JL CUSTOM SMOKERS

JL CUSTOM SMOKERS is a competition barbecue team with 8 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2016 and 2018. Their best overall finish is 21st of 25 at the Town of Mt. Pleasant Fall Festival & First Annual Polar Pig Cook-Off (2016). They are ranked #5486 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#5,486

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1452

peak 1452 · rated over 8 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Nov 11, 2016

latest Nov 9, 2018 · 2 years on the trail

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

0% of 8 contests

Avg finish

top 86%

overall standings

Best overall

655.3024 / 720

Master · Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel B)

Perfect 180s

Current form

636.08 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 630.97 (+5.11)

Walk rate

13%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

171.4400

Brisket · Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (JUDGES FULL)

Consistency

±14.36

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Brisket

avg 158.74 · weakest Pork (157.02)

Road miles

148

across 8 mapped stops · furthest 38 mi

Schedule strength

86%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1618)

Master avg

630.97 / 720

8 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (6 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

A tough matchup

8–0 behind in the head-to-head

REDNECK SCIENTIFIC ahead in 100% of their meetings

REDNECK SCIENTIFIC has come out ahead in 8 of their 8 shared contests.

Brisket nemesis

7 of 8 shared brisket entries lost

REDNECK SCIENTIFIC ahead 88% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, REDNECK SCIENTIFIC has out-cooked them in 7 of 8 shared brisket entries.

They cook the hard rooms

1618 average field rating faced

A tougher draw than 86% of rated fields

The fields they enter average a 1618 power rating — a tougher draw than 86% of every rated contest in the data.

8 rated contests

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

2 GUYS AND A CHICK has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A November team

Top 77% average finish in November

Something about November: average finish in the top 77% across 4 contests, versus top 86% the rest of the year.

4 November contests
top 86% the rest of the year

The metronome

±1.99% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.99% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 87.6% of a perfect score
8 contests

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to JL CUSTOM SMOKERS, each with one reason worth a look.

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

HAWLIN BUTTZ BBQ TEAM

#5,470 of the rated field

1452 power rating

Contests: 22
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1452

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to JL CUSTOM SMOKERS)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team JL CUSTOM SMOKERS has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 22 contests
last seen Sep 23, 2022

⚔ Head-to-head

Smokey J's BBQ

#5,497 of the rated field

1451 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1504

They've been 1504 at their best, 53 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 8 contests
last seen Jul 23, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

Whiskey Business BBQ

#5,477 of the rated field

1452 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1452

Careers of much the same size, 9 contests to 8, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Sep 25, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Los Mexi"Q"tioners

#5,476 of the rated field

1452 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1452

Level with JL CUSTOM SMOKERS on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Aug 9, 2025

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BBQ SHOGUN

#5,482 of the rated field

1452 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1452

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 9 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Sep 29, 2022

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SMOKE JUMPERS

#5,481 of the rated field

1452 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1452

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 9 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Jun 16, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
House of Smoke NC	8	4	4	50%	⚔ compare
HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
REDNECK SCIENTIFIC	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
THE SMOKEHOUSE MAFIA	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
MCADOO HEIGHTS BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
2 GUYS AND A CHICK	6	4	2	67%	⚔ compare
Q & STEW BEST EVER BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKE N BREW	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
SAUCED! BBQ TEAM	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
MIDNIGHT BURN	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKE MONSTER BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
BIG DOG BBQ VA	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	8	0	169.1084	142.7884	157.75	top 79%
Pork Ribs	8	1	169.1200	142.1944	157.46	top 72%
Pork	8	0	165.1200	146.1828	157.02	top 75%
Brisket	8	1	171.4400	143.3372	158.74	top 69%

“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 84%
Large (40+)	7	0	top 86%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel A)	3	29	0	top 75%	Nov 9, 2018
Jiggy With the Piggy	2	64	0	top 95%	May 4, 2018

More numbers

Busiest season 2018 4 contests

Contests a season 2.7 across 3 seasons in the data

Most contests held in NC 8 of 8 contests

Contests visited 5 2 of them more than once

Opponents faced 166 finished ahead 53 times, behind 367

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

20183 milestones

Nov 9 First overall past 90% of a perfect score655.3024 Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel B)
Nov 9 Career-best overall score655.3024 Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel B)
Nov 9 Most recent contest Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel A)

20172 milestones

Nov 10 First call Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (JUDGES FULL)
Nov 10 Career-best single call (Brisket)171.4400 Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (JUDGES FULL)

20162 milestones

Nov 11 First tracked contest Town of Mt. Pleasant Fall Festival & First Annual Polar Pig Cook-Off
Nov 11 Peak power rating (1492) Town of Mt. Pleasant Fall Festival & First Annual Polar Pig Cook-Off

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+1.3	Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel B)	Nov 9, 2018
+0.7	Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (JUDGES FULL)	Nov 10, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.6	Jiggy With the Piggy	May 5, 2017
-10.5	Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic	Sep 15, 2017
-8.5	Jiggy With the Piggy	May 4, 2018
-8.1	Pigs & Pedals	Aug 3, 2018
-7.7	Town of Mt. Pleasant Fall Festival & First Annual Polar Pig Cook-Off	Nov 11, 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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2018	4	0%	top 87%	91%	88.1%
2017	3	33%	top 85%	89.3%	86.7%
2016	1	0%	top 84%	88.6%	88.6%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Nov 9, 2018	Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel A) Concord, NC	48 / 56 (635.2340)	49 (156.5256)	21 (166.8344)	56 (146.1828)	26 (165.6912)
Nov 9, 2018	Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel B) Concord, NC	34 / 44 (655.3024)	22 (169.1084)	32 (162.2628)	28 (165.1200)	40 (158.8112)
Aug 3, 2018	Pigs & Pedals Asheboro, NC	45 / 48 (618.7776)	41 (159.4400)	48 (142.1944)	35 (159.4516)	37 (157.6916)
May 4, 2018	Jiggy With the Piggy Kannapolis, NC	64 / 70 (627.7940)	68 (147.3712)	63 (153.0744)	33 (164.5256)	47 (162.8228)
Nov 10, 2017	Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (JUDGES FULL) Concord, NC	29 / 47 (643.2912)	45 (142.7884)	10 (169.1200)	29 (159.9428)	6 (171.4400)
Sep 15, 2017	Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic Salisbury, NC	60 / 63 (623.2000)	54 (159.4172)	56 (155.9428)	63 (148.4800)	40 (159.3600)
May 5, 2017	Jiggy With the Piggy Kannapolis, NC	74 / 75 (606.1144)	56 (159.4172)	68 (150.8572)	67 (152.5028)	73 (143.3372)
Nov 11, 2016	Town of Mt. Pleasant Fall Festival & First Annual Polar Pig Cook-Off Mt. Pleasant, NC	21 / 25 (638.0456)	13 (167.9656)	18 (159.3716)	17 (159.9312)	24 (150.7772)

JL CUSTOM SMOKERS

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Master avg

Storylines (6 found in their record)

A tough matchup

Brisket nemesis

They cook the hard rooms

Looking over their shoulder

A November team

The metronome

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

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

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

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