In this edition
Every sanctioned contest scored in May 2023 — 1 May to 31 May.
Covering KCBS-sanctioned contests
May 2023 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
JANKY LEG BBQ put up 713.7372 at 3rd Annual Obion County Fair BBQ Cook Off - Day 1 — the highest overall of the month.
Clean sweep
SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ won every meat at IBEW So Cal BBQ & Chili Cook-Off (COMPETITOR SERIES) — chicken, ribs, pork and brisket.
- Chicken
- Pork Ribs
- Pork
- Brisket
- and the GC
Hottest hand
JANKY LEG BBQ took 2 Grand Championships in May 2023.
First one ever
Rusty Pig BBQ won their first Grand Championship at Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off, in their 58th contest in the data.
- 5 May
Upset of the month
The ratings gave them a 10% chance
STEVO'S BBQ TEAM won Best Dam Barbeque over top-rated GETTIN' BASTED as the ratings underdog.
Perfect 180s
Six judges, every card a 9: 37 perfect 180s were handed out in May 2023.
- Chicken ×13
- Brisket ×13
- Pork Ribs ×6
- Pork ×5
Closest call
SMOKECRAFT - MD edged Ham Squad by 0.0000 at Delaware Bay-B-Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2).
- Master Series
Back on top
5TH GEAR BBQ won Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championship — their first Grand Championship since May 2019, after 21 contests without one.
- last won May 2019
- 21 contests in between
Contest record
SMOKE N BREW put up 705.6684 at Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival — the best overall in 6 editions of the contest on record, past the old mark of 691.9772.
- old record 691.9772
- 5 earlier editions
Biggest riser
Needs More Cowbell BBQ gained 45 rating points across 4 contests — the biggest climb of the month.
- 4 contests
- now #1236 overall
State champions crowned
23 state championships were decided in May 2023. The biggest, Minnesota in May (59 teams), went to Hot Daddys BBQ.
- Minnesota
- Rhode Island
- Iowa
- Georgia
- Pennsylvania
- Colorado
Best debut
Rack Shack bbq finished 1st at Minnesota in May — the first contest they appear in anywhere in the data.
- 178 new teams in May 2023
- field of 59
Best in the backyard
Bourbon & Blues BBQ put up 357.1428 on the Backyard board at Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 — two meats, a different scale, and the same nerves.
- 9 Backyard boards in May 2023
- won it
Biggest blowout
MEAN MOE'S BBQ won Jack 9 Memorial by 14.4000 points over BBQwithDREW — the widest winning margin of the month.
- field of 19
Biggest field
Minnesota in May drew 59 teams, and Hot Daddys BBQ won it.
- St. Peter, MN
Milestone
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ cooked their 250th contest on record at Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1, with 29 Grand Championships along the way.
- 29 GCs along the way
Road warriors
SMOKECRAFT - MD cooked 5 contests in May 2023 — nobody hauled the rig further.
- best finish 1st
- 1 GC
Won without a meat
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit won Twin Valley Fire and Smoke without winning a single meat — their best category finish was 2nd.
- field of 37
New on the calendar
Minnesota in May ran for the first time on record, drawing 59 teams, and Hot Daddys BBQ won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.
- 12 first editions in May 2023
- St. Peter, MN
Always the reserve
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA finished second overall 2 times in May 2023 without a Grand Championship — one place short every time.
- 2 contests
Busiest weekend
9 sanctioned contests were cooked on 19 May alone.
- 19 May
Rep of the month
Bunny Tuttle repped 5 contests in May 2023 — somebody has to run the table.
The Boards
Highest overall scores (Master · /720)
Best of each meat (both series · /180)
| Category | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken ×13 💯 | Jury's Out Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 |
180 |
| Pork Ribs ×6 💯 | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 |
180 |
| Pork ×5 💯 | MUTTLEY CREW BBQ Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 |
180 |
| Brisket ×13 💯 | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 |
180 |
Straight nines (perfect 180s)
…and 13 more in May 2023.
On the move (power rating)
| Team | Rating | May 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Needs More Cowbell BBQ No. 1,236 in the power rankings |
1,584 | +45 |
| ONE EYED PIG BBQ No. 357 in the power rankings |
1,710 | +45 |
| Bourbon & Blues BBQ No. 1,184 in the power rankings |
1,588 | +42 |
| Smoked & Furious No. 181 in the power rankings |
1,764 | +38 |
| Capt. Blue BBQ No. 287 in the power rankings |
1,727 | +37 |
| Piggy & Swine BBQ No. 681 in the power rankings |
1,645 | +34 |
| All About the Wood No. 943 in the power rankings |
1,611 | +31 |
| RED SMOKE BAR-B-QUE No. 553 in the power rankings |
1,668 | +30 |
| DB BBQ No. 402 in the power rankings |
1,699 | +28 |
| Better Half Barbecue No. 503 in the power rankings |
1,676 | +27 |
| LADY OF Q No. 527 in the power rankings |
1,672 | -25 |
| Petie's Smokin Pits BBQ No. 206 in the power rankings |
1,754 | -25 |
| MANHATTAN JACK'S BBQ No. 2,310 in the power rankings |
1,527 | -29 |
| BUFFALO'S BBQ No. 182 in the power rankings |
1,764 | -30 |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ No. 237 in the power rankings |
1,745 | -30 |
Who showed up
| Team | Contests | GCs | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMOKECRAFT - MD | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| STICKS & STONES BBQ | 5 | — | 3 |
| Bushmaster BBQ | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Smoked & Furious | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| LEE LA Q | 4 | — | 2 |
| WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | 4 | — | 2 |
| HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | 4 | — | 3 |
| Needs More Cowbell BBQ | 4 | — | 3 |
| Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | 4 | — | 5 |
| Optimus Swine | 4 | — | 6 |
| QUE U | 4 | — | 9 |
| HotItems | 4 | — | 12 |
| Second Helping BBQ -PA | 4 | — | 18 |
| Bourbon & Blues BBQ | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Who ran the table
| Rep | Contests | States |
|---|---|---|
| Bunny Tuttle | 5 | 3 |
| Rich Tuttle | 5 | 3 |
| Jeanne Titus | 4 | 3 |
| Jeff Chambers | 4 | 1 |
| Regina Bodnar | 4 | 1 |
| Alan Rothrock | 2 | 1 |
| Charlie Brinza | 2 | 2 |
| Clara Williams | 2 | 1 |
| Connie Amidei | 2 | 2 |
| Craig Maidens | 2 | 1 |
| Doug Reid | 2 | 1 |
| Heather Maidens | 2 | 1 |
| John Scharffbillig | 2 | 1 |
| Jonathan Amidei | 2 | 2 |
| Jonathan B Williams | 2 | 1 |
| Kathleen McIntosh | 2 | 2 |
| Kelly McIntosh | 2 | 2 |
| Larry Voth | 2 | 1 |
| Laurie Tweten | 2 | 1 |
| Louise Weidner | 2 | 2 |
Where they cooked
| State/Prov. | Contests | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 5 | 125 |
| Delaware | 4 | 39 |
| North Carolina | 3 | 67 |
| California | 3 | 51 |
| Minnesota | 2 | 115 |
| Colorado | 2 | 49 |
| Indiana | 2 | 43 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 33 |
| Missouri | 2 | 31 |
| Georgia | 1 | 74 |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | 59 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 58 |
| Iowa | 1 | 45 |
| Illinois | 1 | 34 |
| Nevada | 1 | 27 |
| Michigan | 1 | 26 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 24 |
| Oregon | 1 | 24 |
| Ontario | 1 | 19 |
| LT | 1 | 14 |
Best in the backyard (Backyard · /360)
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 |
357.1428 |
| 2 | RED SMOKE BAR-B-QUE Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 |
354.2744 |
| 3 | Jury's Out Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 |
354.2628 |
| 4 | 2 Swine Crew The High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) |
353.1200 |
| 5 | Furlongs Smoke & Seafood The High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) |
353.1200 |
| 6 | Compete BBQ Team City of Springs BBQ Championship |
352.5828 |
| 7 | Better Half Barbecue Delaware Bay-B-Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) |
351.9772 |
| 8 | Swine 'N' Roses BBQ Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 |
351.4172 |
| 9 | BULL IN THE RING City of Springs BBQ Championship |
350.8460 |
| 10 | LEE LA Q Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 |
350.8228 |
| 11 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 2 |
350.8228 |
| 12 | MUNNY'S STOVE City of Springs BBQ Championship |
350.8228 |
New to the circuit
First editions (new on the calendar)
| Contest | Teams | Won by |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota in May St. Peter, MN |
59 | Hot Daddys BBQ |
| HOGS 4 HEROES Jamestown, RI |
50 | Insane Swine BBQ |
| Minnesota in May (One Meat Ribs) St. Peter, MN |
46 | Shiggin & Grinnin |
| 17th Annual Boss Hog State Championship Cook-Off Waynesboro, GA |
40 | ROLLIN KOLBZ |
| Veterans of Foreign Wars Colorado KCBS Pitmaster BBQ Contest Castle Rock, CO |
37 | Janky Leg BBQ |
| Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 Kannapolis, NC |
35 | Redneck Scientific |
| Rocking BBQ Warsaw Warsaw, IN |
35 | SmokinGhost BBQ |
| Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES) Murfreesboro, TN |
32 | Pig Destroyer |
| Bloomin' BBQ Music & Food Festival Sevierville, TN |
32 | Piglitically Incorrect BBQ |
| Rocking BBQ Warsaw (ONE MEAT RIBS) Warsaw, IN |
29 | Que U |
| Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off Kennett, MO |
26 | Rusty Pig BBQ |
| Smoke in the Mitten BBQ Competition Westland, MI |
25 | Kevlar BBQ |
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Every contest scored (37 in May 2023)
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.