A new contest record
709.7260
highest overall ever cooked here
709.7260 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 691.3712 The Pig's Pajamas set in 2022.
- old record 691.3712
- set 2022 by The Pig's Pajamas
Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 2023
Jun 3–4, 2023 · Merrimack, NH · 📍 Anheuser-Busch Brewery · State championship
Reps: Bill Wright, Kim Wright · Prize money: $5,000
GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ won Grand Champion at the Granite State BBQ Championship - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES on June 3, 2023 in Merrimack, NH at Anheuser-Busch Brewery, scoring 709.7260 in a field of 39 teams. Brookside BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 697.6684. Category winners: Chicken — GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ (178.8572); Pork Ribs — Live Q or Die (177.7372); Pork — GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ (178.2972); Brisket — GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ (177.1544). This is the 2nd of 3 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by The Pig's Pajamas; the next was held in 2024.
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.
576.55
median 663.35
709.73 🏆
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 177.74
- Pork 178.30
- Brisket 177.15
137.04
178.86
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2022 to 2024 — this edition picked out.
Entries
39
4 judged meats
Top score
709.7260
Winning margin
12.0576
GC over RC
Field average
659.39
576.55709.73
median 663.35 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork
2.8916 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
679.3028
576.55709.73
10th place overall
Field spread
133.1776
winner to last place
Prize money
$5,000
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 3%
beats 97% of 4714 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
65%
24 of 37 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.68 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,556
avg power rating going in · stronger than 43% 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
29-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 71 times in 100
GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 29-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1651
- top seed 1807
A statement win
12.0576
points clear of the field
Wider than 92% of the 4,713 championships in the data
The champion won by 12.0576 points — a wider margin than 92% of championships in the data.
A hat-trick of category wins
3
category wins in a day
GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ won Chicken, Pork, Brisket — a hat-trick, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 1st
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 11 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 4–5: ELJEFE SMOKE and PADDY MCQ'S tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 8–9: PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ and Mullen It Over BBQ tied on 173.1428 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 5–6: Bone Daddy BBQ and SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS tied on 173.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 4–5 · tie
- Chicken 8–9 · tie
- Pork Ribs 5–6 · tie
- Pork Ribs 9–10 · tie
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 3 outright wins — their weakest board was pork ribs at 2nd.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 2nd
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 1st
A contest record in pork
178.2972
best pork ever cooked here
GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ turned in 178.2972 in pork — past the 176.0116 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 176.0116
- across 1 past editions
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 4, 2022 | Merrimack, NH | Anheuser-Busch Brewery | 37 | 691.3712 | The Pig's Pajamas | FOUR SMOKING GUYS |
| Jun 3, 2023 ← this one | Merrimack, NH | Anheuser-Busch Brewery | 39 | 709.7260 | Glazed & Infused NJ BBQ | Brookside BBQ |
| Jun 1, 2024 | Merrimack, NH | Anheuser-Busch Brewery | 37 | 687.4060 | Up 2 BBQ | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 175.4172 | 173.1200 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7372 | 173.7144 | 172.5600 |
| Pork | 178.2972 | 175.4056 | 170.8456 |
| Brisket | 177.1544 | 172.5600 | 169.1200 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
39 entries · top 709.7260 · median 663.3488
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ | |
| 2 | Brookside BBQ | |
| 3 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 4 | OFF THE RACK BBQ | |
| 5 | Live Q or Die | |
| 6 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 7 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 8 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 9 | WHAT THE PORK? | |
| 10 | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT | |
| 11 | SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS | |
| 12 | CIDER BOYS BBQ | |
| 13 | PISTOL PACKIN' PIGGIES | |
| 14 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 15 | Bone Daddy BBQ | |
| 16 | Matt's Backyard BBQ | |
| 17 | FAT TIGER BBQ | |
| 18 | 16 Mesh BBQ | |
| 19 | New England Pitmasters | |
| 20 | CycloneBBQ | |
| 21 | ACK-QUE | |
| 22 | UP IN YOUR GRILL | |
| 23 | FOUR SMOKING GUYS | |
| 24 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 25 | KingKong BBQ | |
| 26 | Pit Life BBQ | |
| 27 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 28 | smokin good times ME | |
| 29 | SUWHEE Q | |
| 30 | Dirt Bag Barbeque | |
| 31 | PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | |
| 32 | Big Bobby's Q | |
| 33 | BBQ Bandits | |
| 34 | Cousins Q | |
| 35 | CORBBQ | |
| 36 | Tender Beast Bar-B-Que | |
| 37 | Ritchie Bros BBQ | |
| 38 | BBQBrewCrew | |
| 39 | Babu Baker's Handmade BBQ |
Chicken
39 entries · top 178.8572 · median 168.5372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ | |
| 2 | Brookside BBQ | |
| 3 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 4 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 5 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 6 | OFF THE RACK BBQ | |
| 7 | PISTOL PACKIN' PIGGIES | |
| 8 | PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | |
| 9 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 10 | FAT TIGER BBQ | |
| 11 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 13 | CIDER BOYS BBQ | |
| 14 | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT | |
| 15 | Live Q or Die | |
| 16 | Cousins Q | |
| 17 | 16 Mesh BBQ | |
| 18 | New England Pitmasters | |
| 19 | BBQ Bandits | |
| 20 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 21 | UP IN YOUR GRILL | |
| 22 | KingKong BBQ | |
| 23 | WHAT THE PORK? | |
| 24 | Matt's Backyard BBQ | |
| 25 | SUWHEE Q | |
| 26 | Dirt Bag Barbeque | |
| 27 | FOUR SMOKING GUYS | |
| 28 | Pit Life BBQ | |
| 29 | SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS | |
| 30 | smokin good times ME | |
| 31 | Bone Daddy BBQ | |
| 32 | Big Bobby's Q | |
| 33 | CycloneBBQ | |
| 34 | ACK-QUE | |
| 35 | Tender Beast Bar-B-Que | |
| 36 | CORBBQ | |
| 37 | Ritchie Bros BBQ | |
| 38 | BBQBrewCrew | |
| 39 | Babu Baker's Handmade BBQ |
Pork Ribs
39 entries · top 177.7372 · median 166.2400
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Live Q or Die | |
| 2 | GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ | |
| 3 | WHAT THE PORK? | |
| 4 | PISTOL PACKIN' PIGGIES | |
| 5 | Bone Daddy BBQ | |
| 6 | SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS | |
| 7 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 8 | CIDER BOYS BBQ | |
| 9 | Brookside BBQ | |
| 10 | OFF THE RACK BBQ | |
| 11 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 12 | CycloneBBQ | |
| 13 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 14 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 15 | KingKong BBQ | |
| 16 | Tender Beast Bar-B-Que | |
| 17 | Pit Life BBQ | |
| 18 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 19 | New England Pitmasters | |
| 20 | Dirt Bag Barbeque | |
| 21 | PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | |
| 22 | 16 Mesh BBQ | |
| 23 | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT | |
| 24 | UP IN YOUR GRILL | |
| 25 | Big Bobby's Q | |
| 26 | Matt's Backyard BBQ | |
| 27 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 28 | CORBBQ | |
| 29 | FOUR SMOKING GUYS | |
| 30 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 31 | ACK-QUE | |
| 32 | FAT TIGER BBQ | |
| 33 | smokin good times ME | |
| 34 | BBQ Bandits | |
| 35 | BBQBrewCrew | |
| 36 | Cousins Q | |
| 37 | SUWHEE Q | |
| 38 | Babu Baker's Handmade BBQ | |
| 39 | Ritchie Bros BBQ |
Pork
39 entries · top 178.2972 · median 165.1312
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ | |
| 2 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 3 | ACK-QUE | |
| 4 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 5 | Brookside BBQ | |
| 6 | OFF THE RACK BBQ | |
| 7 | Matt's Backyard BBQ | |
| 8 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 9 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 10 | 16 Mesh BBQ | |
| 11 | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT | |
| 12 | SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS | |
| 13 | Bone Daddy BBQ | |
| 14 | WHAT THE PORK? | |
| 15 | CycloneBBQ | |
| 16 | CIDER BOYS BBQ | |
| 17 | PISTOL PACKIN' PIGGIES | |
| 18 | Dirt Bag Barbeque | |
| 19 | FAT TIGER BBQ | |
| 20 | SUWHEE Q | |
| 21 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 22 | Pit Life BBQ | |
| 23 | KingKong BBQ | |
| 24 | New England Pitmasters | |
| 25 | PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | |
| 26 | Live Q or Die | |
| 27 | Big Bobby's Q | |
| 28 | BBQ Bandits | |
| 29 | smokin good times ME | |
| 30 | FOUR SMOKING GUYS | |
| 31 | UP IN YOUR GRILL | |
| 32 | CORBBQ | |
| 33 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 34 | Cousins Q | |
| 35 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 36 | Tender Beast Bar-B-Que | |
| 37 | Ritchie Bros BBQ | |
| 38 | BBQBrewCrew | |
| 39 | Babu Baker's Handmade BBQ |
Brisket
39 entries · top 177.1544 · median 164.5488
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ | |
| 2 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 3 | Live Q or Die | |
| 4 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 5 | Brookside BBQ | |
| 6 | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT | |
| 7 | Ritchie Bros BBQ | |
| 8 | SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS | |
| 9 | FOUR SMOKING GUYS | |
| 10 | UP IN YOUR GRILL | |
| 11 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 12 | WHAT THE PORK? | |
| 13 | ACK-QUE | |
| 14 | smokin good times ME | |
| 15 | FAT TIGER BBQ | |
| 16 | OFF THE RACK BBQ | |
| 17 | Bone Daddy BBQ | |
| 18 | Matt's Backyard BBQ | |
| 19 | CycloneBBQ | |
| 20 | SUWHEE Q | |
| 21 | Cousins Q | |
| 22 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 23 | New England Pitmasters | |
| 24 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 25 | CIDER BOYS BBQ | |
| 26 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 27 | PISTOL PACKIN' PIGGIES | |
| 28 | 16 Mesh BBQ | |
| 29 | CORBBQ | |
| 30 | Babu Baker's Handmade BBQ | |
| 31 | Big Bobby's Q | |
| 32 | KingKong BBQ | |
| 33 | Pit Life BBQ | |
| 34 | Tender Beast Bar-B-Que | |
| 35 | BBQ Bandits | |
| 36 | BBQBrewCrew | |
| 37 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 38 | Dirt Bag Barbeque | |
| 39 | PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ |