The comeback
5.6 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 5.6 years, then back at Southaven Springfest (Apr 21, 2023).
- last seen Sep 8, 2017
- back Apr 21, 2023
The Barbecue Experiment
The Barbecue Experiment is a competition barbecue team with 5 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2017 and 2023. Their best overall finish is 31st of 34 at the Southaven Springfest (2023).
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1475
Unranked — needs 5 rated contests, has 3
Contests
5
in the data
First seen
Jun 9, 2017
latest Apr 21, 2023 · 5.9 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
0 podiums
Overall top-10s
0
0% of 5 contests
Avg finish
top 86%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Walk rate
0%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±15.25
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 161.28 · weakest Brisket (151.74)
Road miles
93
across 5 mapped stops · furthest 45 mi
Schedule strength
57%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1573)
Purse competed for
$55K
listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 1 state-championship entry
Master avg
629.33 / 720
3 Master contests · 0 GCs
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to The Barbecue Experiment, each with one reason worth a look.
The Barbecue Experiment has 3 rated contests, short of the five a power ranking needs, so its rating is still close to the 1500 every team starts on and 143 rated teams sit within a point of it.
#4,392 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1475
Careers of much the same size, 5 contests to 5, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#4,363 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1502
They turned up 7 years after The Barbecue Experiment did, first appearing in 2024.
⚔ Compare careers#4,381 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1505
They've been 1505 at their best, 30 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#4,357 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1503
Level with The Barbecue Experiment on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#4,396 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1475
Careers of much the same size, 5 contests to 5, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#4,354 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1476
Careers of much the same size, 5 contests to 5, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careersBy meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 166.8456 | 148.5140 | 157.29 | top 86% |
| Pork Ribs | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 168.5600 | 147.9544 | 159.02 | top 71% |
| Pork | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 167.4056 | 157.0628 | 161.28 | top 78% |
| Brisket | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 158.7884 | 144.4800 | 151.74 | top 88% |
“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) | 1 | 0 | top 91% |
| Large (40+) | 2 | 0 | top 83% |
More numbers
Busiest season
2017
2 contests
Contests a season
1.3
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
TN
3 of 5 contests · 3 states in all
Contests visited
3
a different one every time
Opponents faced
103
finished ahead 18 times, behind 100
Longest layoff
5.6 yrs
Sep 8, 2017 → Apr 21, 2023
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest World Championship Hot Wings Contest & Festival (COMPETITORS SERIES)
20174 milestones
- First tracked contest Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
- Career-best overall score640.9252 Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)168.5600 Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
- Peak power rating (1495) Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10.9 | International Goat Days Championship BBQ Contest-SMOKIN IN THE GOAT PEN | Sep 8, 2017 |
| -8.6 | Southaven Springfest | Apr 21, 2023 |
| -5.1 | Delta Smoke BBQ Contest | Jun 9, 2017 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 91% | 88.8% | 88.8% |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 83% | 89% | 86.7% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 18, 2026 | World Championship Hot Wings Contest & Festival (COMPETITORS SERIES) Memphis, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| Apr 20, 2024 | World Championship Hot Wings Contest & Festival (COMPETITORS SERIES) Memphis, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| Apr 21, 2023 | Southaven Springfest 🏅 Southaven, MS | 31 / 34 (639.2684) | 25 (166.8456) | 27 (160.5372) | 21 (167.4056) | 33 (144.4800) |
| Sep 8, 2017 | International Goat Days Championship BBQ Contest-SMOKIN IN THE GOAT PEN Millington, TN | 38 / 42 (607.7828) | 39 (148.5140) | 39 (147.9544) | 35 (159.3600) | 36 (151.9544) |
| Jun 9, 2017 | Delta Smoke BBQ Contest Wynne, AR | 34 / 45 (640.9252) | 41 (156.5140) | 19 (168.5600) | 40 (157.0628) | 37 (158.7884) |