High-water mark
94.8% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 682.2400 at Montana Pitmaster Classic — 94.8% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- Aug 27, 2021
Up In Smoke BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 50 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2025. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 26 at the Montana Pitmaster Classic (2018). They are ranked #3318 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “UpinSmoke BBQ”.
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360, Backyard (3-meat) out of 540), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #1042 (90 pts) | #1221 (60 pts) | #892 (165 pts) | #935 (120 pts) | #1147 (70 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #917 (120 pts) | #978 (120 pts) | #640 (270 pts) | #960 (120 pts) | #957 (120 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #927 (298 pts) | #1053 (258 pts) | #1092 (253 pts) | #914 (328 pts) | #928 (323 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #920 (322 pts) | #1254 (207 pts) | #1090 (272 pts) | #963 (327 pts) | #916 (352 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #2027 (90 pts) | #1599 (165 pts) | #2059 (100 pts) | #1799 (120 pts) | #2230 (65 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #1076 (295 pts) | #844 (450 pts) | #907 (420 pts) | #835 (470 pts) | #1298 (239 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #617 (590 pts) | #637 (605 pts) | #737 (515 pts) | #748 (500 pts) | #656 (570 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #560 (673 pts) | #449 (843 pts) | #572 (673 pts) | #441 (863 pts) | #565 (653 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #1444 (155 pts) | #1885 (105 pts) | #1221 (240 pts) | #1848 (115 pts) | #1586 (145 pts) |
The teams rated closest to Up In Smoke BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
109 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Up In Smoke BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-headThey've been 1543 at their best, 46 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-headFewer contests behind them than Up In Smoke BBQ has cooked, 26 to 50, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careersTheir rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 21 contests, alongside a 57% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careersTheir last contest in the data was back in 2022, 3 years before Up In Smoke BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careersBoth teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Compare careers| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | 18 | 2 | 16 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| LONESTAR SMOKE RANGERS | 15 | 0 | 15 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN JERKS | 13 | 13 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| 12 BAR BLUES CUE | 13 | 12 | 1 | 92% | ⚔ compare |
| Grate Expectations | 13 | 5 | 8 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| JO-BAWB'S BBQ | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Camp House BBQ | 11 | 6 | 5 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Beer Belly BBQ | 10 | 4 | 6 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG BONE BBQ-MT | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG PIG BBQ | 8 | 5 | 3 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| REDNECK SCIENTIFIC | 7 | 2 | 4 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG DADDY QUE | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| G AND L BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 40 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 178.2972 | 124.5372 | 160.06 | top 56% |
| Pork Ribs | 44 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 176.5600 | 133.6916 | 161.78 | top 50% |
| Pork | 36 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 177.7144 | 133.1426 | 159.88 | top 55% |
| Brisket | 32 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 174.8572 | 133.0516 | 156.18 | top 57% |
“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.
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 2 | 0 | top 64% |
| Medium (20–39) | 25 | 0 | top 51% |
| Large (40+) | 14 | 0 | top 68% |
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana BBQ Cook-Off | 7 | 6 | 0 | top 44% | Jun 22, 2019 |
| BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) | 5 | 13 | 0 | top 44% | Mar 22, 2025 |
| Montana Pitmaster Classic | 3 | 3 | 0 | top 30% | Aug 22, 2025 |
| Montana State BBQ Championship at Montana Fair | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 41% | Aug 11, 2015 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.7 | Montana Pitmaster Classic | Aug 24, 2018 |
| +13.7 | Carnivores Classic | May 29, 2015 |
| +11.3 | Montana BBQ Cook-Off | Jul 5, 2014 |
| +10.5 | Best of the West BBQ Fest | Sep 5, 2014 |
| +10 | Montana Pitmaster Classic | Aug 27, 2021 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -14 | Minnesota in May | May 7, 2021 |
| -12.7 | Best of the West | Aug 12, 2016 |
| -12.7 | Smoke on the Water Barbecue Championship | Oct 8, 2016 |
| -11.9 | McLouth BBQ Blowout 28th Annual | May 31, 2019 |
| -10.5 | Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival | Sep 14, 2018 |
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 95% | 72.2% | 72.2% |
| 2025 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 47% | 94.8% | 92.3% |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25% | top 48% | 90.6% | 90.1% |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 28% | 91.8% | 91.8% |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20% | top 77% | 94.8% | 88.3% |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 67% | top 49% | 94% | 91.6% |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 75% | top 58% | 94.5% | 79% |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 62% | 91.9% | 87.1% |
| 2016 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 75% | top 69% | 93.6% | 83.7% |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 36% | 93.6% | 90.8% |
| 2014 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 75% | top 63% | 91.1% | 86.5% |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60% | top 57% | 90.7% | 86.6% |
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 20, 2025 | 12 Bridge Rib Cook-Off (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lincoln, CA | — | — | 9 (166.8800) | — | — |
| Aug 22, 2025 | Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT | 19 / 38 (682.2172) | 28 (166.2400) | 7 (176.5600) | 13 (173.1200) | 23 (166.2972) |
| Jun 5, 2025 | Original SD BBQ Championships (One Meat Ribs) Huron, SD | — | — | 15 (166.8228) | — | — |
| Mar 22, 2025 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 22 / 43 (326.2404) | 23 (159.9888) | 19 (166.2516) | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 18 / 45 (329.0748) | 24 (160.5260) | 10 (168.5488) | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Urbanna, VA | — | — | — | — | — |
| May 24, 2024 | Roaring Camp BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Felton, CA | 9 / 21 (325.6800) | — | 3 (174.8456) | — | — |
| Mar 23, 2024 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 19 / 42 (326.2288) | 20 (159.9544) | 16 (166.2744) | 26 (144.5028) | — |
| Mar 22, 2024 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 25 / 45 (321.0400) | 24 (158.2400) | 18 (162.8000) | 18 (164.5372) | — |
| Mar 22, 2024 | BBQ Gives Back (One Meat Chicken) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mar 25, 2023 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 13 / 46 (495.9316) | 13 (166.8344) | 8 (169.1200) | 17 (159.9772) | — |
| Mar 24, 2023 | BBQ Gives Back (One Meat Chicken) Urbanna, VA | — | 31 (156.5600) | — | — | — |
| Mar 24, 2023 | BBQ Gives Back (One Meat Ribs) Urbanna, VA | — | — | 30 (157.6572) | — | — |
| Aug 27, 2021 | Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT | 9 / 31 (682.2400) | 24 (160.5256) | 4 (176.0116) | 7 (171.4400) | 6 (174.2628) |
| Jun 4, 2021 | Original SD BBQ Championship 🏅 Huron, SD | 43 / 49 (623.2912) | 37 (157.6800) | 14 (170.8456) | 46 (153.6800) | 47 (141.0856) |
| Jun 4, 2021 | Mclouth BBQ Blowout 29th Annual 🏅 Mclouth, KS | 38 / 42 (639.8400) | 34 (162.2744) | 28 (165.6684) | 32 (162.8228) | 41 (149.0744) |
| Jun 4, 2021 | The Original SD BBQ Championships - One Meat Standalone Ribs Contest Huron, SD | — | — | 17 (161.6456) | — | — |
| May 7, 2021 | Minnesota in May 🏅 Cambridge, MN | 60 / 60 (597.0400) | 56 (154.2512) | 54 (153.6916) | 60 (144.5600) | 60 (144.5372) |
| Aug 23, 2019 | Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT | 8 / 29 (665.6116) | 9 (168.5372) | 15 (161.1084) | 3 (172.5716) | 12 (163.3944) |
| Jun 22, 2019 | Montana BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Absarokee, MT | 8 / 29 (677.0400) | 12 (169.6684) | 8 (170.8344) | 16 (161.6916) | 4 (174.8456) |
| May 31, 2019 | McLouth BBQ Blowout 28th Annual 🏅 McLouth, KS | 23 / 25 (636.4912) | 20 (159.4172) | 11 (166.2628) | 25 (152.5256) | 20 (158.2856) |
| Sep 14, 2018 | Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival Mears, MI | 42 / 48 (313.7032) | — | — | — | — |
| Aug 24, 2018 | Montana Pitmaster Classic Bozeman, MT | 3 / 26 (680.4800) | 10 (162.8000) | 7 (170.8572) | 4 (171.9656) | 2 (174.8572) |
| Jun 30, 2018 | I-39 Smokin Car Show Minonk, IL | 21 / 29 (624.3428) | 28 (152.5028) | 22 (154.2172) | 25 (151.9200) | 5 (165.7028) |
| Jun 23, 2018 | Montana BBQ Cook-Off Absarokee, MT | 16 / 26 (657.0056) | 19 (159.9656) | 12 (167.3944) | 10 (168.5600) | 15 (161.0856) |
| Oct 13, 2017 | Smoke & Ale Fall Festival Chelsea, MI | 22 / 32 (592.5600) | 23 (150.8684) | 22 (153.7488) | 23 (141.1084) | 23 (146.8344) |
| Sep 8, 2017 | Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival Silver Lake, MI | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jun 24, 2017 | Montana BBQ Cook-Off Absarokee, MT | 19 / 35 (661.6340) | 7 (172.5600) | 17 (166.2628) | 13 (169.6912) | 24 (153.1200) |
| Oct 8, 2016 | Smoke on the Water Barbecue Championship Atlantic City, NJ | 47 / 48 (579.9544) | 46 (147.4400) | 48 (133.6916) | 40 (154.2512) | 43 (144.5716) |
| Sep 23, 2016 | Carnivores Classic Missoula, MT | 11 / 25 (649.5656) | 23 (150.2400) | 5 (172.0116) | 17 (158.1940) | 6 (169.1200) |
| Aug 12, 2016 | Best of the West Sheridan, WY | 25 / 26 (507.3484) | 13 (166.2400) | 18 (165.7028) | 2 (175.4056) | — |
| Jun 25, 2016 | Montana BBQ cook-off Absarokee, MT | 11 / 29 (674.2060) | 1 (178.2972) | 7 (173.1200) | 10 (169.1200) | 21 (153.6688) |
| Aug 11, 2015 | Montana State BBQ Championship at Montana Fair Billings, MT | 7 / 25 (674.2400) | 5 (172.5600) | 7 (169.7028) | 11 (168.0344) | 11 (163.9428) |
| Jul 3, 2015 | Montana BBQ Cook-Off Absarokee, MT | 12 / 29 (643.2912) | 7 (169.6800) | 24 (148.5256) | 10 (164.5600) | 10 (160.5256) |
| Jun 19, 2015 | Miles City Cowtown Cook-Off Miles City, MT | 16 / 26 (633.6684) | 6 (166.2400) | 19 (156.5484) | 19 (156.0344) | 15 (154.8456) |
| May 29, 2015 | Carnivores Classic Missoula, MT | 3 / 20 (665.0400) | 13 (161.6456) | 3 (170.2628) | 5 (167.4172) | 3 (165.7144) |
| Sep 5, 2014 | Best of the West BBQ Fest Sheridan, WY | 7 / 25 (636.5024) | 8 (160) | 3 (165.1312) | 14 (150.2284) | 4 (161.1428) |
| Aug 15, 2014 | Wyoming State BBQ Championship & Bluegrass Festival Worland, WY | 20 / 25 (617.5544) | 22 (153.1200) | 19 (153.6684) | 1 (177.7144) | 24 (133.0516) |
| Aug 12, 2014 | Montana State BBQ Championship at Montana Fair Billings, MT | 14 / 26 (634.8000) | 13 (158.8800) | 18 (151.4056) | 8 (167.9772) | 14 (156.5372) |
| Aug 8, 2014 | Smokin' on the Prairie Gillette, WY | 19 / 25 (629.5204) | 4 (171.4288) | 19 (158.8000) | 22 (150.8116) | 20 (148.4800) |
| Jul 5, 2014 | Montana BBQ Cook-Off Absarokee, MT | 6 / 25 (655.9772) | 5 (166.3200) | 12 (161.1316) | 5 (170.8800) | 11 (157.6456) |
| Jul 4, 2014 | Sauce and Cycles Falls City, NE | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2014 | Cowtown Cook-off Miles City, MT | 15 / 17 (611.7948) | 7 (161.1088) | 16 (147.9544) | 14 (154.2288) | 14 (148.5028) |
| May 16, 2014 | Bakersfield's Biggest, Baddest BBQ Championship Bakersfield, CA | 49 / 56 (572.9028) | 55 (136.9600) | 49 (145.0972) | 41 (154.3084) | 49 (136.5372) |
| Sep 6, 2013 | Best of the West BBQ Fest Sheridan, WY | 6 / 15 (653.0628) | 12 (160.0116) | 2 (173.1200) | 10 (157.6912) | 7 (162.2400) |
| Aug 9, 2013 | 12th Annual Maryland State BBQ Bash Bel Air, MD | 29 / 60 (621.4512) | 35 (154.2056) | 46 (150.2172) | 44 (148.4912) | 7 (168.5372) |
| Jul 6, 2013 | Montana BBQ Cook-Off Absarokee, MT | 14 / 22 (582.2852) | 3 (160) | 16 (142.2858) | 16 (133.1426) | 12 (146.8568) |
| Jun 14, 2013 | Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival Tryon, NC | 79 / 97 (616.5710) | 64 (157.1426) | 32 (164) | 86 (151.4284) | 90 (144) |
| May 10, 2013 | Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge Kannapolis, NC | 31 / 58 (642.8572) | 13 (166.8570) | 16 (166.2856) | 35 (161.1430) | 50 (148.5716) |
| — | Spring Valley Tailgate & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Spring Valley, CA | 19 / 20 (260.0684) | 19 (124.5372) | 18 (135.5312) | — | — |