A razor-thin finish
0.0116
points between champion and reserve
Closer than 98% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.0116 points — closer than 98% of every championship in the data.
- Bay 5 BBQ
- DAT'S BBQ
September Fest 2026
Sep 11–12, 2026 · Coldwater, MI · 📍 262 S. Sprage St. · State championship
Reps: Becky Druetzler, Dave Druetzler · Prize money: $3,020
Bay 5 BBQ won Grand Champion at the September Fest on September 11, 2026 in Coldwater, MI at 262 S. Sprage St., scoring 694.2632 in a field of 16 teams. DAT'S BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 694.2516. Category winners: Chicken — DAT'S BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Team Cookie (176.5600); Pork — Q-Jitsu (178.8800); Brisket — Bay 5 BBQ (178.8572). The Backyard Series standings were won by All Smoked Up BBQ with 347.3944. This is the 4th of 7 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by Smoke'N'Stooges; the next was held in 2026.
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.
638.77
median 684.79
694.26 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Master Series — Chicken 180 🔥
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 176.56
- Master Series — Pork 178.88
- Master Series — Brisket 178.86
- Backyard Series — Chicken 175.41
- Backyard Series — Pork Ribs 175.43
149.68
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2024 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
16
6 judged meats
Top score
694.2632
Winning margin
0.0116
GC over RC
Field average
678.11
638.77694.26
median 684.79 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
3.4172 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
682.8000
638.77694.26
10th place overall
Field spread
55.4972
winner to last place
Prize money
$3,020
on the line
Double threats
9
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 56%
beats 44% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.4 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,530
avg power rating going in · stronger than 22% 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
23-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 77 times in 100
Bay 5 BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, MEAN MOE'S BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 23-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1490
- top seed 1701
A first Grand Championship
4
tracked contests to get there
This was Bay 5 BBQ's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 4th tracked contest.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 11 calls decided inside half a point
Master Series — Chicken places 3–4: BONE LICK-N BBQ and MEAN MOE'S BBQ tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Pork places 4–5: DAT'S BBQ and Bay 5 BBQ tied on 173.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Backyard Series — Pork Ribs places 5–6: Jughead's BBQ and Porkasaurus Rex BBQ tied on 170.2744 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Master Series — Chicken 3–4 · tie
- Master Series — Pork 4–5 · tie
- Backyard Series — Pork Ribs 5–6 · tie
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 5–6 · 0.0112
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
Bay 5 BBQ took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 11th.
- Chicken 11th
- Pork Ribs 3rd
- Pork 5th
- Brisket 1st
A contest record in chicken
180.0000
best chicken ever cooked here
DAT'S BBQ turned in 180.0000 in chicken — past the 178.2972 that had stood across 3 earlier editions.
- old best 178.2972
- across 3 past editions
A perfect score on the table
1
perfect 180s
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- DAT'S BBQ · Chicken
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 13, 2024 | Coldwater, MI | 262 S. Sprage St. | 18 | 687.3024 | Mac Attack BBQ | PB&J'S BBQ |
| Sep 19, 2025 | Coldwater, MI | 262 S. Sprage St. | 26 | 695.9428 | Que U | PEACE LOVE & SMOKINESS |
| Sep 19, 2025 | Coldwater, MI | 262 S. Sprage St. | 14 | 176.5600 | Smoke'N'Stooges | — |
| Sep 11, 2026 ← this one | Coldwater, MI | 262 S. Sprage St. | 16 | 694.2632 | Bay 5 BBQ | DAT'S BBQ |
| Sep 11, 2026 | Coldwater, MI | 262 S. Sprage St. | 16 | 179.4400 | Q-Jitsu | — |
| Sep 10, 2027 | Coldwater, MI | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sep 11, 2027 | Coldwater, MI | — | — | — | — | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 180 | 172.5600 | 167.9656 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 176.5600 | 173.1428 | 169.6800 |
| Master Series — Pork | 178.8800 | 173.7144 | 169.1200 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 178.8572 | 174.8572 | 169.6800 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 175.4056 | 170.8456 | 168.5484 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 175.4288 | 170.2744 | 162.8456 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
16 entries · top 694.2632 · median 684.7942
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bay 5 BBQ | |
| 2 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 3 | Team Cookie | |
| 4 | MEAN MOE'S BBQ | |
| 5 | BONE LICK-N BBQ | |
| 6 | Q-Jitsu | |
| 7 | Team BS BBQ | |
| 8 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 9 | JAYRHEA BBQ | |
| 10 | Drum Smoke BBQ | |
| 11 | Kalamazoo Pit Posse | |
| 12 | On The Brink BBQ | |
| 13 | Fat For A Reason BBQ | |
| 14 | Thin Blue BBQ | |
| 15 | Overcurrent BBQ | |
| 16 | Billy Bob Q |
Chicken
16 entries · top 180 · median 169.6914 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 2 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 3 | BONE LICK-N BBQ | |
| 4 | MEAN MOE'S BBQ | |
| 5 | Q-Jitsu | |
| 6 | Team BS BBQ | |
| 7 | Kalamazoo Pit Posse | |
| 8 | JAYRHEA BBQ | |
| 9 | On The Brink BBQ | |
| 10 | Drum Smoke BBQ | |
| 11 | Bay 5 BBQ | |
| 12 | Team Cookie | |
| 13 | Overcurrent BBQ | |
| 14 | Fat For A Reason BBQ | |
| 15 | Billy Bob Q | |
| 16 | Thin Blue BBQ |
Pork Ribs
16 entries · top 176.5600 · median 170.5772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team Cookie | |
| 2 | Team BS BBQ | |
| 3 | Bay 5 BBQ | |
| 4 | JAYRHEA BBQ | |
| 5 | On The Brink BBQ | |
| 6 | Thin Blue BBQ | |
| 7 | BONE LICK-N BBQ | |
| 8 | Drum Smoke BBQ | |
| 9 | Kalamazoo Pit Posse | |
| 10 | Overcurrent BBQ | |
| 11 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 12 | Q-Jitsu | |
| 13 | MEAN MOE'S BBQ | |
| 14 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 15 | Fat For A Reason BBQ | |
| 16 | Billy Bob Q |
Pork
16 entries · top 178.8800 · median 170.8458
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Q-Jitsu | |
| 2 | Team Cookie | |
| 3 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 4 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 5 | Bay 5 BBQ | |
| 6 | JAYRHEA BBQ | |
| 7 | MEAN MOE'S BBQ | |
| 8 | Thin Blue BBQ | |
| 9 | Billy Bob Q | |
| 10 | Drum Smoke BBQ | |
| 11 | Team BS BBQ | |
| 12 | Overcurrent BBQ | |
| 13 | Fat For A Reason BBQ | |
| 14 | Kalamazoo Pit Posse | |
| 15 | BONE LICK-N BBQ | |
| 16 | On The Brink BBQ |
Brisket
16 entries · top 178.8572 · median 171.4286
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bay 5 BBQ | |
| 2 | MEAN MOE'S BBQ | |
| 3 | BONE LICK-N BBQ | |
| 4 | Team Cookie | |
| 5 | Drum Smoke BBQ | |
| 6 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 7 | On The Brink BBQ | |
| 8 | Fat For A Reason BBQ | |
| 9 | Team BS BBQ | |
| 10 | Q-Jitsu | |
| 11 | JAYRHEA BBQ | |
| 12 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 13 | Kalamazoo Pit Posse | |
| 14 | Thin Blue BBQ | |
| 15 | Billy Bob Q | |
| 16 | Overcurrent BBQ |
Backyard Series
Overall
13 entries · top 347.3944 · median 336.5144
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | All Smoked Up BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKIN E'S BBQ | |
| 3 | Hoosier BBQ | |
| 4 | Black Sheep BBQ Indiana | |
| 5 | Porkasaurus Rex BBQ | |
| 6 | RedHog BBQ | |
| 7 | VanHoozen BBQ | |
| 8 | SmoQued On Main St | |
| 9 | Hammered Hog | |
| 10 | Bad Larry's Barbecue | |
| 11 | BBQ Mike | |
| 12 | Jughead's BBQ | |
| 13 | Punkin Patch BBQ |
Chicken
13 entries · top 175.4056 · median 170.2744
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN E'S BBQ | |
| 2 | Hammered Hog | |
| 3 | RedHog BBQ | |
| 4 | All Smoked Up BBQ | |
| 5 | Porkasaurus Rex BBQ | |
| 6 | Black Sheep BBQ Indiana | |
| 7 | Hoosier BBQ | |
| 8 | BBQ Mike | |
| 9 | SmoQued On Main St | |
| 10 | Bad Larry's Barbecue | |
| 11 | VanHoozen BBQ | |
| 12 | Punkin Patch BBQ | |
| 13 | Jughead's BBQ |
Pork Ribs
13 entries · top 175.4288 · median 167.9772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | All Smoked Up BBQ | |
| 2 | Hoosier BBQ | |
| 3 | Black Sheep BBQ Indiana | |
| 4 | SMOKIN E'S BBQ | |
| 5 | Jughead's BBQ | |
| 6 | Porkasaurus Rex BBQ | |
| 7 | VanHoozen BBQ | |
| 8 | RedHog BBQ | |
| 9 | SmoQued On Main St | |
| 10 | Bad Larry's Barbecue | |
| 11 | BBQ Mike | |
| 12 | Hammered Hog | |
| 13 | Punkin Patch BBQ |