HAPPY PIG BBQ

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

Power ranking

#3832

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1486

peak 1501 · rated over 6 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-08-30

latest 2018-09-01

Best ToY finish

#1721

Master 2017

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 7 contests

Avg finish

top 65%

overall standings

Best overall

678.8800 / 720

Master · Big Muddy Brew n Que(COMPETITOR'S SERIES)

Perfect 180s

Current form

647.91 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 646.20 (+1.71)

Walk rate

57%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

177.1428

Chicken · Big Muddy Brew n Que(COMPETITOR'S SERIES)

Consistency

±17.65

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 168.85 · weakest Brisket (156.74)

Road miles

355

mi across 7 mapped stops · furthest 89 mi

Schedule strength

31%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1542)

Master avg

646.20 / 720

6 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (6 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.

High-water mark

678.8800 career-best overall

94.3% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 678.8800 at Big Muddy Brew n Que(COMPETITOR'S SERIES) — 94.3% of a perfect 720.

Master
2016-09-03

A tough matchup

4–0 behind in the head-to-head

TRUE SMOKE BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

TRUE SMOKE BBQ has come out ahead in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

The weak link

−12.1 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 12.11 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 33% of the time against 67%.

Brisket avg 156.74
Chicken avg 168.85
2 calls in 6 entries

A strong matchup

3–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Smokehouse Garage in 3 of their 3 shared contests.

The comeback

1.8 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.8 years, then back at *Mankato Cookout Day 2 and( Back Yard) (2016-06-11).

last seen 2014-08-29
back 2016-06-11

A September team

Top 52% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 52% across 3 contests, versus top 65% the rest of the year.

3 September contests
top 65% the rest of the year

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.

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

Firehouse 51

#3825 of the rated field

1486 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 6
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1486

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 6 contests to 7, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 6 contests
last seen 2026-08-28

⚔ Head-to-head

Holy Smokes BBQ

#3845 of the rated field

1486 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 6
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 50%
Peak: 1503

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 6 years after HAPPY PIG BBQ did, first appearing in 2019.

rated over 6 contests
last seen 2026-08-28

⚔ Head-to-head

Platte County BBQ

#3811 of the rated field

1487 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 6
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1515

No shared contest yet.

Level with HAPPY PIG BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 6 contests
last seen 2023-08-18

⚔ Head-to-head

Pappy's Legacy BBQ

#3846 of the rated field

1486 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 6
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1517

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1517 at their best, 31 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 6 contests
last seen 2021-08-27

⚔ Head-to-head

GRILLBUSTERS BBQ

#3829 of the rated field

1486 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1486

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 7 contests to 7, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 6 contests
last seen 2020-04-06

⚔ Head-to-head

LICKMAN BBQ

#3851 of the rated field

1486 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 6
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1486

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 6 contests to 7, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 6 contests
last seen 2019-09-06

⚔ Head-to-head

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	6	4	1	1	177.1428	161.1084	168.85	top 36%
Pork Ribs	6	2	0	0	169.1772	143.3944	159.22	top 67%
Pork	6	1	0	0	165.6800	157.1200	161.40	top 65%
Brisket	6	2	0	0	169.1544	143.3484	156.74	top 66%

“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
MN	3	0	top 52%
WI	3	0	top 78%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	5	0	top 60%
Large (40+)	1	0	top 90%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
*Big Muddy Brew N Que	3	6	0	top 52%	2018-09-01

The story so far (16 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 5 yrs 2013-08-30 → 2018-09-01

Busiest season 2018 2 contests

Contests a season 1.4 across 5 seasons in the data

Cooks most in MN 4 of 7 contests · 2 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 4 1 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 6 entries · 1 win · 4 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 168.85 · weakest Brisket (156.74)

Walk rate 57% a top-10 call in 4 of 7 contests

Overall top-10 rate 29% 2 of 7 contests

Best top-10 run 2 straight contests

Master average 646.20 out of 720 · 6 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 125 54–115 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 355 7 mapped stops · furthest 89 mi

Schedule strength 1542 average field rating faced — tougher than 31% of rated contests

Longest layoff 1.8 yrs 2014-08-29 → 2016-06-11

Power rating 1486 peak 1501 · #3832 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Aug 30 First tracked contest 3rd Annual Smokin' In The Bogs
Aug 30 First call 3rd Annual Smokin' In The Bogs
2016
Sep 3 First category win (Chicken) Big Muddy Brew n Que(COMPETITOR'S SERIES)
Sep 3 First overall top-10 Big Muddy Brew n Que(COMPETITOR'S SERIES)
Sep 3 First overall past 90% of a perfect score678.8800 Big Muddy Brew n Que(COMPETITOR'S SERIES)
Sep 3 Career-best overall score678.8800 Big Muddy Brew n Que(COMPETITOR'S SERIES)
Sep 3 Career-best single call (Chicken)177.1428 Big Muddy Brew n Que(COMPETITOR'S SERIES)
2017
Sep 2 Peak power rating (1501) Big Muddy Brew N Que
2018
Sep 1 Most recent contest *Big Muddy Brew N Que

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+8.6	Big Muddy Brew n Que(COMPETITOR'S SERIES)	2016-09-03
+4.2	Big Muddy Brew N Que	2017-09-02

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-9.3	*Rotary Rockn Ribs	2018-06-22
-7.8	4th Annual Smokin In the Bogs	2014-08-29
-5.6	*Big Muddy Brew N Que	2018-09-01
-3.8	3rd Annual Smokin' In The Bogs	2013-08-30

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2018	2	0	0	50%	top 84%	88.9%	88.3%
2017	1	1	0	100%	top 48%	91.7%	91.7%
2016	2	1	1	50%	top 30%	94.3%	94.3%
2014	1	0	0	0%	top 79%	87.4%	87.4%
2013	1	0	0	100%	top 65%	88.6%	88.6%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2018-09-01	*Big Muddy Brew N Que Winona, MN	17 / 22 (639.8288)	9 (167.9888)	14 (166.2516)	13 (162.2400)	20 (143.3484)
2018-06-22	*Rotary Rockn Ribs LaCrosse, WI	37 / 41 (631.2572)	35 (161.1084)	34 (155.9544)	33 (158.8344)	37 (155.3600)
2017-09-02	Big Muddy Brew N Que Winona, MN	10 / 21 (659.9660)	8 (167.4172)	10 (166.2744)	19 (157.1200)	5 (169.1544)
2016-09-03	Big Muddy Brew n Que(COMPETITOR'S SERIES) Winona, MN	6 / 20 (678.8800)	1 (177.1428)	5 (169.1772)	9 (165.6800)	8 (166.8800)
2016-06-11	*Mankato Cookout Day 2 and( Back Yard) Mankato, MN	—	—	—	—	—
2014-08-29	4th Annual Smokin In the Bogs Warrens, WI	27 / 34 (629.6228)	12 (168.0116)	30 (154.2400)	19 (161.6912)	32 (145.6800)
2013-08-30	3rd Annual Smokin' In The Bogs Warrens, WI	24 / 37 (637.6344)	4 (171.4172)	34 (143.3944)	21 (162.8228)	21 (160.0000)

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
2017 ↗	Master	#1721 (121 pts)	#1695 (141 pts)	#1815 (121 pts)	#2169 (76 pts)	#1561 (171 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#2459 (67 pts)	#1294 (212 pts)	#2567 (62 pts)	#2050 (82 pts)	#1999 (82 pts)