In this edition
Every sanctioned contest scored in October 2018 — 1 Oct to 31 Oct.
Covering KCBS-sanctioned contests
October 2018 in BBQ
The recap: every contest scored, every story, every board
Inside
The Stories
Score of the month
top 1% of every Master overall ever scored
SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ put up 710.8916 at Guts Glory Ram BBQ Showdown — the highest overall of the month.
Hottest hand
BOOMERANG BBQ took 2 Grand Championships in October 2018.
First one ever
BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. won their first Grand Championship at Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off, in their 58th contest in the data.
- 19 Oct
By invitation only
B TEAM BBQ MO won Holmes Drywall Supply BBQ Cook-off (INVITATIONAL ONLY GRILLING SERIES), best of 8 invited teams; RUBBIN BUTTS BBQ took reserve. An invite-only field, so it leaves the power rating alone and goes straight into the record book.
- top score 689.6456
- not in the power rating
Title defended
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ won Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down again — back-to-back Grand Championships at the same contest.
- 2017–2018
- field of 39
Upset of the month
The ratings gave them a 13% chance
A FINE SWINE won SMOKEToBERFEST over top-rated IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ as the ratings underdog.
Perfect 180s
Six judges, every card a 9: 34 perfect 180s were handed out in October 2018.
- Pork ×10
- Chicken ×9
- Brisket ×9
- Pork Ribs ×6
Closest call
BUTCHER BBQ edged IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ by 0.0116 at Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES FULL).
- Master Series
Back on top
A FINE SWINE won SMOKEToBERFEST — their first Grand Championship since June 2015, after 26 contests without one.
- last won June 2015
- 26 contests in between
Contest record
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE put up 700.5484 at Anchor City Cook Off — the best overall in 6 editions of the contest on record, past the old mark of 698.7768.
- old record 698.7768
- 5 earlier editions
Near sweep
GREY STREET BBQ won 3 of 4 meats at Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-Off (pork ribs, pork and brisket), and the Grand Championship with them.
- Pork Ribs
- Pork
- Brisket
- and the GC
Biggest riser
MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ gained 32 rating points across 4 contests — the biggest climb of the month.
- 4 contests
- now #158 overall
State champion
LO' -N- SLO' BBQ won Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship, a state championship, against a field of 42.
- Pennsylvania
Best debut
WCC finished 3rd at Holmes Drywall Supply BBQ Cook-off (INVITATIONAL ONLY GRILLING SERIES) — the first contest they appear in anywhere in the data.
- 224 new teams in Oct 2018
- field of 8
Biggest blowout
BIG "E" BBQ won Harbor-Que by 17.1428 points over QUE U — the widest winning margin of the month.
- field of 28
Biggest field
Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES FULL) drew 102 teams, and BUTCHER BBQ won it.
- Lynchburg, TN
Milestone
WHEN PIGS DIE cooked their 100th contest on record at Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES FULL), with 1 Grand Championship along the way.
- 1 GC along the way
Road warriors
BOOMERANG BBQ cooked 6 contests in October 2018 — nobody hauled the rig further.
- best finish 1st
- 2 GCs
Won without a meat
BUTCHER BBQ won Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES FULL) without winning a single meat — their best category finish was 3rd.
- field of 102
New on the calendar
15th Annual Cookin on the Kaw BBQ Contest ran for the first time on record, drawing 69 teams, and SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.
- 12 first editions in Oct 2018
- Desoto, KS
Always the reserve
APORKALYPSE NOW finished second overall 2 times in October 2018 without a Grand Championship — one place short every time.
- 3 contests
Busiest weekend
11 sanctioned contests were cooked on 5 Oct alone.
- 5 Oct
The Boards
Highest overall scores (Master · /720)
Best of each meat (both series · /180)
| Category | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken ×9 💯 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ Independence Fire & Ice BBQ |
180 |
| Pork Ribs ×6 💯 | THE SMOKING HILLS Independence Fire & Ice BBQ |
180 |
| Pork ×10 💯 | MAXIMUM LOIN Independence Fire & Ice BBQ |
180 |
| Brisket ×9 💯 | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship |
180 |
Straight nines (perfect 180s)
…and 10 more in October 2018.
On the move (power rating)
| Team | Rating | Oct 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ No. 158 in the power rankings |
1,776 | +32 |
| BIG RAZ BBQ No. 99 in the power rankings |
1,810 | +32 |
| UNFAMOUS DAVE'S No. 1,424 in the power rankings |
1,570 | +30 |
| MAN MEAT BBQ No. 129 in the power rankings |
1,788 | +29 |
| GRATE SMOKE No. 755 in the power rankings |
1,633 | +28 |
| A FINE SWINE No. 187 in the power rankings |
1,761 | +27 |
| BURNING PIG BBQ No. 2,850 in the power rankings |
1,510 | +27 |
| FARMER'S RETREAT SMOKIN BARBEQUE No. 609 in the power rankings |
1,658 | +25 |
| QUE U No. 88 in the power rankings |
1,813 | +25 |
| BOB'S BBQ No. 1,363 in the power rankings |
1,574 | +24 |
| SLOWER LOWER BBQ No. 1,549 in the power rankings |
1,561 | -20 |
| HORN'S SMOKESHACK | 1,465 | -22 |
| Pikes Pits BBQ No. 4,838 in the power rankings |
1,466 | -23 |
| PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ No. 3,338 in the power rankings |
1,497 | -23 |
| GETTIN' SAUCED No. 563 in the power rankings |
1,666 | -25 |
Who showed up
| Team | Contests | GCs | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOOMERANG BBQ | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| CLARK CREW BBQ | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| INSANE SWINE BBQ | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 5 | — | 2 |
| SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS | 5 | — | 2 |
| THE SMOKING HILLS | 5 | — | 2 |
| BIG RAZ BBQ | 5 | — | 4 |
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 5 | — | 4 |
| Rogue Hog BBQ | 5 | — | 7 |
| B-S BBQ OUTLAWS | 5 | — | 9 |
| Organizer Portal | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| FIRE DOWN BELOW | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ | 4 | — | 2 |
Who ran the table
| Rep | Contests | States |
|---|---|---|
| Larry Voth | 1 | 1 |
| Lynda Voth | 1 | 1 |
Where they cooked
| State/Prov. | Contests | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 5 | 142 |
| Tennessee | 4 | 176 |
| Kansas | 4 | 155 |
| North Carolina | 3 | 89 |
| Illinois | 3 | 72 |
| Massachusetts | 3 | 49 |
| Wisconsin | 2 | 67 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 60 |
| Arkansas | 2 | 51 |
| Virginia | 2 | 50 |
| Michigan | 2 | 49 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 48 |
| Delaware | 1 | 94 |
| Colorado | 1 | 48 |
| California | 1 | 46 |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | 42 |
| Iowa | 1 | 40 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 37 |
| Georgia | 1 | 33 |
| Ohio | 1 | 32 |
By invitation (invite-only fields)
| Contest | Teams | Grand Champion |
|---|---|---|
| Holmes Drywall Supply BBQ Cook-off Oct 2, 2018 · Kansas City, MO |
8 | B TEAM BBQ MO |
New to the circuit
First editions (new on the calendar)
| Contest | Teams | Won by |
|---|---|---|
| 15th Annual Cookin on the Kaw BBQ Contest Desoto, KS |
69 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ |
| Meat Scream BBQ Competition at Halloween Harvest Festival Westminster, CO |
48 | #MIDNIGHT SMOKERS |
| Temecula State BBQ Championship Temecula, CA |
46 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS |
| SMOKEToBERFEST Ottumwa, IA |
40 | A FINE SWINE |
| Tallya BBQ Festival Tallya, Hungary |
38 | BBQ+ |
| Rib's and Bibs Topeka, KS |
37 | CLARK CREW BBQ |
| Ocean Sate BBQ Championship-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES West Kingston, RI |
37 | INSANE SWINE BBQ |
| Pigs in the Pit Alton, VA |
30 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ |
| 10th Annual Smokin the Fort BBQ & Music Festival Fort Gibson, OK |
27 | BUFFALO'S BBQ |
| Waxhaw Grillin & Chillin BBQ cook-off Waxhaw, NC |
26 | UNDER THE RADAR |
| Bay State BBQ Championship- CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) Monson, MA |
26 | GOOD SMOKE BBQ |
| Que & Cruz Louisa, VA |
25 | OLD COLONY SMOKEHOUSE |
Running a contest? The organizer tools →
Every contest scored (50 in October 2018)
The Archive
Every month with scored results, back to the start of the data. Subscribe to the monthly feed and each one lands as it closes.
2026 (338 contests) · the 2026 season in review
2025 (386 contests) · the 2025 season in review
2024 (343 contests) · the 2024 season in review
2023 (376 contests) · the 2023 season in review
2022 (376 contests) · the 2022 season in review
2021 (310 contests) · the 2021 season in review
2020 (134 contests) · the 2020 season in review
2019 (430 contests) · the 2019 season in review
2018 (480 contests) · the 2018 season in review
2017 (517 contests) · the 2017 season in review
2016 (505 contests) · the 2016 season in review
2015 (494 contests) · the 2015 season in review
2014 (469 contests) · the 2014 season in review
2013 (436 contests) · the 2013 season in review
2012 (1 contest) · the 2012 season in review
Every figure here is computed from the public results at kcbs.us, refreshed nightly. The Smoke Ring is not a publication of the Kansas City Barbeque Society.