The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
Smoke 'n Beers has finished one call ahead of PAPA BEAR BAR-B-QUE 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
PAPA BEAR BAR-B-QUE
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1347
peak 1347 · rated over 23 contests ⓘ
Contests
23
in the data
First seen
2014-05-24
latest 2019-09-13
Best ToY finish
#946
Master 2016
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
0 podiums
Overall top-10s
0
of 23 contests
Avg finish
top 90%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
615.28
last 5 Master vs avg 614.99 (+0.28)
Walk rate
9%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±26.42
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 160.13 · weakest Brisket (151.49)
Road miles
2,373
mi across 23 mapped stops · furthest 186 mi
Schedule strength
49%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1563)
Purse competed for
$29K
listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 3 state-championship entries
Master avg
614.99 / 720
23 Master contests · 0 GCs
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.
Their season
2017
their best year
2017 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 73%.
- 3 contests
- 0 overall top-10s
- 0 category wins
- average top 73%
A tough matchup
17–0
behind in the head-to-head
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN ahead in 100% of their meetings
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN has come out ahead in 17 of their 17 shared contests.
The weak link
−8.6
points behind their best meat
Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 8.64 points below their pork, and turns into a call 4% of the time against 9%.
- Brisket avg 151.49
- Pork avg 160.13
- 1 calls in 23 entries
A strong matchup
3–1
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 75% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of OLD BOY'S BBQ in 3 of their 4 shared contests.
Pork nemesis
16 of 16
shared pork entries lost
SPITFIRE ahead 100% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, SPITFIRE has out-cooked them in 16 of 16 shared pork entries.
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.
#6400 of the rated field
- Contests
- 58
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 2%
- Peak
- 1347
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 58 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#6398 of the rated field
- Contests
- 24
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1347
3–2 in 5 shared contests (60% to PAPA BEAR BAR-B-QUE)
These two have cooked 5 of the same contests — PAPA BEAR BAR-B-QUE ahead 3–2 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#6402 of the rated field
- Contests
- 23
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1346
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 23 contests to 23, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#6397 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1348
No shared contest yet.
22 contests and no Grand Championship yet.
⚔ Head-to-head#6399 of the rated field
- Contests
- 68
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 1%
- Peak
- 1347
No shared contest yet.
Level with PAPA BEAR BAR-B-QUE on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-head#6395 of the rated field
- Contests
- 41
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1349
2–8 in 10 shared contests (20% to PAPA BEAR BAR-B-QUE)
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2014.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | 17 | 0 | 17 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SPITFIRE | 16 | 0 | 16 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Hogline | 16 | 0 | 16 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| LUCKY'S Q | 15 | 0 | 15 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| CROIX VALLEY SAUCES | 14 | 1 | 13 | 7% | ⚔ compare |
| CITY SLICKERS BBQ | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY | 13 | 1 | 12 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| TRUE SMOKE BBQ | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SONS OF BUTCHERS | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| CASE OF RIBS | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| DRY 2 DA BONE | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| 3 BRATS AND A COCKTAIL WEENIE | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| MYASSIS SMOKIN | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| GRILLS GONE WILD IOWA | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| REBEL FIRE QUE'N COMPANY | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 168.0344 | 142.2972 | 158.19 | top 82% |
| Pork Ribs | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 165.7144 | 118.6172 | 151.78 | top 85% |
| Pork | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 171.9656 | 150.2172 | 160.13 | top 69% |
| Brisket | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 170.2972 | 134.1944 | 151.49 | top 79% |
“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 | 18 | 0 | top 89% |
| IA | 3 | 0 | top 93% |
| WI | 2 | 0 | top 88% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 100% |
| Medium (20–39) | 11 | 0 | top 89% |
| Large (40+) | 11 | 0 | top 89% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smokin In Steele | 4 | 23 | 0 | top 81% | 2019-05-31 |
| SMSU Smokefest | 3 | 24 | 0 | top 83% | 2018-08-17 |
| Smoke on the Waterfall | 2 | 16 | 0 | top 100% | 2016-06-24 |
| Bend of the River CookOut | 2 | 41 | 0 | top 99% | 2015-06-12 |
| Smokin' in the Junction | 2 | 28 | 0 | top 90% | 2015-05-23 |
The story so far (16 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
5.3 yrs
2014-05-24 → 2019-09-13
Busiest season
2016
6 contests
Contests a season
3.8
across 6 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
MN
18 of 23 contests · 3 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
15
5 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
23 entries · 0 wins · 0 calls
Strongest meat
Pork
averages 160.13 · weakest Brisket (151.49)
Walk rate
9%
a top-10 call in 2 of 23 contests
Overall top-10 rate
0%
0 of 23 contests
Master average
614.99
out of 720 · 23 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
312
98–781 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
2,373
23 mapped stops · furthest 186 mi
Schedule strength
1563
average field rating faced — tougher than 49% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$28,975
listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 3 state-championship entries
Power rating
1347
peak 1347 · #6401 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2014
- First tracked contest Smokin' in the Junction
- Peak power rating (1489) Smokin' in the Junction
- 2015
- First call Smoke on the Waterfall
- 2016
- 10th tracked contest *Mankato Cookout Day 2 and( Back Yard)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score648.4912 SMSU Smokefest
- Career-best single call (Pork)171.9656 9th Annual Big Island BBQ
- 2017
- Career-best overall score661.0972 Smokin In Steele
- 2019
- Most recent contest KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-Off
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +6.9 | Smokin In Steele | 2017-06-02 |
| +2.7 | SMSU Smokefest | 2016-08-19 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -13.5 | Bend of the River CookOut | 2014-06-27 |
| -11.4 | Smoke on the Waterfall | 2015-07-10 |
| -11.4 | Smokin' in the Junction | 2014-05-24 |
| -10.7 | Smokin in Steele | 2014-05-30 |
| -10.3 | Bend of the River CookOut | 2015-06-12 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 96% | 85.9% | 84.9% |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 94% | 87% | 85.7% |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 73% | 91.8% | 88.1% |
| 2016 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17% | top 87% | 90.1% | 84.9% |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25% | top 94% | 85% | 84.6% |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 93% | 86.3% | 85.1% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-09-13 | KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-Off 🏅 Worthington, MN | 26 / 26 (600.4688) | 25 (142.2972) | 26 (149.0744) | 19 (159.4172) | 21 (149.6800) |
| 2019-08-09 | 16th Annual UP IN SMOKE BBQ Bash 🏅 Mason City, IA | 38 / 38 (614.1024) | 37 (154.2284) | 38 (149.6344) | 37 (153.1540) | 28 (157.0856) |
| 2019-05-31 | Smokin In Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 38 / 43 (618.6968) | 22 (166.2856) | 43 (145.0628) | 31 (161.1312) | 39 (146.2172) |
| 2018-08-17 | SMSU Smokefest Marshall, MN | 38 / 40 (626.7200) | 37 (153.7028) | 22 (165.7144) | 31 (161.6800) | 38 (145.6228) |
| 2018-06-22 | *Rotary Rockn Ribs LaCrosse, WI | 39 / 41 (616.3884) | 30 (164.5600) | 39 (146.8000) | 30 (159.9656) | 39 (145.0628) |
| 2018-06-01 | Smokin In Steele Owatonna, MN | 42 / 45 (609.0512) | 39 (154.8800) | 40 (155.4056) | 40 (151.9656) | 41 (146.8000) |
| 2017-08-18 | SMSU Smokefest Marshall, MN | 36 / 41 (625.0516) | 39 (152.5372) | 36 (153.0972) | 17 (165.7144) | 34 (153.7028) |
| 2017-06-23 | *Rotary Rockn Ribs LaCrosse, WI | 30 / 37 (617.6684) | 33 (154.8000) | 35 (141.1428) | 23 (159.9884) | 18 (161.7372) |
| 2017-06-02 | Smokin In Steele Owatonna, MN | 23 / 46 (661.0972) | 29 (164.0116) | 23 (163.3828) | 15 (168.5828) | 23 (165.1200) |
| 2016-08-26 | 9th Annual Big Island BBQ Albert Lea, MN | 45 / 48 (510.2400) | 28 (167.9772) | — | 10 (171.9656) | 10 (170.2972) |
| 2016-08-19 | SMSU Smokefest Marshall, MN | 24 / 37 (648.4912) | 21 (168.0228) | 29 (157.0856) | 27 (158.2400) | 13 (165.1428) |
| 2016-06-24 | Smoke on the Waterfall Redwoodfalls, MN | 26 / 26 (618.1604) | 25 (157.6688) | 18 (161.1088) | 24 (153.1084) | 24 (146.2744) |
| 2016-06-17 | Treasure Island BBQ/ Steak Food Fest Red Wing, MN | 25 / 34 (625.5656) | 28 (156.5028) | 25 (159.4056) | 16 (164.5372) | 28 (145.1200) |
| 2016-06-11 | *Mankato Cookout Day 2 and( Back Yard) Mankato, MN | 32 / 32 (631.3944) | 20 (168.0344) | 29 (156.5828) | 25 (162.2972) | 32 (144.4800) |
| 2016-06-10 | *Mankato Cookout Day 1 Mankato, MN | 30 / 33 (635.3828) | 24 (166.8456) | 31 (156.0000) | 25 (161.7028) | 33 (150.8344) |
| 2015-07-10 | Smoke on the Waterfall REDWOOD FALLS, MN | 16 / 16 (607.8404) | 12 (160.5144) | 15 (146.2288) | 5 (166.9028) | 16 (134.1944) |
| 2015-06-12 | Bend of the River CookOut Mankato, MN | 41 / 42 (611.2348) | 40 (154.2516) | 30 (162.8116) | 42 (150.2172) | 40 (143.9544) |
| 2015-05-29 | Smokin' in Steel Owatonna, MN | 54 / 60 (604.4232) | 53 (155.9544) | 47 (154.8344) | 50 (154.2628) | 57 (139.3716) |
| 2015-05-23 | Smokin' in the Junction West Des Moines, IA | 33 / 37 (612.2856) | 23 (164.5256) | 35 (118.6172) | 26 (160.5600) | 11 (168.5828) |
| 2014-08-15 | Smokefest Marshall, MN | 29 / 32 (616.0116) | 31 (155.9772) | 26 (152.5944) | 19 (161.1772) | 30 (146.2628) |
| 2014-06-27 | Bend of the River CookOut Mankato, MN | 50 / 50 (598.1028) | 49 (149.0972) | 48 (143.9544) | 44 (158.8112) | 50 (146.2400) |
| 2014-05-30 | Smokin in Steele Owatonna, MN | 61 / 67 (621.7032) | 65 (154.8572) | 58 (153.7372) | 51 (160.5488) | 58 (152.5600) |
| 2014-05-24 | Smokin' in the Junction West Des Moines, IA | 28 / 31 (614.7888) | 29 (150.8344) | 29 (146.8572) | 23 (157.1200) | 23 (159.9772) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1296 (171 pts) | #1272 (186 pts) | #1344 (171 pts) | #1235 (201 pts) | #1242 (191 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1266 (180 pts) | #1319 (180 pts) | #1298 (195 pts) | #1342 (180 pts) | #1330 (180 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #1338 (190 pts) | #1493 (180 pts) | #1460 (190 pts) | #1176 (280 pts) | #1325 (225 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #946 (350 pts) | #925 (395 pts) | #1073 (320 pts) | #835 (470 pts) | #782 (485 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #1097 (266 pts) | #1081 (296 pts) | #1167 (271 pts) | #997 (346 pts) | #990 (336 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #1340 (207 pts) | #1423 (207 pts) | #1405 (207 pts) | #1304 (237 pts) | #1397 (207 pts) |