Sep 16–17, 2022 · Baxley, GA · 📍 2761 Blackshear Hwy · State championship
Reps: Julie Cook, Rusty Cook · Prize money: $9,550
Smoke Central BBQ won Grand Champion at the Smoketember Fest on September 16, 2022 in Baxley, GA at 2761 Blackshear Hwy, scoring 701.6456 in a field of 30 teams. SMOKE SHOW MAFIA took Reserve Grand Champion with 700.5372. Category winners: Chicken — Peckerwood Country Club (178.8572); Pork Ribs — BAD ROOSTER BBQ (178.8572); Pork — PeachCoast BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — Kings BBQ Team (180.0000). This is the 1st of 3 editions of this contest on record; the next was held in 2022.
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
What it has taken to win here, 2022 to 2023 — this edition picked out.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
Closer than 84% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1084 points — closer than 84% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 66 times in 100
Smoke Central BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, Organizer Portal, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 34-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Smoke Central BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 3rd. Consistency beat fireworks.
3 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
Chicken places 2–3: COOL HAND QUE and Smoke Central BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 3–4: Smoke Central BBQ and BALD HAWG BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: BALD HAWG BBQ and Organizer Portal tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2022 ← this one | Baxley, GA | 2761 Blackshear Hwy | 30 | 701.6456 | SMOKE CENTRAL BBQ | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA |
| Sep 16, 2022 | Baxley, GA | 2761 Blackshear Hwy | 17 | 180 | MAYA JANE BBQ | — |
| Sep 15, 2023 | Baxley, GA | 2761 Blackshear Hwy | 25 | 706.2516 | YES, DEAR BBQ | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA |
| Sep 15, 2023 | Baxley, GA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sep 27, 2024 | Baxley, GA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 176.5600 | 174.8456 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 175.4172 | 173.1200 |
| Pork | 180 | 176 | 174.2628 |
| Brisket | 180 | 174.2628 | 171.9656 |
30 entries · top 701.6456 · median 685.5942
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 3 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 4 | Organizer Portal | |
| 5 | BALD HAWG BBQ | |
| 6 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 7 | BAD AZZ MULE BBQ | |
| 8 | BAD ROOSTER BBQ | |
| 9 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 10 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 11 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 12 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 13 | ATLANTA BBQ STORE | |
| 14 | COOL HAND QUE | |
| 15 | POP'S SMOKE ON THE HILL | |
| 16 | ROAST BEAST BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS | |
| 18 | Willingham's | |
| 19 | Apocalypse Sow | |
| 20 | Wiggle Butts BBQ | |
| 21 | QUENUT BBQ | |
| 22 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 23 | QMEISTERS | |
| 24 | OLD HENRY'S BBQ | |
| 25 | Iron Head Barbeque | |
| 26 | COLEMAN BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 27 | HPO PIT TEAM | |
| 28 | DJ'S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ | |
| 29 | ALTAMAHA RIVER BBQ COMPANY | |
| 30 | LONE STAR TEAM |
30 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.9714
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 2 | COOL HAND QUE | |
| 3 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 4 | BALD HAWG BBQ | |
| 5 | Organizer Portal | |
| 6 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 7 | BAD ROOSTER BBQ | |
| 8 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 9 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 11 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 12 | ROAST BEAST BBQ | |
| 13 | SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS | |
| 14 | POP'S SMOKE ON THE HILL | |
| 15 | BAD AZZ MULE BBQ | |
| 16 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 17 | Wiggle Butts BBQ | |
| 18 | QUENUT BBQ | |
| 19 | QMEISTERS | |
| 20 | ATLANTA BBQ STORE | |
| 21 | Apocalypse Sow | |
| 22 | Iron Head Barbeque | |
| 23 | COLEMAN BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 24 | OLD HENRY'S BBQ | |
| 25 | ALTAMAHA RIVER BBQ COMPANY | |
| 26 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 27 | HPO PIT TEAM | |
| 28 | Willingham's | |
| 29 | DJ'S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ | |
| 30 | LONE STAR TEAM |
30 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.1144
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BAD ROOSTER BBQ | |
| 2 | Willingham's | |
| 3 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 4 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 5 | ATLANTA BBQ STORE | |
| 6 | BAD AZZ MULE BBQ | |
| 7 | POP'S SMOKE ON THE HILL | |
| 8 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 9 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 10 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 11 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 12 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 13 | Organizer Portal | |
| 14 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 15 | ROAST BEAST BBQ | |
| 16 | Wiggle Butts BBQ | |
| 17 | BALD HAWG BBQ | |
| 18 | SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS | |
| 19 | COOL HAND QUE | |
| 20 | ALTAMAHA RIVER BBQ COMPANY | |
| 21 | Iron Head Barbeque | |
| 22 | Apocalypse Sow | |
| 23 | QMEISTERS | |
| 24 | OLD HENRY'S BBQ | |
| 25 | LONE STAR TEAM | |
| 26 | DJ'S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ | |
| 27 | QUENUT BBQ | |
| 28 | HPO PIT TEAM | |
| 29 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 30 | COLEMAN BROTHERS BBQ |
30 entries · top 180 · median 171.9714 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 2 | POP'S SMOKE ON THE HILL | |
| 3 | BAD AZZ MULE BBQ | |
| 4 | ROAST BEAST BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 6 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 7 | BALD HAWG BBQ | |
| 8 | ATLANTA BBQ STORE | |
| 9 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 10 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 11 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 12 | Organizer Portal | |
| 13 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 14 | BAD ROOSTER BBQ | |
| 15 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 16 | Willingham's | |
| 17 | SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS | |
| 18 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 19 | Wiggle Butts BBQ | |
| 20 | COOL HAND QUE | |
| 21 | QUENUT BBQ | |
| 22 | DJ'S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ | |
| 23 | Apocalypse Sow | |
| 24 | COLEMAN BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 25 | QMEISTERS | |
| 26 | OLD HENRY'S BBQ | |
| 27 | Iron Head Barbeque | |
| 28 | HPO PIT TEAM | |
| 29 | LONE STAR TEAM | |
| 30 | ALTAMAHA RIVER BBQ COMPANY |
30 entries · top 180 · median 168.8170 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 2 | COOL HAND QUE | |
| 3 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 4 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 5 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 6 | QUENUT BBQ | |
| 7 | Organizer Portal | |
| 8 | Apocalypse Sow | |
| 9 | BALD HAWG BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS | |
| 11 | ATLANTA BBQ STORE | |
| 12 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 13 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 14 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 15 | BAD AZZ MULE BBQ | |
| 16 | QMEISTERS | |
| 17 | ROAST BEAST BBQ | |
| 18 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 19 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 20 | Willingham's | |
| 21 | BAD ROOSTER BBQ | |
| 22 | POP'S SMOKE ON THE HILL | |
| 23 | Wiggle Butts BBQ | |
| 24 | OLD HENRY'S BBQ | |
| 25 | ALTAMAHA RIVER BBQ COMPANY | |
| 26 | Iron Head Barbeque | |
| 27 | COLEMAN BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 28 | HPO PIT TEAM | |
| 29 | DJ'S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ | |
| 30 | LONE STAR TEAM |