A new contest record
706.8576
highest overall ever cooked here
706.8576 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 700.5372 MUTTLEY CREW BBQ set in 2017.
- old record 700.5372
- set 2017 by MUTTLEY CREW BBQ
SC Festival of Discovery 2021
Jul 9–10, 2021 · Greenwood, SC · 📍 Main Street · State championship
Reps: Carolyn Wells, Doug Reid, Julie Cook, Mike Garretson, Rusty Cook · Prize money: $25,000
Smoke Central BBQ won Grand Champion at the SC Festival of Discovery on July 9, 2021 in Greenwood, SC at Main Street, scoring 706.8576 in a field of 81 teams. SMOKIN' AIN'T EZ took Reserve Grand Champion with 695.9772. Category winners: Chicken — Smoke Central BBQ (178.8572); Pork Ribs — SMOKIN' AIN'T EZ (178.8572); Pork — FALLOUT BBQ (178.8572); Brisket — THE HOG MAFIA (178.8572). The Other standings were won by MIDDLE KID Q with 177.7600. This is the 8th of 8 editions of this contest on record; the 2019 edition was won by SMOKIN' GRINGOS.
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.
164.48
median 663.22
706.86 🏆
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 178.86
- Pork 178.86
- Brisket 178.86
20
178.86
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2021 — this edition picked out.
Entries
81
4 judged meats · 5 ancillary
Top score
706.8576
Winning margin
10.8804
GC over RC
Field average
646.66
164.48706.86
median 663.22 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Brisket
1.1428 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
688.4912
164.48706.86
10th place overall
Field spread
542.3776
winner to last place
Prize money
$25,000
on the line
Double threats
6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 8%
beats 92% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
51%
42 of 83 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.62 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,561
avg power rating going in · stronger than 47% 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
34-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 66 times in 100
Smoke Central BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 34-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1803
- top seed 1919
A statement win
10.8804
points clear of the field
Wider than 90% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The champion won by 10.8804 points — a wider margin than 90% of championships in the data.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 15 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 6–7: Poppa Pig and HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 7–8: HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ and HOLT BROTHERS BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 3–4: FALLOUT BBQ and THE HOG MAFIA tied on 176.5716 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 6–7 · tie
- Chicken 7–8 · tie
- Pork Ribs 3–4 · tie
- Pork Ribs 7–8 · tie
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
Smoke Central BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork ribs at 6th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 6th
- Pork 6th
- Brisket 5th
Back to defend
3
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: BUB-BA-Q (won 2015), MUTTLEY CREW BBQ (won 2017), SMOKIN' GRINGOS (won 2019).
- BUB-BA-Q · 2015
- MUTTLEY CREW BBQ · 2017
- SMOKIN' GRINGOS · 2019
One of the big ones
81
teams on the grounds
Bigger than 97% of the 5,462 contests in the data
81 teams — bigger than 97% of the 5,462 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 11, 2013 | Greenwood, SC | Greenwood, SC | 78 | 678.7656 | LOTTA BULL BBQ | BIG RED'S BARBECUE |
| Jul 10, 2014 | Greenwood, SC | Greenwood, SC 29646 | 86 | 690.2288 | KILLER B'S BBQ | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM |
| Jul 9, 2015 | Greenwood, SC | Greenwood, SC 29646 | 90 | 697.0856 | BUB-BA-Q | ULTIMATE TAILGATERS BBQ |
| Jul 7, 2016 | Greenwood, SC | Greenwood, SC | 82 | 686.7656 | UNCLE KENNY'S BBQ | HOT WACHULA'S |
| Jul 6, 2017 | Greenwood, SC | 120 Main Street | 89 | 700.5372 | MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC |
| Jul 12, 2018 | Greenwood, SC | Main Street | 89 | 694.8232 | OLD COLONY SMOKEHOUSE | HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY |
| Jul 12, 2019 | Greenwood, SC | Main Street | 83 | 690.8112 | SMOKIN' GRINGOS | PALMETTO PITMASTERS |
| Jul 9, 2021 ← this one | Greenwood, SC | Main Street | 81 | 706.8576 | SMOKE CENTRAL | SMOKIN' AIN'T EZ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 176.5716 | 175.4172 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 176.5600 | 174.2744 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 175.4056 | 172.5716 |
| Brisket | 178.8572 | 177.7144 | 174.8572 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
81 entries · top 706.8576 · median 663.2224
Chicken
81 entries · top 178.8572 · median 168
Pork Ribs
80 entries · top 178.8572 · median 167.1086
Pork
80 entries · top 178.8572 · median 167.3770
Brisket
80 entries · top 178.8572 · median 165.6800
Other
Overall
9 entries · top 177.7600 · median 161.1544 · out of 180, not the usual 720
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MIDDLE KID Q | |
| 2 | BAR-B-QUEEN | |
| 3 | SISTER QUE | |
| 4 | PIGTAILS BBQ | |
| 5 | ATLANTA BBQ STORE JR | |
| 6 | G'S GRILLIN' | |
| 7 | LIBERTY HILL CONCESSIONS | |
| 8 | PIGGYTAILS | |
| 9 | THE FLACO |
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.
Ancillary — Anything Goes
29 entries · top 173.2000 · median 156.0456
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HOLY SMOKE BBQ-NC | |
| 2 | SWEET SMOKE Q FLORIDA | |
| 3 | BLUE SUEDE QUE | |
| 4 | POTT'S BBQ | |
| 5 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 6 | QUALITY QUE | |
| 7 | Willingham's | |
| 8 | NARD'S BBQ | |
| 9 | Fu Man Que | |
| 10 | Going Yard BBQ | |
| 11 | Backwoods BBQ | |
| 12 | CHERRYWOOD BBQ SMOKE TEAM | |
| 13 | TKO BBQ | |
| 14 | RIVERSIDE SMOKE | |
| 15 | Pig on Fire | |
| 16 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 17 | THE HOG MAFIA | |
| 18 | CDS BBQ | |
| 19 | RUBBING BUTTS BBQ | |
| 20 | OFF THE GRILL BBQ | |
| 21 | HOLT BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 22 | THE BRISKET BUS | |
| 23 | THE SOUTHERN PIG | |
| 24 | ULTIMATE TAILGATERS BBQ | |
| 25 | CHARNOBYL | |
| 26 | Swine-O's | |
| 27 | PALMETTO MOONLIGHT SMOKERS | |
| 28 | CAROLINA BBQ SHACK | |
| 29 | RACK EM UP BBQ |
Ancillary — Dessert
24 entries · top 180 · median 162.8628 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SWEET SMOKE Q FLORIDA | |
| 2 | QUALITY QUE | |
| 3 | CREEKSIDE SMOKERS NC | |
| 4 | FIREHOUSE SMOKERS | |
| 5 | Cooters N Smoke | |
| 6 | THE HOG MAFIA | |
| 7 | BOOG-A-LOU SMOKE CREW | |
| 8 | BACKYARD BROS | |
| 9 | CDS BBQ | |
| 10 | CHERRYWOOD BBQ SMOKE TEAM | |
| 11 | POTT'S BBQ | |
| 12 | Pig on Fire | |
| 13 | PALMETTO MOONLIGHT SMOKERS | |
| 14 | RACK EM UP BBQ | |
| 15 | THE BRISKET BUS | |
| 16 | Backwoods BBQ | |
| 17 | RIVERSIDE SMOKE | |
| 18 | RUBBING BUTTS BBQ | |
| 19 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 20 | SMOKIN' AIN'T EZ | |
| 21 | OFF THE GRILL BBQ | |
| 22 | THE SOUTHERN PIG | |
| 23 | BLUE SUEDE QUE | |
| 24 | CAROLINA BBQ SHACK |
Ancillary — Hash
17 entries · top 171.4284 · median 160.5256
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BLUE SUEDE QUE | |
| 2 | Backwoods BBQ | |
| 3 | PALMETTO MOONLIGHT SMOKERS | |
| 4 | STUMP'S BBQ | |
| 5 | ULTIMATE TAILGATERS BBQ | |
| 6 | OFF THE GRILL BBQ | |
| 7 | Casual Smokers SC | |
| 8 | FIREHOUSE SMOKERS | |
| 9 | CHICKA-PIGA-MOO | |
| 10 | NARD'S BBQ | |
| 11 | RUBBING BUTTS BBQ | |
| 12 | CDS BBQ | |
| 13 | HOLT BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 14 | RIVERSIDE SMOKE | |
| 15 | SWEET SMOKE Q FLORIDA | |
| 16 | Fu Man Que | |
| 17 | SMOKIN' THE CITY BBQ |
Other — Kid'S Q Ages 11-15
6 entries · top 177.7600 · median 171.4516
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MIDDLE KID Q | |
| 2 | BAR-B-QUEEN | |
| 3 | SISTER QUE | |
| 4 | PIGTAILS BBQ | |
| 5 | G'S GRILLIN' | |
| 6 | THE FLACO |
Other — Kid'S Q Ages 6-10
3 entries · top 161.1544 · median 156
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ATLANTA BBQ STORE JR | |
| 2 | LIBERTY HILL CONCESSIONS | |
| 3 | PIGGYTAILS |