Montana Pitmaster Classic
2022-08-26 – 2022-08-27 · Bozeman, MT · 📍 1243 Oak Street · State championship
Reps: BRIAN MOORE, STEVEN FLEWALLEN · Prize money: $12,900.00
Grand Champion: BEER BELLY BBQ (706.8688) · 37 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ
Entries
37
4 judged meats
Top score
706.8688
Winning margin
1.1888
GC over RC
Field average
647.16
median 671.27
Tightest race
Chicken
1.7372 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
690.7772
10th place overall
Field spread
541.7604
winner to last place
Prize money
$12,900.00
on the line
Double threats
7
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 15%
beats 85% of 1951 Master Series wins in the data
Traveled in
22%
of the 37 teams with a home region came from outside MT
Came back for more
52%
16 of 31 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.64 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1518
avg power rating going in · stronger than 22% of contests
Storylines
👑 A dynasty in the making
MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ has won this contest 4 times across its 8 tracked editions.
🪒 A razor-thin finish
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1888 points — closer than 76% of every championship in the data.
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
Beer Belly BBQ took the Grand Championship home to KS.
🧹 A double category winner
BEER BELLY BBQ won Chicken, Brisket — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
📸 Photo finishes
Pork Ribs places 6–7: Rhythm n QUE and 7 SINS BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 2–3: MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ and BEER BELLY BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 7–8: Rhythm n QUE and 202 BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
🛡️ Back to defend
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ (won 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021).
🃏 An upset on the books
Beer Belly BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, Piggin' Whiskey, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 28-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-08-25 | 1243 Oak St | 20 | 681.6684 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 2018-08-24 | 1243 Oak St | 26 | 698.2740 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | GRATE EXPECTATIONS | |
| 2019-08-23 | Bozeman, MT | 1243 Oak St | 29 | 691.9888 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | CAMP HOUSE BBQ |
| 2021-08-27 | Bozeman, MT | Bozeman, MT 59717 | 31 | 711.4172 | Montana Outlaw BBQ | BEER BELLY BBQ |
| 2022-08-26 ← this one | 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 | 177.1428 | 175.4056 | 172.5600 |
| Pork Ribs | 180.0000 | 175.4288 | 173.1544 |
| Pork | 179.4400 | 176.5828 | 173.7028 |
| Brisket | 177.7144 | 174.2744 | 172.5600 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
37 entries · top 706.8688 · median 671.2680
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 2 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 3 | PIGGIN' WHISKEY | |
| 4 | 7 SINS BBQ | |
| 5 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 6 | Ashey Construction 1 | |
| 7 | Mountain Smoke | |
| 8 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 9 | Willy Mo's | |
| 10 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 11 | Triple Nines BBQ | |
| 12 | 202 BBQ | |
| 13 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 14 | Outta Left Field BBQ | |
| 15 | Bearded Boar BBQ | |
| 16 | Shane Edd's BBQ | |
| 17 | Popping Smoke Barbecue | |
| 18 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 19 | YOU NEED A BBQ | |
| 20 | Ashley Construction 3 | |
| 21 | 12 BAR BLUES CUE | |
| 22 | Heinquarters Barbecue | |
| 23 | Double T Bbq | |
| 24 | Ashley Construction 4 | |
| 25 | Ashley Construction 2 | |
| 26 | Taste Of Mitch | |
| 27 | Burch Barrel | |
| 28 | Random Guys Smoking | |
| 29 | Papi On The Patio | |
| 30 | Kick Back BBQ | |
| 31 | Broken Barrel BBQ and Kitchen | |
| 32 | The Pit Crew | |
| 33 | Mad Q BBq | |
| 34 | LPD BBQ - Livingston Police | |
| 35 | Prairie Girls - The Springs | |
| 36 | Red Star BBQ | |
| 37 | Headwaters BBQ |
Chicken
36 entries · top 177.1428 · median 168.2742
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 2 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 3 | Shane Edd's BBQ | |
| 4 | Willy Mo's | |
| 5 | PIGGIN' WHISKEY | |
| 6 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 7 | 7 SINS BBQ | |
| 8 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 9 | Mountain Smoke | |
| 10 | 12 BAR BLUES CUE | |
| 11 | Popping Smoke Barbecue | |
| 12 | YOU NEED A BBQ | |
| 13 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 14 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 15 | Triple Nines BBQ | |
| 16 | Taste Of Mitch | |
| 17 | 202 BBQ | |
| 18 | Ashey Construction 1 | |
| 19 | Burch Barrel | |
| 20 | Bearded Boar BBQ | |
| 21 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 22 | Outta Left Field BBQ | |
| 23 | Ashley Construction 4 | |
| 24 | Ashley Construction 2 | |
| 25 | The Pit Crew | |
| 26 | Heinquarters Barbecue | |
| 27 | Broken Barrel BBQ and Kitchen | |
| 28 | Double T Bbq | |
| 29 | Kick Back BBQ | |
| 30 | Mad Q BBq | |
| 31 | Ashley Construction 3 | |
| 32 | Random Guys Smoking | |
| 33 | Prairie Girls - The Springs | |
| 34 | Papi On The Patio | |
| 35 | Red Star BBQ | |
| 36 | LPD BBQ - Livingston Police |
Pork Ribs
36 entries · top 180.0000 · median 167.7086 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 2 | PIGGIN' WHISKEY | |
| 3 | Triple Nines BBQ | |
| 4 | Mountain Smoke | |
| 5 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 6 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 7 | 7 SINS BBQ | |
| 8 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 9 | Random Guys Smoking | |
| 10 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 11 | Ashey Construction 1 | |
| 12 | Red Star BBQ | |
| 13 | Willy Mo's | |
| 14 | Outta Left Field BBQ | |
| 15 | Heinquarters Barbecue | |
| 16 | Popping Smoke Barbecue | |
| 17 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 18 | Bearded Boar BBQ | |
| 19 | Ashley Construction 3 | |
| 20 | 202 BBQ | |
| 21 | Ashley Construction 2 | |
| 22 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 23 | Shane Edd's BBQ | |
| 24 | Taste Of Mitch | |
| 25 | 12 BAR BLUES CUE | |
| 26 | Double T Bbq | |
| 27 | YOU NEED A BBQ | |
| 28 | Burch Barrel | |
| 29 | Papi On The Patio | |
| 30 | The Pit Crew | |
| 31 | Broken Barrel BBQ and Kitchen | |
| 32 | Ashley Construction 4 | |
| 33 | LPD BBQ - Livingston Police | |
| 34 | Kick Back BBQ | |
| 35 | Mad Q BBq | |
| 36 | Prairie Girls - The Springs |
Pork
37 entries · top 179.4400 · median 167.9884
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashey Construction 1 | |
| 2 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 3 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 4 | Shane Edd's BBQ | |
| 5 | Mountain Smoke | |
| 6 | 7 SINS BBQ | |
| 7 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 8 | 202 BBQ | |
| 9 | Ashley Construction 4 | |
| 10 | PIGGIN' WHISKEY | |
| 11 | Willy Mo's | |
| 12 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 13 | Ashley Construction 3 | |
| 14 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 15 | Popping Smoke Barbecue | |
| 16 | Papi On The Patio | |
| 17 | Outta Left Field BBQ | |
| 18 | Taste Of Mitch | |
| 19 | Triple Nines BBQ | |
| 20 | YOU NEED A BBQ | |
| 21 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 22 | Bearded Boar BBQ | |
| 23 | Headwaters BBQ | |
| 24 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 25 | Kick Back BBQ | |
| 26 | The Pit Crew | |
| 27 | Broken Barrel BBQ and Kitchen | |
| 28 | Ashley Construction 2 | |
| 29 | Double T Bbq | |
| 30 | Red Star BBQ | |
| 31 | Heinquarters Barbecue | |
| 32 | Random Guys Smoking | |
| 33 | Burch Barrel | |
| 34 | Mad Q BBq | |
| 35 | Prairie Girls - The Springs | |
| 36 | LPD BBQ - Livingston Police | |
| 37 | 12 BAR BLUES CUE |
Brisket
35 entries · top 177.7144 · median 167.3828
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 2 | PIGGIN' WHISKEY | |
| 3 | Bearded Boar BBQ | |
| 4 | Ashey Construction 1 | |
| 5 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 6 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 7 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 8 | 7 SINS BBQ | |
| 9 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 10 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 11 | Willy Mo's | |
| 12 | Outta Left Field BBQ | |
| 13 | Mountain Smoke | |
| 14 | 202 BBQ | |
| 15 | Triple Nines BBQ | |
| 16 | 12 BAR BLUES CUE | |
| 17 | YOU NEED A BBQ | |
| 18 | Ashley Construction 3 | |
| 19 | Double T Bbq | |
| 20 | Heinquarters Barbecue | |
| 21 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 22 | Kick Back BBQ | |
| 23 | Popping Smoke Barbecue | |
| 24 | Burch Barrel | |
| 25 | Ashley Construction 2 | |
| 26 | Ashley Construction 4 | |
| 27 | Random Guys Smoking | |
| 28 | Papi On The Patio | |
| 29 | Shane Edd's BBQ | |
| 30 | Broken Barrel BBQ and Kitchen | |
| 31 | LPD BBQ - Livingston Police | |
| 32 | Mad Q BBq | |
| 33 | Prairie Girls - The Springs | |
| 34 | The Pit Crew | |
| 35 | Taste Of Mitch |