In this edition
Every sanctioned contest scored in February 2023.
Covering KCBS-sanctioned contests
The Smoke Ring
Competition Barbecue’s Paper of Record
The Index
- Grand Champions A2
- The Month in Brief A3
- Perfect Scores A5
- Ratings Market A6
- New to the Circuit A8
- Box Scores B1
- Complete Results B4
- Back Issues C4
Score of the month
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ Turns In the Month’s Best Card
708.5604 out of 720 at Mission Farm's King of the Farm — the highest Master overall scored in February 2023.
top 1% of every Master overall ever scored
IRON STATION, N.C. — MUTTLEY CREW BBQ put up 708.5604 at Mission Farm's King of the Farm — the highest overall of the month.
Across February 2023, 3 sanctioned contests were scored, across 3 states and provinces, drawing 96 teams to the turn-in table. Judges made 120 top-ten calls and handed out 4 perfect 180s. 12 teams appear in the record for the first time. The full standings run on B1.
Every Grand Championship in this edition — 3 in all.
Upset of the month
The Long Shot Comes In at Budweiser Smoke on the Water
The ratings gave FRED VEGAS SMOKERS a 26% chance, with GETTIN' BASTED the team to beat.
26-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — FRED VEGAS SMOKERS won Budweiser Smoke on the Water over top-rated GETTIN' BASTED as the ratings underdog.
Perfect 180s
Judges Hand Out Four Perfect 180s
Six cards, every one a nine — 4 times in February 2023.
4 perfect scores handed out
Six judges, every card a 9: 4 perfect 180s were handed out in February 2023.
Closest call
Decided by 1.1544 Points
FRED VEGAS SMOKERS edged Piggin' Whiskey at Budweiser Smoke on the Water — the closest finish of the month.
1.1544 points between 1st and 2nd
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — FRED VEGAS SMOKERS edged Piggin' Whiskey by 1.1544 at Budweiser Smoke on the Water.
Also in Feb 2023
BBQ+ Back on Top After Three Years
BBQ+ won W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest — their first Grand Championship since October 2019, after 11 contests without one.
Poppa Pig Climbs 19 Rating Points
Poppa Pig gained 19 rating points across 2 contests — the biggest climb of the month.
Two State Champions Crowned
2 state championships were decided in February 2023. The biggest, Budweiser Smoke on the Water (47 teams), went to Fred Vegas Smokers.
47 Teams Roll Into Winter Haven
Budweiser Smoke on the Water drew 47 teams, and Fred Vegas Smokers won it.
HOT WACHULA'S Cooks Its 150th Contest
HOT WACHULA'S cooked their 150th contest on record at Budweiser Smoke on the Water, with 7 Grand Championships along the way.
FRED VEGAS SMOKERS Wins Budweiser Smoke on the Water Without Winning a Meat
FRED VEGAS SMOKERS won Budweiser Smoke on the Water without winning a single meat — their best category finish was 4th.
A New Contest Opens in Winter Haven
Budweiser Smoke on the Water ran for the first time on record, drawing 47 teams, and Fred Vegas Smokers won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.
Perfect 180s
4 perfect scores — six judges, every card a nine.
- Chicken BELGIAN BBQ TEAM FIVE Q W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest · Feb. 25
- Chicken Westside BBQ W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest · Feb. 25
- Brisket SMOKIN SKULLIES Mission Farm's King of the Farm · Feb. 24
- Pork Kings BBQ Team Budweiser Smoke on the Water · Feb. 3
The Ratings Market Power rating and the move over Feb 2023; # is the team’s place in the power rankings
| Team | Rating | Chg. |
|---|---|---|
| Poppa Pig #126 | 1,788 | ▲ 19 |
| Smoke Meat Every Day | 1,507 | ▲ 15 |
| SMOKE N' ASH BBQ #1,465 | 1,567 | ▲ 15 |
| Bearded Monkeys Twisted Q #2,045 | 1,537 | ▲ 14 |
| Westside BBQ #549 | 1,669 | ▲ 14 |
| FRED VEGAS SMOKERS #205 | 1,754 | ▲ 12 |
| Kings BBQ Team #105 | 1,805 | ▲ 10 |
| MUTTLEY CREW BBQ #386 | 1,702 | ▲ 9 |
| Team | Rating | Chg. |
|---|---|---|
| Borrowed Pit | 1,509 | ▲ 9 |
| SPEAKS FOR ITSELF BBQ #1,796 | 1,548 | ▲ 9 |
| Smokin' PB& J's BBQ | 1,488 | ▼ 12 |
| WHO CARES BBQ #216 | 1,752 | ▼ 12 |
| Uncle Buckys | 1,487 | ▼ 13 |
| Ma-Kole BBQ #5,147 | 1,460 | ▼ 13 |
| IRON BBQ #2,843 | 1,510 | ▼ 13 |
Full power rankings → · Ratings move only on rated contests; invitationals and non-points events are excluded.
New to the Circuit First appearance anywhere in the record — the figure is their best finish
- 14th M.A.S.H BBQ W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest
- 16th Borrowed Pit Budweiser Smoke on the Water
- 18th Massive BBQ W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest
- 21st Barbecuemantua2020 W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest
- 25th THREE BEARS ONE CAVE Mission Farm's King of the Farm
- 33rd Low and Slow Smokehouse Mission Farm's King of the Farm
- 37th The Drunken Sailor Budweiser Smoke on the Water
- 41st Bustin’ Butts BBQ of CFL Budweiser Smoke on the Water
- 43rd Brack Shack & Kick Yo Butt Catering Budweiser Smoke on the Water
- 45th Buckhorn Barbecue Budweiser Smoke on the Water
- 46th Smokin' PB& J's BBQ Budweiser Smoke on the Water
- 47th Uncle Buckys Budweiser Smoke on the Water
What a first season usually looks like → · 1 contest also ran for the first time on record: Budweiser Smoke on the Water.
Best of Each Meat
Both series, out of 180
| Meat | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken†2 | Westside BBQ W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest |
180 |
| Pork Ribs | Bald Hawg BBQ Mission Farm's King of the Farm |
178.8800 |
| Pork† | Kings BBQ Team Budweiser Smoke on the Water |
180 |
| Brisket† | SMOKIN SKULLIES Mission Farm's King of the Farm |
180 |
† a perfect 180 was scored in this category during the edition.
Who Showed Up
Contests · Grand Championships · best overall finish
| Team | C | GC | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Poppa Pig | 2 | — | 4 |
| HOT WACHULA'S | 2 | — | 5 |
| SmokinGhost BBQ | 2 | — | 5 |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 2 | — | 9 |
| GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ | 2 | — | 9 |
| WHO CARES BBQ | 2 | — | 16 |
| BBQ+ | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Piggin' Whiskey | 1 | — | 2 |
| Under the Radar | 1 | — | 2 |
| Westside BBQ | 1 | — | 2 |
| COOKLOUNGE BBQ | 1 | — | 3 |
| Kings BBQ Team | 1 | — | 3 |
| SMOKIN SKULLIES | 1 | — | 3 |
Who Ran the Table
Contests worked · states & provinces
| Rep | C | St. |
|---|---|---|
| Andreas Schnoell | 1 | 1 |
| Bill Jones | 1 | 1 |
| Bunny Tuttle | 1 | 1 |
| Eva Schnoell | 1 | 1 |
| Jeanne Titus | 1 | 1 |
| Julie Cook | 1 | 1 |
| Mike Garretson | 1 | 1 |
| Rich Tuttle | 1 | 1 |
| Rusty Cook | 1 | 1 |
Where They Cooked
Contests · teams
| State/Prov. | C | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 1 | 47 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 33 |
| BZ | 1 | 23 |
Every sanctioned contest scored in this edition — 3 in all, newest first. Click a column head to sort; click a row for the contest.
| Contest | Grand Champion | High score |
|---|---|---|
| W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest Feb. 25 · Rein in Taufers, BZ · 23 teams |
BBQ+ | 695.9772 |
| Mission Farm's King of the Farm Feb. 24 · Iron Station, N.C. · 33 teams |
MUTTLEY CREW | 708.5604 |
| Budweiser Smoke on the Water Feb. 3 · Winter Haven, Fla. · 47 teams |
Fred Vegas Smokers | 700.5144 |
Contests Advertised
- Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) — Friday, Oct. 23. West Creek, N.J. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) — Friday, Oct. 23. West Creek, N.J. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition — Friday, Oct. 23. Vidalia, La. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- Rock Lane Presents Grills Gone Wild — Friday, Oct. 23. Branson, Mo. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- The Butcher's Smoke & Flames Barbeque Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) — Friday, Oct. 23. Cullman, Ala. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- Foothills Smoke-Off Challenge — Friday, Oct. 23. Lenoir, N.C. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) — Saturday, Oct. 24. West Creek, N.J. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT RIBS) — Saturday, Oct. 24. West Creek, N.J. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
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