A new contest record
692.0000
highest overall ever cooked here
692.0000 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 691.9312 LO' -N- SLO' BBQ set in 2016.
- old record 691.9312
- set 2016 by LO' -N- SLO' BBQ
New Holland Summer Fest (JUDGES FULL) 2018
Aug 24–25, 2018 · New Holland, PA · 📍 400 Block E Jackson St
3N1 Q won Grand Champion at the New Holland Summer Fest (JUDGES FULL) on August 24, 2018 in New Holland, PA at 400 Block E Jackson St, scoring 692.0000 in a field of 71 teams. LO' -N- SLO' BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 680.0000. Category winners: Chicken — Many Moons BBQ (174.2628); Pork Ribs — 3N1 Q (174.8800); Pork — PIG PEN BBQ (175.4172); Brisket — FLYING PORKERS (176.0000). This is the 6th of 11 editions of this contest on record; the 2017 edition was won by LO' -N- SLO' 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.
450.13
median 637.58
692 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 174.26
- Pork Ribs 174.88
- Pork 175.42
- Brisket 176
121.11
176
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2024 — this edition picked out.
Entries
70
4 judged meats · 3 ancillary
Top score
692
Winning margin
12
GC over RC
Field average
624.62
450.13692
median 637.58 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Chicken
2.2628 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
658.1484
450.13692
10th place overall
Field spread
241.8740
winner to last place
Double threats
2
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 64%
beats 36% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
66%
45 of 68 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.7 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,570
avg power rating going in · stronger than 54% of contests
Storylines (8 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
23-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 77 times in 100
3N1 Q came in rated below the field's top team, WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 23-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1754
- top seed 1963
A statement win
12.0000
points clear of the field
Wider than 92% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The champion won by 12.0000 points — a wider margin than 92% of championships in the data.
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 11 tracked editions
LO' -N- SLO' BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 11 tracked editions.
- 2016
- 2017
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 12 calls decided inside half a point
Pork Ribs places 2–3: SMOKESTACK REDEMPTION and PIGHEADED BBQ tied on 173.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 9–10: DANTE'S INFERNO and QUEGASM tied on 169.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 6–7: GOOD SMOKE BBQ and LO' -N- SLO' BBQ tied on 169.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Pork Ribs 2–3 · tie
- Pork Ribs 9–10 · tie
- Pork 6–7 · tie
- Brisket 1–2 · tie
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
3N1 Q took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 16th.
- Chicken 16th
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 2nd
- Brisket 3rd
Back to defend
3
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: DIZZY PIG (won 2014), 4:20 Q (won 2015), LO' -N- SLO' BBQ (won 2016, 2017).
- DIZZY PIG · 2014
- 4:20 Q · 2015
- LO' -N- SLO' BBQ · 2016, 2017
One of the big ones
71
teams on the grounds
Bigger than 95% of the 5,469 contests in the data
71 teams — bigger than 95% of the 5,469 contests in the data.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 23, 2013 | New Holland, PA | New Holland, PA | 71 | 675.4056 | Drilling & Grilling BBQ Team | PA MIDNITE SMOKERS |
| Aug 22, 2014 | New Holland, PA | New Holland, PA 17557 | 70 | 685.0856 | DIZZY PIG | 3 EYZ BBQ |
| Aug 28, 2015 | New Holland, PA | New Holland, PA 17557 | 70 | 682.8456 | 4:20 Q | FLYING PORKERS |
| Aug 26, 2016 | New Holland, PA | New Holland, PA | 66 | 691.9312 | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | BIG D'S BBQ |
| Aug 25, 2017 | New Holland, PA | 400 Block E Jackson St | 69 | 681.0860 | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | BEERBEQUE |
| Aug 24, 2018 ← this one | New Holland, PA | 400 Block E Jackson St | 71 | 692 | 3N1 Q | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ |
| Aug 23, 2019 | New Holland, PA | 400 E Jackson St | 65 | 685.0740 | SMOKECRAFT | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ |
| Aug 27, 2021 | New Holland, PA | 400 E Jackson St | 44 | 694.8112 | WOLF'S REVENGE | DANTE'S INFERNO |
| Aug 26, 2022 | New Holland, PA | 400 E. Jackson St. | 49 | 698.8000 | OPTIMUS SWINE | GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ |
| Aug 25, 2023 | New Holland, PA | 400 E. Jackson St. | 44 | 693.0512 | Chunky BBQ | SMOKECRAFT - MD |
| Aug 23, 2024 | New Holland, PA | 400 E. Jackson St. | 38 | 699.9428 | Wolf's Revenge BBQ | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 174.2628 | 172 | 170.8572 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.8800 | 171.4172 | 169.1200 |
| Pork | 175.4172 | 169.6800 | 167.9656 |
| Brisket | 176 | 171.9772 | 169.7028 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
70 entries · top 692 · median 637.5828
Chicken
69 entries · top 174.2628 · median 159.9428
Pork Ribs
69 entries · top 174.8800 · median 158.2056
Pork
70 entries · top 175.4172 · median 157.6798
Brisket
70 entries · top 176 · median 156.5256
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.
Master Series — Chef'S Choice
27 entries · top 180 · median 172 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PIG PEN BBQ | |
| 2 | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | |
| 3 | BAR-B-QUE MAYHAM | |
| 4 | Many Moons BBQ | |
| 5 | HAWG NATION BBQ | |
| 6 | SMOKIN' HOT PIGGIES | |
| 7 | BLIND CHERRY BBQ | |
| 8 | WEEKEND SMOKERS | |
| 9 | DIZZY PIG | |
| 10 | WHO ARE THOSE GUYS? | |
| 11 | PIGHEADED BBQ | |
| 12 | DEAD ON Q | |
| 13 | SMOKIN' STUFF BBQ | |
| 14 | Bushnics BBQ | |
| 15 | Q'IN BY THE FIRE | |
| 16 | Mr Perry's Smokehouse | |
| 17 | ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ | |
| 18 | PEQUEA PULLERS | |
| 19 | ENGINEERED SMOKE | |
| 20 | FREE RANGE BBQ | |
| 21 | HOLY SMOKERS | |
| 22 | LITTLE CREEK BAR B CUE COMPANY | |
| 23 | Que Boyz | |
| 24 | LAYMAN FAMILY BBQ | |
| 25 | Heavy Hitters BBQ | |
| 26 | WILLY'S Q SHACK | |
| 27 | SMOKEHOUSE BOYS |
Master Series — Sausage
39 entries · top 175.4172 · median 158.8456
Master Series — Whole Hog
8 entries · top 177.7144 · median 156.8342
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | |
| 2 | Jack's Down Home | |
| 3 | PIG PEN BBQ | |
| 4 | LITTLE CREEK BAR B CUE COMPANY | |
| 5 | Heavy Hitters BBQ | |
| 6 | Bob and Lena | |
| 7 | ALL HOGGED UP | |
| 8 | SMOKIN' HOT PIGGIES |