High-water mark
671.9432
career-best overall
93.3% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 671.9432 at 7th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition — 93.3% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- May 18, 2018
1881 SMOKIN' IRON BBQ
1881 SMOKIN' IRON BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 11 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2022. Their best overall finish is 11th of 25 at the Big Blue BBQ Championship (2022). They are ranked #3276 of 6,477 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1499
peak 1499 · rated over 11 contests
Contests
11
in the data
First seen
May 29, 2015
latest Jun 3, 2022 · 7 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
2
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
0
0% of 11 contests
Avg finish
top 64%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
662.88 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 648.69 (+14.19)
Walk rate
45%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±19.40
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 165.75 · weakest Brisket (157.47)
Road miles
564
across 11 mapped stops · furthest 180 mi
Schedule strength
70%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1589)
Purse competed for
$20K
listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 2 state-championship entries
Master avg
648.69 / 720
11 Master contests · 0 GCs
Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #986 (120 pts) | #913 (165 pts) | #722 (275 pts) | #1348 (60 pts) | #1103 (115 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1955 (60 pts) | #2049 (60 pts) | #1898 (80 pts) | #1689 (115 pts) | #2010 (60 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1223 (195 pts) | #1319 (180 pts) | #927 (355 pts) | #1342 (180 pts) | #1462 (155 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #1229 (230 pts) | #914 (425 pts) | #1398 (210 pts) | #1340 (225 pts) | #1375 (210 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #1775 (120 pts) | #1457 (195 pts) | #1884 (120 pts) | #1505 (195 pts) | #1839 (120 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #1867 (113 pts) | #1622 (153 pts) | #1684 (143 pts) | #1666 (143 pts) | #1935 (113 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to 1881 SMOKIN' IRON BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
107 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#3,282 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 18%
- Peak
- 1506
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 3 years before 1881 SMOKIN' IRON BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#3,262 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 9%
- Peak
- 1508
Careers of much the same size, 11 contests to 11, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#3,256 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 8%
- Peak
- 1509
12 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 8% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#3,270 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1513
Level with 1881 SMOKIN' IRON BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#3,288 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1511
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 4 years before 1881 SMOKIN' IRON BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#3,284 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1498
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHEN PIGS DIE | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| ELWOOD BBQ | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| OMAHA'S BLOWIN' SMOKE | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| HOT GRILL ON GRILL ACTION | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| PORKY BUTTS BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | 7 | 6 | 1 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
| 2FishQ | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| HELPING U BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| OL SMOKEY | 6 | 4 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| ALWAYS SMOK'D | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| TEAM BREW & QUE | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| SPITFIRE | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| TATTOO BOB'S BAR-B-Q | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| CROWN POINT BBQ | 5 | 5 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 173.7028 | 154.8572 | 165.75 | top 46% |
| Pork Ribs | 11 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 177.7144 | 147.3484 | 162.99 | top 55% |
| Pork | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 170.2856 | 152.5484 | 162.47 | top 58% |
| Brisket | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 168.5372 | 142.2744 | 157.47 | top 68% |
“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 field size and state
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 5 | 0 | top 62% |
| Large (40+) | 6 | 0 | top 65% |
More numbers
Busiest season
2017
3 contests
Contests a season
1.8
across 6 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
NE
9 of 11 contests · 2 states in all
Contests visited
11
a different one every time
Opponents faced
208
finished ahead 157 times, behind 281
Longest layoff
3 yrs
May 31, 2019 → Jun 3, 2022
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20222 milestones
- Peak power rating (1499) Big Blue BBQ Championship
- Most recent contest Big Blue BBQ Championship
20191 milestone
- 10th tracked contest 8th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition
20183 milestones
- First category win (Pork Ribs) 7th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition
- Career-best overall score671.9432 7th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)177.7144 7th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition
20171 milestone
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score666.7656 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
20161 milestone
- First call 5th Annual Valley Veteran's BBQ Competition
20151 milestone
- First tracked contest 4th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +8.1 | 7th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition | May 18, 2018 |
| +6.8 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | Apr 28, 2017 |
| +6.1 | Big Blue BBQ Championship | Jun 3, 2022 |
| +3.6 | Omaha Steaks Nebraska BBQ Championship Day -1 | Aug 4, 2017 |
| +2.6 | 26th Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska | Aug 10, 2018 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.1 | 4th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition | May 29, 2015 |
| -6.6 | 23rd Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska | Aug 14, 2015 |
| -4.6 | 8th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition | May 31, 2019 |
| -4.5 | 24th Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska | Aug 5, 2016 |
| -1.3 | 5th Annual Valley Veteran's BBQ Competition | May 20, 2016 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score — tap a meat to add it)
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
How entries end (by meat)
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 100% | top 44% | 93.3% | 93.3% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 74% | 90.2% | 90.2% |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 50% | top 49% | 93.3% | 92.5% |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67% | top 57% | 92.6% | 91.3% |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 71% | 89.3% | 88.2% |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 86% | 88% | 86.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 3, 2022 | Big Blue BBQ Championship 🏅 Marysville, KS | 11 / 25 (671.8972) | 6 (173.7028) | 1 (176.5600) | 23 (153.0972) | 12 (168.5372) |
| May 31, 2019 | 8th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition 🏅 Valley, NE | 29 / 39 (649.6344) | 34 (155.9656) | 21 (166.8344) | 14 (168.5600) | 28 (158.2744) |
| Aug 10, 2018 | 26th Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska Arlington, NE | 17 / 30 (659.9088) | 14 (166.2972) | 22 (163.3944) | 12 (169.6800) | 19 (160.5372) |
| May 18, 2018 | 7th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition Valley, NE | 17 / 42 (671.9432) | 23 (165.7028) | 1 (177.7144) | 25 (163.9772) | 23 (164.5488) |
| Aug 4, 2017 | Omaha Steaks Nebraska BBQ Championship Day -1 Omaha, NE | 32 / 54 (661.0176) | 10 (172.5600) | 37 (161.1088) | 23 (167.3944) | 37 (159.9544) |
| May 19, 2017 | 6th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition Valley, NE | 30 / 47 (643.2912) | 7 (173.1200) | 30 (159.3828) | 37 (152.5484) | 29 (158.2400) |
| Apr 28, 2017 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Overland Park, KS | 14 / 30 (666.7656) | 11 (169.6800) | 18 (166.2856) | 17 (167.3828) | 18 (163.4172) |
| Aug 5, 2016 | 24th Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska Omaha, NE | 56 / 70 (626.1944) | 41 (162.2744) | 39 (160.5600) | 53 (154.2628) | 59 (149.0972) |
| May 20, 2016 | 5th Annual Valley Veteran's BBQ Competition Valley, NE | 26 / 42 (643.3140) | 10 (169.1428) | 38 (147.3484) | 10 (170.2856) | 25 (156.5372) |
| Aug 14, 2015 | 23rd Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska Omaha, NE | 35 / 42 (633.6800) | 34 (154.8572) | 19 (165.1428) | 28 (162.8800) | 38 (150.8000) |
| May 29, 2015 | 4th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition Valley, NE | 25 / 28 (607.8972) | 17 (160) | 26 (148.5372) | 19 (157.0856) | 25 (142.2744) |