 20 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 21 | NEW AMERICAN BBQ CREW | |
| 22 | FAIRWAY SMOKERS | |
| 23 | 2FishQ | |
| 24 | TEAM SMOKEWAGON | |
| 25 | HIDDEN BOOGER BBQ | |
| 26 | PIROGUES BBQ |
Chicken
26 entries · top 178.8572 · median 168.5714
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SPITFIRE | |
| 2 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 3 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 4 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 5 | SCOTTS BBQ SHACK | |
| 6 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 7 | KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ | |
| 8 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 9 | SIN CIRCLE BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 11 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 12 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 13 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 14 | RICHIE Z's | |
| 15 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 16 | FAIRWAY SMOKERS | |
| 17 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 18 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 19 | TEAM SMOKEWAGON | |
| 20 | NEW AMERICAN BBQ CREW | |
| 21 | LAST CALL HEROES BBQ | |
| 22 | B-S BBQ OUTLAWS | |
| 23 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 24 | 2FishQ | |
| 25 | PIROGUES BBQ | |
| 26 | HIDDEN BOOGER BBQ |
Pork Ribs
26 entries · top 175.4172 · median 167.7030
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 2 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 3 | SPITFIRE | |
| 4 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 5 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 6 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 7 | RICHIE Z's | |
| 8 | FAIRWAY SMOKERS | |
| 9 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 10 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 11 | SIN CIRCLE BBQ | |
| 12 | B-S BBQ OUTLAWS | |
| 13 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 14 | LAST CALL HEROES BBQ | |
| 15 | KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ | |
| 16 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 17 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 18 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 19 | HIDDEN BOOGER BBQ | |
| 20 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 21 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 22 | SCOTTS BBQ SHACK | |
| 23 | NEW AMERICAN BBQ CREW | |
| 24 | 2FishQ | |
| 25 | TEAM SMOKEWAGON | |
| 26 | PIROGUES BBQ |
Pork
26 entries · top 176 · median 166.5600
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 2 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 3 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 4 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 5 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 6 | LAST CALL HEROES BBQ | |
| 7 | B-S BBQ OUTLAWS | |
| 8 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 9 | SIN CIRCLE BBQ | |
| 10 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 11 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 12 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 13 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 14 | SPITFIRE | |
| 15 | SCOTTS BBQ SHACK | |
| 16 | KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 18 | RICHIE Z's | |
| 19 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 20 | FAIRWAY SMOKERS | |
| 21 | TEAM SMOKEWAGON | |
| 22 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 23 | HIDDEN BOOGER BBQ | |
| 24 | NEW AMERICAN BBQ CREW | |
| 25 | 2FishQ | |
| 26 | PIROGUES BBQ |
Brisket
26 entries · top 177.7144 · median 165.3770
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 2 | LAST CALL HEROES BBQ | |
| 3 | SPITFIRE | |
| 4 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 5 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 6 | B-S BBQ OUTLAWS | |
| 7 | SCOTTS BBQ SHACK | |
| 8 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 9 | NEW AMERICAN BBQ CREW | |
| 10 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 11 | RICHIE Z's | |
| 12 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 13 | SIN CIRCLE BBQ | |
| 14 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 15 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 16 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 17 | KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ | |
| 18 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 19 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 20 | 2FishQ | |
| 21 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 22 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 23 | FAIRWAY SMOKERS | |
| 24 | TEAM SMOKEWAGON | |
| 25 | HIDDEN BOOGER BBQ | |
| 26 | PIROGUES BBQ |