In this edition
Every sanctioned contest scored in July 2023 — 1 Jul to 31 Jul.
Covering KCBS-sanctioned contests
July 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 712.5600 at Smokin in the Electric City (Day 2) — the highest overall of the month.
Hottest hand
Smoke This Drink That BBQ took 2 Grand Championships in July 2023.
First one ever
Gold-N-Blue Barbecue won their first Grand Championship at Smoke on the Rail (Day 1), in their 56th contest in the data.
- 28 Jul
Title defended
CHUNKY BBQ won New Jersey State Barbecue Championship again — back-to-back Grand Championships at the same contest.
- 2022–2023
- field of 64
Upset of the month
The ratings gave them a 7% chance
Drilling And Grilling BBQ Team won Smoke on the Rail (Day 2) over top-rated GETTIN' BASTED as the ratings underdog.
Perfect 180s
Six judges, every card a 9: 49 perfect 180s were handed out in July 2023.
- Chicken ×19
- Pork ×14
- Pork Ribs ×12
- Brisket ×4
Closest call
MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ edged GETTIN' BASTED by 0.0000 at Smokin in the Electric City (Day 1).
- Master Series
Back on top
Weber's Backyard BBQ won Smoke on the Rail (Day 2) — their first Grand Championship since June 2021, after 30 contests without one.
- last won June 2021
- 30 contests in between
Contest record
CHUNKY BBQ put up 703.9772 at New Jersey State Barbecue Championship — the best overall in 9 editions of the contest on record, past the old mark of 703.3828.
- old record 703.3828
- 8 earlier editions
Biggest riser
Smoke This Drink That BBQ gained 92 rating points across 6 contests — the biggest climb of the month.
- 6 contests
- now #268 overall
State champions crowned
24 state championships were decided in July 2023. The biggest, South Carolina Festival of Discovery (76 teams), went to CHUNKY BBQ.
- South Carolina
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Minnesota
- Oregon
- Virginia
Best debut
Must B Smokin' Somethin' BBQ Team finished 2nd at Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown — the first contest they appear in anywhere in the data.
- 153 new teams in Jul 2023
- field of 25
Best in the backyard
Smoke This Drink That BBQ put up 357.1428 on the Backyard board at Smokin in the Electric City (Day 1) — two meats, a different scale, and the same nerves.
- 15 Backyard boards in Jul 2023
- won it
Biggest blowout
JANKY LEG BBQ won Smokin in the Electric City (Day 2) by 10.3084 points over SLAPS BBQ — the widest winning margin of the month.
- field of 21
Biggest field
South Carolina Festival of Discovery drew 76 teams, and CHUNKY BBQ won it.
- Greenwood, SC
Milestone
Top Gun Barbecue cooked their 100th contest on record at New Jersey State Barbecue Championship, with 11 Grand Championships along the way.
- 11 GCs along the way
Road warriors
Smoked & Furious cooked 10 contests in July 2023 — nobody hauled the rig further.
- best finish 1st
- 1 GC
Won without a meat
CHUNKY BBQ won South Carolina Festival of Discovery without winning a single meat — their best category finish was 3rd.
- field of 76
New on the calendar
Smoke on the Rail (Day 1) ran for the first time on record, drawing 51 teams, and 3 Eyz BBQ won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.
- 12 first editions in Jul 2023
- New Freedom, PA
Always the reserve
BrewsCue finished second overall 2 times in July 2023 without a Grand Championship — one place short every time.
- 3 contests
Busiest weekend
10 sanctioned contests were cooked on 14 Jul alone.
- 14 Jul
Rep of the month
Bunny Tuttle repped 8 contests in July 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 ×19 💯 | Vitamin Q Icebox Cookoff |
180 |
| Pork Ribs ×12 💯 | BAD ROOSTER BBQ South Carolina Festival of Discovery |
180 |
| Pork ×14 💯 | OM BBQ Icebox Cookoff |
180 |
| Brisket ×4 💯 | SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS South Carolina Festival of Discovery |
180 |
Straight nines (perfect 180s)
…and 25 more in July 2023.
On the move (power rating)
| Team | Rating | Jul 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Smoke This Drink That BBQ No. 268 in the power rankings |
1,733 | +92 |
| Aww Shucks BBQ No. 529 in the power rankings |
1,671 | +82 |
| BrewsCue No. 266 in the power rankings |
1,734 | +53 |
| Bourbon & Blues BBQ No. 1,184 in the power rankings |
1,588 | +43 |
| Smokey Bey's Barbecue No. 244 in the power rankings |
1,743 | +40 |
| Breaking Slabs BBQ No. 401 in the power rankings |
1,699 | +38 |
| Bad Influence BBQ - MO No. 923 in the power rankings |
1,613 | +38 |
| Piggy's Kin No. 1,004 in the power rankings |
1,605 | +34 |
| Bushwood BBQ No. 1,013 in the power rankings |
1,604 | +33 |
| Curly Bird BBQ No. 443 in the power rankings |
1,689 | +25 |
| CONTAGIOUS Q No. 133 in the power rankings |
1,785 | -29 |
| WHEN PIGS DIE No. 625 in the power rankings |
1,655 | -33 |
| GETTIN' SAUCED No. 563 in the power rankings |
1,666 | -36 |
| Fergolicious BBQ No. 87 in the power rankings |
1,814 | -37 |
| MAN MEAT BBQ No. 129 in the power rankings |
1,788 | -41 |
Who showed up
| Team | Contests | GCs | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoked & Furious | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 10 | — | 2 |
| Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | 10 | — | 4 |
| MAN MEAT BBQ | 10 | — | 7 |
| Bourbon & Blues BBQ | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| Smokey Bey's Barbecue | 9 | — | 4 |
| MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| Fergolicious BBQ | 8 | — | 9 |
| Smoke This Drink That BBQ | 7 | 2 | 1 |
| Aww Shucks BBQ | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| Bushmaster BBQ | 7 | — | 3 |
| 4 LEGS UP BBQ | 7 | — | 4 |
| Breaking Slabs BBQ | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| PARTS 'R' SMOKIN | 6 | — | 11 |
Who ran the table
| Rep | Contests | States |
|---|---|---|
| Bunny Tuttle | 8 | 2 |
| Rich Tuttle | 8 | 2 |
| Louise Weidner | 6 | 3 |
| Robert McKee | 4 | 1 |
| Alex Jr Brown | 3 | 2 |
| Angela McKee | 3 | 1 |
| Becky Druetzler | 3 | 2 |
| Dave Druetzler | 3 | 2 |
| Dave Rogers | 3 | 2 |
| Larry Voth | 3 | 1 |
| Laurie Tweten | 3 | 1 |
| Lynda Voth | 3 | 1 |
| Peg Rogers | 3 | 2 |
| Phil Morrow Phb | 3 | 1 |
| Rosemary Morrow | 3 | 1 |
| Andreas Schnoell | 2 | — |
| Brenda Black | 2 | 1 |
| Charlie Brinza | 2 | 1 |
| Doug Reid | 2 | 2 |
| Eva Schnoell | 2 | — |
Where they cooked
| State/Prov. | Contests | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 9 | 140 |
| Iowa | 3 | 86 |
| Kansas | 3 | 71 |
| Minnesota | 3 | 58 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | 84 |
| Virginia | 2 | 75 |
| Illinois | 2 | 43 |
| Wisconsin | 2 | 23 |
| Alberta | 2 | 21 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 87 |
| New Jersey | 1 | 73 |
| Oregon | 1 | 38 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 37 |
| Ohio | 1 | 32 |
| Michigan | 1 | 16 |
| Colorado | 1 | 12 |
| Alaska | 1 | 6 |
Best in the backyard (Backyard · /360)
New to the circuit
First editions (new on the calendar)
| Contest | Teams | Won by |
|---|---|---|
| Smoke on the Rail (Day 1) New Freedom, PA |
51 | 3 Eyz BBQ |
| Icebox Cookoff Sweet Home, OR |
38 | Knuckle Draggers |
| Smoke on the Mountain Galax, VA |
38 | Under the Radar |
| Shenandoah ShenDig Shenandoah, IA |
37 | Hot Daddy's Barbeque |
| The Buckeye BBQ Classic Hillsboro, OH |
32 | Tire Smoke BBQ |
| 7th Annual E'burg BBQ Contest Emmetsburg, IA |
32 | Shiggin N Grinnin |
| Art of the Que Spencer, IA |
28 | Hot Daddy's BBQ |
| Smokin in the Electric City (Day 1) Butler, MO |
27 | MEAT RUSHMORE |
| The National Beef Smokin' Saddles Official BBQ Contest (Day 1) Dodge City, KS |
25 | CLARK CREW BBQ |
| Smokin in the Electric City (ONE MEAT RIBS) Butler, MO |
23 | BAD INFLUENCE BBQ - MO |
| BBCubed - Brighton Barbeque Bash Oshkosh, WI |
19 | Iowa's Smokey D's BBQ |
| KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-of (ONE MEAT RIBS) Worthington, MN |
17 | Shiggin & Grinnin |
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Every contest scored (42 in July 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.