Montana Pitmaster Classic
2021-08-27 – 2021-08-28 · Bozeman, MT · 📍 Bozeman, MT 59717 · State championship
Reps: STEVEN FLEWALLEN · Prize money: $13,500.00
Grand Champion: Montana Outlaw BBQ (711.4172) · 31 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 BEER BELLY BBQ
Entries
31
4 judged meats
Top score
711.4172
Winning margin
10.7880
GC over RC
Field average
634.41
median 643.97
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
2.8456 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
674.7660
10th place overall
Field spread
409.7716
winner to last place
Prize money
$13,500.00
on the line
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 4%
beats 96% of 1951 Master Series wins in the data
Traveled in
19%
of the 31 teams with a home region came from outside MT
Came back for more
34%
10 of 29 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.42 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1509
avg power rating going in · stronger than 14% of contests
Storylines
👑 A dynasty in the making
MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 6 tracked editions.
💪 A statement win
The champion won by 10.7880 points — a wider margin than 92% of championships in the data.
🧹 A hat-trick of category wins
MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ won Chicken, Pork Ribs, Brisket — a hat-trick, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
📸 Photo finishes
Chicken places 4–5: SMELLAQUE and HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 2–3: MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ and HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 7–8: Blue Line BBQ MT edged Mountain Smoke BBQ by 0.0116.
🛡️ Back to defend
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ (won 2019).
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)
Where the field came from (home regions on file)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-08-23 | Bozeman, MT | 1243 Oak St | 29 | 691.9888 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | CAMP HOUSE BBQ |
| 2021-08-27 ← this one | Bozeman, MT | Bozeman, MT 59717 | 31 | 711.4172 | Montana Outlaw BBQ | BEER BELLY BBQ |
| 2022-08-26 | Bozeman, MT | 1243 Oak Street | 37 | 706.8688 | BEER BELLY BBQ | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ |
| 2023-08-25 | Bozeman, MT | 1243 Oak Street | 44 | 705.2116 | Bushmaster BBQ | SMELLAQUE |
| 2024-08-23 | Bozeman, MT | 1243 Oak Street | 39 | 713.1544 | Piggin' Whiskey | BURNT TREES BBQ |
| 2025-08-22 | Bozeman, MT | 1243 Oak Street | 38 | 704.5600 | Brinkerhoff BBQ | Mountain Smoke BBQ |
| 2026-08-28 | Bozeman, MT | — | — | — | — | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180.0000 | 176.5600 | 170.8572 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.1428 | 174.2972 | 170.8572 |
| Pork | 180.0000 | 172.6060 | 167.9540 |
| Brisket | 177.7144 | 174.2972 | 167.4172 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
31 entries · top 711.4172 · median 643.9660
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 2 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 3 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 4 | 202 BBQ | |
| 5 | Owens BBQ | |
| 6 | Mountain Smoke BBQ | |
| 7 | HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ | |
| 8 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 9 | UP IN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 10 | Blue Line BBQ MT | |
| 11 | Outta Left Field BBQ | |
| 12 | Popping Smoke Barbecue | |
| 13 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 14 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 15 | Odd Squad BBQ | |
| 16 | Poor Richard's BBQ | |
| 17 | Rolling Smoke BBQ | |
| 18 | Broken Barrel BBQ and Kitchen | |
| 19 | Specialty Forest Products BBQ | |
| 20 | Jay's BBQ and Catering | |
| 21 | Burning the Bone BBQ | |
| 22 | Mad Q BBq | |
| 23 | Double T Bbq | |
| 24 | Random Guys Smoking | |
| 25 | Willy Mo's | |
| 26 | Rosh BBQ | |
| 27 | Taste of Mitch | |
| 28 | Kick Back BBQ | |
| 29 | Upstates1bbq | |
| 30 | G Strong | |
| 31 | Big River BBQ |
Chicken
29 entries · top 180.0000 · median 166.3200 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 2 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 3 | Taste of Mitch | |
| 4 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 5 | HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ | |
| 6 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 7 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 8 | Mountain Smoke BBQ | |
| 9 | Blue Line BBQ MT | |
| 10 | Popping Smoke Barbecue | |
| 11 | Owens BBQ | |
| 12 | Outta Left Field BBQ | |
| 13 | 202 BBQ | |
| 14 | Mad Q BBq | |
| 15 | Odd Squad BBQ | |
| 16 | Burning the Bone BBQ | |
| 17 | Random Guys Smoking | |
| 18 | Upstates1bbq | |
| 19 | Rolling Smoke BBQ | |
| 20 | Kick Back BBQ | |
| 21 | Jay's BBQ and Catering | |
| 22 | Double T Bbq | |
| 23 | Rosh BBQ | |
| 24 | UP IN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 25 | Poor Richard's BBQ | |
| 26 | Broken Barrel BBQ and Kitchen | |
| 27 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 28 | Specialty Forest Products BBQ | |
| 29 | Willy Mo's |
Pork Ribs
31 entries · top 177.1428 · median 162.2516
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 2 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 3 | 202 BBQ | |
| 4 | UP IN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 5 | Specialty Forest Products BBQ | |
| 6 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 7 | Broken Barrel BBQ and Kitchen | |
| 8 | Outta Left Field BBQ | |
| 9 | Owens BBQ | |
| 10 | G Strong | |
| 11 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 12 | HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ | |
| 13 | Mountain Smoke BBQ | |
| 14 | Odd Squad BBQ | |
| 15 | Willy Mo's | |
| 16 | Rolling Smoke BBQ | |
| 17 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 18 | Double T Bbq | |
| 19 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 20 | Poor Richard's BBQ | |
| 21 | Random Guys Smoking | |
| 22 | Mad Q BBq | |
| 23 | Rosh BBQ | |
| 24 | Upstates1bbq | |
| 25 | Jay's BBQ and Catering | |
| 26 | Popping Smoke Barbecue | |
| 27 | Blue Line BBQ MT | |
| 28 | Burning the Bone BBQ | |
| 29 | Kick Back BBQ | |
| 30 | Taste of Mitch | |
| 31 | Big River BBQ |
Pork
31 entries · top 180.0000 · median 162.8228 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Line BBQ MT | |
| 2 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 3 | HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ | |
| 4 | Mountain Smoke BBQ | |
| 5 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 6 | Owens BBQ | |
| 7 | UP IN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 8 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 9 | 202 BBQ | |
| 10 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 11 | Popping Smoke Barbecue | |
| 12 | Broken Barrel BBQ and Kitchen | |
| 13 | Jay's BBQ and Catering | |
| 14 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 15 | Outta Left Field BBQ | |
| 16 | Big River BBQ | |
| 17 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 18 | Rolling Smoke BBQ | |
| 19 | Rosh BBQ | |
| 20 | Burning the Bone BBQ | |
| 21 | Specialty Forest Products BBQ | |
| 22 | Poor Richard's BBQ | |
| 23 | Double T Bbq | |
| 24 | Taste of Mitch | |
| 25 | Upstates1bbq | |
| 26 | G Strong | |
| 27 | Odd Squad BBQ | |
| 28 | Willy Mo's | |
| 29 | Kick Back BBQ | |
| 30 | Mad Q BBq | |
| 31 | Random Guys Smoking |
Brisket
30 entries · top 177.7144 · median 160.5658
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 2 | Owens BBQ | |
| 3 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 4 | 202 BBQ | |
| 5 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 6 | UP IN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 7 | Blue Line BBQ MT | |
| 8 | Mountain Smoke BBQ | |
| 9 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 10 | Poor Richard's BBQ | |
| 11 | Willy Mo's | |
| 12 | HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ | |
| 13 | Outta Left Field BBQ | |
| 14 | Odd Squad BBQ | |
| 15 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 16 | Popping Smoke Barbecue | |
| 17 | Burning the Bone BBQ | |
| 18 | Random Guys Smoking | |
| 19 | Rolling Smoke BBQ | |
| 20 | Mad Q BBq | |
| 21 | Specialty Forest Products BBQ | |
| 22 | Jay's BBQ and Catering | |
| 23 | G Strong | |
| 24 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 25 | Double T Bbq | |
| 26 | Broken Barrel BBQ and Kitchen | |
| 27 | Kick Back BBQ | |
| 28 | Rosh BBQ | |
| 29 | Taste of Mitch | |
| 30 | Upstates1bbq |