Sermerstout BBQ

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#1208

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1585

peak 1585 · rated over 24 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2021-07-16

latest 2026-08-28

Best ToY finish

#48

Backyard 2026

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

5 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 37 contests

Avg finish

top 42%

overall standings

Best overall

664.3996 / 720

Master · Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

340.42 ▲

last 5 Backyard vs avg 332.36 (+8.06)

Walk rate

57%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

and counting

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Chicken · Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)

Consistency

±10.20

std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 167.70 · weakest Brisket (157.95)

Road miles

4,777

mi across 36 mapped stops · furthest 473 mi

Schedule strength

49%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1564)

Purse competed for

$135K

listed at 29 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

1 🏅

GCs in 11 state-championship entries

Master avg

648.40 / 720

2 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

332.36 / 360

24 Backyard contests · 3 GCs

Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.

This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (16 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180s

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in chicken.

Chicken ×1

On the rise

+29 rating points in a year

Their power rating has climbed 29 points across 6 contests since 2026-03-20 — from 1556 up to 1585.

6 contests since 2026-03-20
now 1585

Giant slayer

35 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 35-team field at Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana.

2026-05-15

High-water mark

664.3996 career-best overall

92.3% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 664.3996 at Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship — 92.3% of a perfect 720.

Master
2024-03-15

State champions

1 state championships won

They've taken 1 state championship from 11 entries at contests carrying the title.

11 state-championship entries

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Sugba Smokehouse has finished one call ahead of Sermerstout BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2026 1 Grand Championship

2026 was the year it came together: 10 contests, 1 Grand Championship and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 32%.

10 contests
4 overall top-10s
2 category wins
average top 32%

A tough matchup

12–3 behind in the head-to-head

Rudes BBQ ahead in 80% of their meetings

Rudes BBQ has come out ahead in 12 of their 15 shared contests.

A strong matchup

5–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 71% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of DB BBQ in 5 of their 7 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

11 of 11 shared chicken entries lost

WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ ahead 100% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ has out-cooked them in 11 of 11 shared chicken entries.

Announced themselves early

1st at their very first contest

Finished 1 of 17 at their very first tracked contest, Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) ().

17-team field

A big fish in small ponds

Top 36% average finish in small fields

Field size changes the story: they average a top 36% finish in small fields against top 49% in large ones.

Small (<20 teams): top 36% (5)
Large (40+): top 49% (6)

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A June team

Top 28% average finish in June

Something about June: average finish in the top 28% across 5 contests, versus top 42% the rest of the year.

5 June contests
top 42% the rest of the year

The long haul

4,777 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 4,777 miles across 36 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 473 miles to 4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN.

36 mapped stops
furthest 473 mi

A standing appointment

5 years running at one contest

They've cooked Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) every year from 2022 to 2026 — the contest they never miss.

6 visits in all
best finish 1st

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

30 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

Sugba Smokehouse

#1204 of the rated field

1585 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 67%
Peak: 1585

0–5 in 5 shared contests (0% to Sermerstout BBQ)

These two have cooked 5 of the same contests — Sugba Smokehouse ahead 5–0 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 14 contests
last seen 2026-08-28

⚔ Head-to-head

Shootin' Smoke

#1209 of the rated field

1585 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1602

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 5 years before Sermerstout BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 25 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

MR.GOODTIME'S BBQ CLUB

#1207 of the rated field

1585 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 22
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 41%
Peak: 1598

No shared contest yet.

Fewer contests behind them than Sermerstout BBQ has cooked, 22 to 37, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 22 contests
last seen 2016-06-03

⚔ Head-to-head

Hot Thang BBQ

#1206 of the rated field

1585 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 52%
Peak: 1585

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 21 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 21 contests
last seen 2026-08-21
on a 3-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

EASTERN BEAST BBQ TEAM

#1203 of the rated field

1586 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1586

No shared contest yet.

15 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 40% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2018-08-24

⚔ Head-to-head

TASTE OF GRACE

#1205 of the rated field

1585 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 40
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1616

No shared contest yet.

They were already cooking in 2014, 7 years before Sermerstout BBQ's first contest.

rated over 40 contests
last seen 2024-04-26

⚔ Head-to-head

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Rudes BBQ	15	3	12	20%	⚔ compare
309 BBQ	14	8	6	57%	⚔ compare
RUBY CREEK BBQ	12	5	7	42%	⚔ compare
SmokinGhost BBQ	11	5	6	45%	⚔ compare
WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
TRIPLE H BBQ	10	1	9	10%	⚔ compare
Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que	9	6	3	67%	⚔ compare
Ishy Links BBQ	9	4	5	44%	⚔ compare
Shmack Q	9	4	5	44%	⚔ compare
MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS	9	3	5	33%	⚔ compare
LEE LA Q	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
Can Country Outlaw BBQ	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
Up From The Pits BBQ	8	1	6	13%	⚔ compare
All Smoked Up BBQ	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
DB BBQ	7	5	2	71%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	28	15	2	3	180.0000 🔥	154.7540	167.70	top 40%
Pork Ribs	34	14	2	2	176.0000	149.0744	165.72	top 47%
Pork	4	0	0	0	171.4056	161.6684	166.39	top 51%
Brisket	2	0	0	0	164.5256	151.3828	157.95	top 85%

“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.

By state / province

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
IL	16	1	top 43%
IN	5	2	top 28%
TN	4	0	top 46%
AL	1	0	top 86%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	5	1	top 36%
Medium (20–39)	15	2	top 41%
Large (40+)	6	0	top 49%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)	6	1	1	top 36%	2026-08-22
Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship	4	26	0	top 46%	2026-03-20
Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)	3	1	1	top 23%	2024-06-14
Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY)	3	6	0	top 50%	2026-08-28
Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown	3	6	0	top 34%	2025-06-27
Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main	2	11	0	top 50%	2025-07-26

The story so far (20 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 5.1 yrs 2021-07-16 → 2026-08-28

Busiest season 2026 10 contests · 1 GC

Contests a season 5.3 across 7 seasons in the data

Cooks most in IL 19 of 37 contests · 4 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 11 6 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 34 entries · 2 wins · 14 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 167.70 · weakest Brisket (157.95)

Walk rate 57% a top-10 call in 21 of 37 contests

Overall top-10 rate 35% 13 of 37 contests

Wins it all 8% 3 Grand Championships · 0 reserve

Best top-10 run 4 straight contests — and still running

Master average 648.40 out of 720 · 2 contests · 0 GCs

Backyard average 332.36 out of 360 · 24 contests · 3 GCs

Perfect 180s 1 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 594 667–594 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 4,777 36 mapped stops · furthest 473 mi

Schedule strength 1564 average field rating faced — tougher than 49% of rated contests

Purse competed for $135,150 listed at 29 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 1 from 11 state-championship entries

Power rating 1585 peak 1585 · #1208 of 6,413 rated

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

First tracked contest Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)
First call Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)
First category win (Pork Ribs) Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)
First overall top-10 Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)
First overall podium Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)
First Grand Championship Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)
First overall past 90% of a perfect score337.0972 Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)
2023
Mar 17 10th tracked contest Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship
2024
Mar 15 Career-best overall score664.3996 Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship
2025
Jul 26 25th tracked contest Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main
2026
May 15 First state championship Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana
May 15 Biggest field won (35 teams) Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana
Aug 22 First perfect 180 (Chicken) Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)
Aug 28 Peak power rating (1585) Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY)
Aug 28 Most recent contest Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY)

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.9	Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana	2026-05-15
+15	Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)	2024-06-14
+12.9	Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)	2023-08-19
+9.5	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown	2023-07-14
+8.8	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship	2026-03-20

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.2	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown Day 1	2021-07-16
-9.6	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship	2024-03-15
-7.8	Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)	2024-08-17
-6.8	Smokin Downtown (BACKYARD ONLY)	2026-08-08
-4.5	Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main	2024-07-27

Category scores over time

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	GCs	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
—	1	1	1	1	100%	top 6%	93.6%	93.6%
2026	10	1	4	2	70%	top 32%	96.2%	95%
2025	7	0	1	0	71%	top 41%	94.6%	93.5%
2024	6	1	1	1	17%	top 57%	96.8%	91.3%
2023	6	0	3	0	67%	top 29%	93.3%	91%
2022	6	0	3	0	50%	top 50%	90.1%	89.2%
2021	1	0	0	0	0%	top 88%	87.8%	87.8%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2026-08-28	Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL	6 / 16 (342.2284)	6 (170.2628)	5 (171.9656)	—	—
2026-08-22	Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL	5 / 16 (345.1200)	1 (180.0000)	14 (165.1200)	—	—
2026-08-08	Smokin Downtown (BACKYARD ONLY) Warsaw, IN	9 / 13 (333.0740)	10 (163.9312)	6 (169.1428)	—	—
2026-06-19	Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL	11 / 41 (344.5716)	8 (174.8572)	21 (169.7144)	—	—
2026-05-15	Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Warsaw, IN	—	8 (173.1200)	—	—	—
2026-05-15	Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana 🏅 Warsaw, IN	1 / 35 (346.2628)	6 (170.2628)	1 (176.0000)	—	—
2026-05-15	Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana (ONE MEAT RIBS) Warsaw, IN	—	—	12 (173.1428)	—	—
2026-03-20	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Lebanon, TN	—	26 (174.2860)	—	—	—
2026-03-20	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN	28 / 125 (339.9544)	8 (176.5600)	40 (163.3944)	18 (171.4056)	—
2026-03-20	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN	—	—	71 (163.3944)	—	—
2025-08-22	Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL	17 / 31 (340.4912)	21 (166.2284)	5 (174.2628)	—	—
2025-08-16	Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL	9 / 20 (333.0628)	9 (167.9772)	11 (165.0856)	—	—
2025-07-26	Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main 🏅 Collinsville, IL	11 / 32 (337.6340)	14 (166.8112)	8 (170.8228)	—	—
2025-06-27	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eureka, IL	12 / 26 (331.9540)	15 (162.2856)	10 (169.6684)	—	—
2025-06-27	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (ONE MEAT RIBS) Eureka, IL	—	—	6 (174.8572)	—	—
2025-03-14	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN	26 / 100 (340.5028)	22 (171.9772)	29 (168.5256)	20 (169.6800)	—
2025-03-14	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN	—	—	41 (168.5600)	—	—
2024-08-23	Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL	16 / 28 (324.4572)	15 (162.7884)	19 (161.6688)	—	—
2024-08-17	Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL	20 / 26 (317.5768)	14 (167.9656)	25 (149.6112)	—	—
2024-07-27	Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main 🏅 Collinsville, IL	22 / 34 (319.8396)	28 (154.7540)	16 (165.0856)	—	—
2024-06-14	Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Logansport, IN	1 / 28 (348.5372)	1 (177.7028)	5 (170.8344)	—	—
2024-03-15	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN	77 / 93 (664.3996)	35 (173.1200)	71 (165.0856)	80 (161.6684)	72 (164.5256)
2024-03-15	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN	—	—	42 (166.2284)	—	—
2023-08-19	Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL	4 / 32 (335.9540)	6 (171.9656)	10 (163.9884)	—	—
2023-07-14	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eureka, IL	6 / 25 (331.3712)	4 (170.8112)	11 (160.5600)	—	—
2023-07-14	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (One Meat Ribs) Eureka, IL	—	—	5 (172.0000)	—	—
2023-06-16	Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Logansport, IN	6 / 21 (329.6228)	6 (166.2400)	9 (163.3828)	—	—
2023-03-17	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN	41 / 80 (313.0172)	34 (163.9428)	42 (149.0744)	—	—
2023-03-17	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (One Meat Ribs) Lebanon, TN	—	—	19 (170.2744)	—	—
2022-11-12	4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL unrated Gadsden, AL	42 / 49 (323.3600)	46 (159.3944)	32 (163.9656)	—	—
2022-11-11	4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Gadsden, AL	—	—	—	—	—
2022-08-20	Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL	9 / 20 (315.3372)	6 (165.1084)	12 (150.2288)	—	—
2022-07-15	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eureka, IL	8 / 25 (321.0744)	11 (154.8344)	5 (166.2400)	—	—
2022-07-15	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (One Meat Ribs) Eureka, IL	—	—	17 (161.1316)	—	—
2022-06-17	Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Logansport, IN	5 / 14 (324.5372)	5 (162.8572)	7 (161.6800)	—	—
2021-07-16	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown Day 1 🏅 Eureka, IL	22 / 25 (632.3996)	20 (162.8456)	22 (155.3828)	21 (162.7884)	23 (151.3828)
	Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL	1 / 17 (337.0972)	3 (162.8228)	1 (174.2744)	—	—

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)

Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2026 ↗	Backyard	#48 (836 pts)	#39 (883 pts)	#54 (800 pts)	—	—
2026 ↗	Master	—	#658 (205 pts)	#731 (184 pts)	—	—
2025 ↗	Backyard	#104 (519 pts)	#119 (484 pts)	#81 (719 pts)	—	—
2025 ↗	Master	—	—	#786 (215 pts)	—	—
2024 ↗	Backyard	#112 (521 pts)	#117 (541 pts)	#138 (411 pts)	—	—
2024 ↗	Master	#1182 (60 pts)	#1242 (60 pts)	#1021 (120 pts)	#1231 (60 pts)	#1204 (60 pts)
2023 ↗	Backyard	—	#95 (645 pts)	#106 (630 pts)	—	—
2023 ↗	Master	—	—	#757 (255 pts)	—	—
2022 ↗	Backyard	—	#129 (324 pts)	#152 (254 pts)	—	—
2021 ↗	Backyard	—	#130 (217 pts)	#105 (267 pts)	—	—
2021 ↗	Master	#1213 (65 pts)	#1225 (75 pts)	#1297 (65 pts)	#1231 (70 pts)	#1245 (60 pts)