A razor-thin finish
1.1200
points between champion and reserve
Closer than 79% of the 610 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1200 points — closer than 79% of every championship in the data.
- Sensuous BBQ
- Nobody
Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) 2023
Sep 9, 2023 · Roseville, MN · 📍 1744 Terrace Dr
Reps: John Scharffbillig, Laurie Tweten · Prize money: $7,000
Sensuous BBQ won Grand Champion at the Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) on September 9, 2023 in Roseville, MN at 1744 Terrace Dr, scoring 349.1316 in a field of 30 teams. Nobody took Reserve Grand Champion with 348.0116. Category winners: Chicken — Sensuous BBQ (178.8572); Pork Ribs — FENDER BENDER BBQ (174.8572). This is the 2nd of 3 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by Dad Bod BBQ; 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.
287.92
median 332.51
349.13 🏆
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 174.86
143.41
178.86
Entries
30
2 judged meats
Top score
349.1316
Winning margin
1.1200
GC over RC
Field average
329.65
287.92349.13
median 332.51 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
2.8684 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
339.3828
287.92349.13
10th place overall
Field spread
61.2116
winner to last place
Prize money
$7,000
on the line
How hot was the win?
Top 51%
beats 49% of 610 Backyard Series wins in the data
Came back for more
50%
15 of 30 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.46 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,538
avg power rating going in · stronger than 28% of contests
Storylines (3 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.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 4 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 7–8: 10,000 Racks BBQ and Sota Smoke BBQ tied on 172.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 5–6: Black Stack BBQ edged Lucky Shoes BBQ by 0.0004. Pork Ribs places 6–7: Lucky Shoes BBQ edged small town girl barbeque by 0.0112.
- Chicken 7–8 · tie
- Pork Ribs 5–6 · 0.0004
- Pork Ribs 6–7 · 0.0112
- Pork Ribs 1–2 · 0.0116
A contest record in chicken
178.8572
best chicken ever cooked here
Sensuous BBQ turned in 178.8572 in chicken — past the 177.7372 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 177.7372
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 10, 2022 | Roseville, MN | 1744 Terrace Dr | 30 | 349.7144 | Dad Bod BBQ |
| Sep 9, 2023 ← this one | Roseville, MN | 1744 Terrace Dr | 30 | 349.1316 | Sensuous BBQ |
| Sep 7, 2024 | Roseville, MN | 1744 Terrace Dr | 18 | 341.6916 | Notorious P.I.G. |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 174.8572 | 170.2972 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.8572 | 171.9888 | 169.1312 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Backyard Series
Overall
30 entries · top 349.1316 · median 332.5084
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sensuous BBQ | |
| 2 | Nobody | |
| 3 | DAD BOD BARBEQUE | |
| 4 | Sugar Shack | |
| 5 | FENDER BENDER BBQ | |
| 6 | Notorious P.I.G. | |
| 7 | 10,000 Racks BBQ | |
| 8 | WRECKING CREW BBQ | |
| 9 | Black Stack BBQ | |
| 10 | Rack Shack bbq | |
| 11 | Big Racks BBQ | |
| 12 | DAWGS BBQ | |
| 13 | SMOKIN' PIT PATRIOTS | |
| 14 | Cool Name BBQ | |
| 15 | Lucky Shoes BBQ | |
| 16 | Marty Party BBQ | |
| 17 | Porket About It | |
| 18 | Big Ten Bones | |
| 19 | Unknown Smokers | |
| 20 | small town girl barbeque | |
| 21 | Anderson BBQ Supply | |
| 22 | Big Bear BBQ | |
| 23 | Wildhart BBQ | |
| 24 | Sota Smoke BBQ | |
| 25 | Rub Me The Right Way | |
| 26 | Penny's Cut BBQ | |
| 27 | Dancing Pappy's BBQ | |
| 28 | Big Rib | |
| 29 | Stokin N Poken | |
| 30 | Smoken Hot BJ's |
Chicken
30 entries · top 178.8572 · median 166.2514
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sensuous BBQ | |
| 2 | Nobody | |
| 3 | Cool Name BBQ | |
| 4 | DAWGS BBQ | |
| 5 | DAD BOD BARBEQUE | |
| 6 | WRECKING CREW BBQ | |
| 7 | 10,000 Racks BBQ | |
| 8 | Sota Smoke BBQ | |
| 9 | Big Racks BBQ | |
| 10 | Unknown Smokers | |
| 11 | Rack Shack bbq | |
| 12 | Sugar Shack | |
| 13 | Black Stack BBQ | |
| 14 | SMOKIN' PIT PATRIOTS | |
| 15 | Notorious P.I.G. | |
| 16 | Big Ten Bones | |
| 17 | FENDER BENDER BBQ | |
| 18 | Big Bear BBQ | |
| 19 | Porket About It | |
| 20 | Wildhart BBQ | |
| 21 | Dancing Pappy's BBQ | |
| 22 | Anderson BBQ Supply | |
| 23 | Lucky Shoes BBQ | |
| 24 | Rub Me The Right Way | |
| 25 | Penny's Cut BBQ | |
| 26 | Marty Party BBQ | |
| 27 | small town girl barbeque | |
| 28 | Big Rib | |
| 29 | Stokin N Poken | |
| 30 | Smoken Hot BJ's |
Pork Ribs
30 entries · top 174.8572 · median 167.4000
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FENDER BENDER BBQ | |
| 2 | Marty Party BBQ | |
| 3 | Notorious P.I.G. | |
| 4 | Sugar Shack | |
| 5 | Black Stack BBQ | |
| 6 | Lucky Shoes BBQ | |
| 7 | small town girl barbeque | |
| 8 | Nobody | |
| 9 | Sensuous BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOKIN' PIT PATRIOTS | |
| 11 | Rack Shack bbq | |
| 12 | Porket About It | |
| 13 | DAD BOD BARBEQUE | |
| 14 | 10,000 Racks BBQ | |
| 15 | Big Racks BBQ | |
| 16 | WRECKING CREW BBQ | |
| 17 | Anderson BBQ Supply | |
| 18 | Big Ten Bones | |
| 19 | DAWGS BBQ | |
| 20 | Big Bear BBQ | |
| 21 | Rub Me The Right Way | |
| 22 | Wildhart BBQ | |
| 23 | Cool Name BBQ | |
| 24 | Penny's Cut BBQ | |
| 25 | Unknown Smokers | |
| 26 | Stokin N Poken | |
| 27 | Sota Smoke BBQ | |
| 28 | Dancing Pappy's BBQ | |
| 29 | Big Rib | |
| 30 | Smoken Hot BJ's |