In this edition
Every sanctioned contest scored in January 2019 — 1 Jan to 31 Jan.
Covering KCBS-sanctioned contests
January 2019 in BBQ
The recap: every contest scored, every story, every board
Inside
The Stories
Score of the month
top 2% of every Master overall ever scored
Accutech BBQ put up 700.5028 at Lakeland Pig Festival — the highest overall of the month.
First one ever
Accutech BBQ won their first Grand Championship at Lakeland Pig Festival, in their 14th contest in the data.
- 25 Jan
Title defended
GETTIN' BASTED won National Western BBQ Throwdown again — back-to-back Grand Championships at the same contest.
- 2018–2019
- field of 38
Upset of the month
The ratings gave them a 16% chance
Accutech BBQ won Lakeland Pig Festival over top-rated WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS as the ratings underdog.
Perfect 180s
Six judges, every card a 9: 3 perfect 180s were handed out in January 2019.
- Chicken ×2
- Pork ×1
Closest call
LADY OF Q edged 2LiveQ by 1.0624 at The Golden State Battle.
- Master Series
Back on top
LADY OF Q won The Golden State Battle — their first Grand Championship since February 2016, after 34 contests without one.
- last won February 2016
- 34 contests in between
Biggest riser
SMELL OUR BUTTS BAR-B-Q gained 19 rating points across 1 contest — the biggest climb of the month.
- 1 contest
- now #1617 overall
State champions crowned
4 state championships were decided in January 2019. The biggest, Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge (63 teams), went to 4 LEGS UP BBQ.
- Arizona
- Florida
- California
- Colorado
Best debut
LUNA SMOKE - Italy finished 6th at W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest — the first contest they appear in anywhere in the data.
- 68 new teams in Jan 2019
- field of 30
Biggest blowout
HOT WACHULA'S won W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest by 7.5084 points over GECKO BBQ — the widest winning margin of the month.
- field of 30
Biggest field
Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge drew 63 teams, and 4 LEGS UP BBQ won it.
- Bullhead City, AZ
Milestone
BIG POPPA SMOKERS cooked their 150th contest on record at Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge, with 33 Grand Championships along the way.
- 33 GCs along the way
Won without a meat
4 LEGS UP BBQ won Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge without winning a single meat — their best category finish was 3rd.
- field of 63
New on the calendar
The Golden State Battle ran for the first time on record, drawing 48 teams, and Lady of Q won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.
- first edition on record
- Santa Ynez, CA
The Boards
Highest overall scores (Master · /720)
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accutech BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival |
700.5028 |
| 2 | HOT WACHULA'S W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest |
696.5828 |
| 3 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge |
696.5256 |
| 4 | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM Lakeland Pig Festival |
695.9656 |
| 5 | LADY OF Q The Golden State Battle |
693.5996 |
| 6 | SHIG NINJA BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival |
693.1088 |
| 7 | 2LiveQ The Golden State Battle |
692.5372 |
| 8 | UTAH BBQ COMPANY Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge |
692.5256 |
| 9 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS The Golden State Battle |
692.4684 |
| 10 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA Lakeland Pig Festival |
691.9428 |
| 11 | JACK'S OLD SOUTH Lakeland Pig Festival |
691.9428 |
| 12 | GETTIN' BASTED National Western BBQ Throwdown |
691.9084 |
| 13 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ The Golden State Battle |
690.2284 |
| 14 | SMELL OUR BUTTS BAR-B-Q National Western BBQ Throwdown |
689.0972 |
| 15 | TOOT & STINKY'S CALI-Q The Golden State Battle |
689.0972 |
Best of each meat (both series · /180)
| Category | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken ×2 💯 | MASTERS OF FIRE W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest |
180 |
| Pork Ribs | Accutech BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival |
178.8572 |
| Pork ×1 💯 | 2LiveQ The Golden State Battle |
180 |
| Brisket | JACK'S OLD SOUTH Lakeland Pig Festival |
179.4400 |
Straight nines (perfect 180s)
| Team | Category | Contest |
|---|---|---|
| 2LiveQ | Pork | The Golden State Battle |
| Accutech BBQ | Chicken | Lakeland Pig Festival |
| MASTERS OF FIRE | Chicken | W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest |
On the move (power rating)
| Team | Rating | Jan 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| SMELL OUR BUTTS BAR-B-Q No. 1,617 in the power rankings |
1,557 | +19 |
| UNCLE JOHNS PRIDE No. 2,258 in the power rankings |
1,529 | +18 |
| 2LiveQ No. 809 in the power rankings |
1,627 | +17 |
| PODUNK PORKERS BBQ | 1,533 | +17 |
| The Rusty Pig No. 2,043 in the power rankings |
1,537 | +16 |
| BURNIN BELLIES No. 1,076 in the power rankings |
1,597 | +16 |
| Barely Sober BBQ No. 1,311 in the power rankings |
1,579 | +16 |
| PORTLY FELLAS BBQ No. 1,057 in the power rankings |
1,599 | +15 |
| Burnin' Buttz | 1,536 | +15 |
| AMERICAN HEROES BBQ No. 260 in the power rankings |
1,737 | +15 |
| Gilbert's Rig King Dirty South | 1,486 | -14 |
| THE BARKTENDERS No. 1,245 in the power rankings |
1,583 | -17 |
| FU MAN QUE CREW No. 1,403 in the power rankings |
1,571 | -17 |
| WILD HOGS BBQ No. 3,271 in the power rankings |
1,499 | -18 |
| Rooftop BBQ No. 114 in the power rankings |
1,800 | -24 |
Who showed up
| Team | Contests | GCs | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| HOT WACHULA'S | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| BIG POPPA SMOKERS | 2 | — | 3 |
| SHIG NINJA BBQ | 2 | — | 3 |
| SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | 2 | — | 4 |
| RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ | 2 | — | 6 |
| B-S BBQ OUTLAWS | 2 | — | 8 |
| Big Daddy's Backyard BBQ | 2 | — | 11 |
| Old Town Franklin BBQ | 2 | — | 11 |
| Smokin it Up BBQ | 2 | — | 13 |
| KISS MY RACK | 2 | — | 15 |
| GRILLIN' BEAVERS | 2 | — | 16 |
| SMOKERS PURGATORY | 2 | — | 16 |
| WILD HOGS BBQ | 2 | — | 20 |
| NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT | 2 | — | 24 |
| BLUE EYED BBQ | 2 | — | 38 |
Where they cooked
| State/Prov. | Contests | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 1 | 145 |
| Arizona | 1 | 63 |
| California | 1 | 49 |
| Colorado | 1 | 38 |
| BZ | 1 | 30 |
New to the circuit
First editions (new on the calendar)
| Contest | Teams | Won by |
|---|---|---|
| The Golden State Battle Santa Ynez, CA |
48 | Lady of Q |
Running a contest? The organizer tools →
Every contest scored (5 in January 2019)
| Contest | Grand Champion | score |
|---|---|---|
| Lakeland Pig Festival Jan 25, 2019 · Lakeland, FL · 58 teams |
Accutech BBQ RC: SAUCED! BBQ TEAM |
700.5028 |
| The Golden State Battle Jan 25, 2019 · Santa Ynez, CA · 48 teams |
Lady of Q RC: 2LiveQ |
693.5996 |
| W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest Jan 19, 2019 · Rein in Taufers, BZ · 30 teams |
Hot Wachula's RC: GECKO BBQ |
696.5828 |
| Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge Jan 18, 2019 · Bullhead City, AZ · 63 teams |
4 LEGS UP BBQ RC: UTAH BBQ COMPANY |
696.5256 |
| National Western BBQ Throwdown Jan 11, 2019 · Denver, CO · 38 teams |
Gettin' Basted RC: SMELL OUR BUTTS BAR-B-Q |
691.9084 |
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.