The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
MOOSE'S BARBECUE has finished one call ahead of Brass Monkey BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
Brass Monkey BBQ
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1438
peak 1438 · rated over 15 contests ⓘ
Contests
17
in the data
First seen
2013-08-23
latest 2026-08-15
Best ToY finish
#1380
Master 2017
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
1 podiums
Overall top-10s
1
of 17 contests
Avg finish
top 74%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
606.95 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 603.52 (+3.43)
Walk rate
29%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±20.98
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 156.85 · weakest Brisket (140.65)
Road miles
1,532
mi across 15 mapped stops · furthest 558 mi
Schedule strength
30%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1540)
Purse competed for
$16K
listed at 7 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 2 state-championship entries
Master avg
603.52 / 720
12 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
315.38 / 360
5 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360), 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.
Storylines (9 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.
A tough matchup
9–0
behind in the head-to-head
ROLL THE BONES BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings
ROLL THE BONES BBQ has come out ahead in 9 of their 9 shared contests.
The weak link
−16.2
points behind their best meat
Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 16.20 points below their pork, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 8%.
- Brisket avg 140.65
- Pork avg 156.85
- 0 calls in 13 entries
A strong matchup
3–0
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 100% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of The Bacon and Hockey Podcast in 3 of their 3 shared contests.
The comeback
3 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 3 years, then back at Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) (2025-09-05).
- last seen 2022-08-20
- back 2025-09-05
Pork nemesis
7 of 8
shared pork entries lost
Littles BBQ Co ahead 88% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, Littles BBQ Co has out-cooked them in 7 of 8 shared pork entries.
Looking over their shoulder
2×
one call behind them
SMOKIN' STACK RACKS has landed one call behind them 2 times.
An August team
Top 58%
average finish in August
Something about August: average finish in the top 58% across 5 contests, versus top 74% the rest of the year.
- 5 August contests
- top 74% the rest of the year
A standing appointment
4
years running at one contest
They've cooked *Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off every year from 2015 to 2018 — the contest they never miss.
- 4 visits in all
- best finish 37th
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.
72 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#5868 of the rated field
- Contests
- 37
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 5%
- Peak
- 1515
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Brass Monkey BBQ)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Brass Monkey BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#5862 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 13%
- Peak
- 1438
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 15 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#5860 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 21%
- Peak
- 1503
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 14 contests to 17, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#5880 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 7%
- Peak
- 1438
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 10 years before Brass Monkey BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#5876 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1438
No shared contest yet.
13 contests and no Grand Championship yet.
⚔ Head-to-head#5866 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1502
No shared contest yet.
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROLL THE BONES BBQ | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| D.F.G.'S BBQ | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| MOOSE'S BARBECUE | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| Littles BBQ Co | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| A BOY NAMED QUE | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG "E" BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKE FREAKS | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| THE BBQ BUS | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| CHANNABILLY BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| HAZY BLUE BBQ | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKE 2 PULL | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Two Brews BBQ | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| CARNIVORE'S PARADISE | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| QUE U | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 171.4516 | 143.9084 | 153.88 | top 72% |
| Pork Ribs | 18 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 172.6056 | 139.3944 | 154.75 | top 67% |
| Pork | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 170.3316 | 142.2400 | 156.85 | top 67% |
| Brisket | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 158.8344 | 118.1944 | 140.65 | 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 state / province
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| IL | 8 | 0 | top 62% |
| WI | 8 | 0 | top 84% |
| NC | 1 | 0 | top 94% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 8 | 0 | top 64% |
| Large (40+) | 9 | 0 | top 83% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) | 5 | 10 | 0 | top 45% | 2026-08-15 |
| *Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off | 4 | 37 | 0 | top 88% | 2018-10-19 |
| Grill Games | 3 | 19 | 0 | top 76% | 2016-08-26 |
| *Harbor-Que | 2 | 22 | 0 | top 87% | 2018-10-05 |
The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
13 yrs
2013-08-23 → 2026-08-15
Busiest season
2017
3 contests
Contests a season
1.5
across 11 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
IL
8 of 17 contests · 3 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
7
4 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
18 entries · 0 wins · 3 calls
Strongest meat
Pork
averages 156.85 · weakest Brisket (140.65)
Walk rate
29%
a top-10 call in 5 of 17 contests
Overall top-10 rate
6%
1 of 17 contests
Master average
603.52
out of 720 · 12 contests · 0 GCs
Backyard average
315.38
out of 360 · 5 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
360
167–506 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
1,532
15 mapped stops · furthest 558 mi
Schedule strength
1540
average field rating faced — tougher than 30% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$15,880
listed at 7 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 2 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
3 yrs
2022-08-20 → 2025-09-05
Power rating
1438
peak 1438 · #5871 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- First tracked contest Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 2013
- Peak power rating (1485) Grill Games
- 2015
- First call Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook off
- 2016
- Career-best overall score638.8460 Grill Games
- 2017
- 10th tracked contest Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off
- 2022
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)172.6056 Vine St. BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 2025
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score331.3828 Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 2026
- First overall top-10 Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Most recent contest Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +11.2 | Vine St. BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2022-08-20 |
| +10.4 | Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2026-08-15 |
| +9.9 | Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2025-09-05 |
| +2.3 | Grill Games | 2016-08-26 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -15.2 | Grill Games | 2013-08-23 |
| -10.9 | *Harbor-Que | 2017-10-06 |
| -8.8 | Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off | 2017-10-20 |
| -8.5 | Hog Capital Challenge | 2019-06-14 |
| -8.4 | WNC BBQ Festival(Smokin in the Valley) | 2017-07-21 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 65% | 83.5% | 81.5% |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 33% | 93.8% | 93.8% |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 34% | 92.1% | 92.1% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 29% | 89.2% | 89.2% |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 93% | 85.4% | 85.1% |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 85% | 84.9% | 84.5% |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 94% | 86.8% | 83.4% |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 68% | 88.7% | 86.4% |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 84% | 84.8% | 84.8% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 79% | 85.6% | 85.6% |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 98% | 78.5% | 78.5% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-15 | Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Park Ridge, IL | 10 / 30 (337.6684) | 8 (170.2628) | 11 (167.4056) | — | — |
| 2025-09-05 | Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Park Ridge, IL | 13 / 38 (331.3828) | 10 (166.8228) | 14 (164.5600) | — | — |
| 2022-08-20 | Vine St. BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Park Ridge, IL | 12 / 41 (321.0624) | 33 (148.4568) | 3 (172.6056) | — | — |
| 2019-10-18 | Best of the Midwest 🏅 Union Grove, WI | 49 / 52 (611.2460) | 49 (146.2400) | 30 (158.2516) | 28 (162.2628) | 49 (144.4916) |
| 2019-06-14 | Hog Capital Challenge 🏅 Kewanee, IL | 23 / 25 (614.6628) | 24 (148.5028) | 20 (156.5256) | 18 (155.3712) | 17 (154.2632) |
| 2018-10-19 | *Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off Union Grove, WI | 38 / 42 (606.1948) | 37 (149.1316) | 35 (149.7144) | 41 (148.5144) | 26 (158.8344) |
| 2018-10-05 | *Harbor-Que Winthrop Harbor, IL | 22 / 28 (611.2800) | 26 (143.9084) | 17 (158.8572) | 14 (162.2972) | 26 (146.2172) |
| 2017-10-20 | Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off Union Grove, WI | 48 / 52 (591.3720) | 40 (154.2744) | 52 (142.8800) | 38 (154.8116) | 47 (139.4060) |
| 2017-10-06 | *Harbor-Que Winthrop Harbor, IL | 22 / 23 (585.5544) | 20 (150.8228) | 22 (147.9544) | 19 (152.5600) | 22 (134.2172) |
| 2017-07-21 | WNC BBQ Festival(Smokin in the Valley) Maggie Valley, NC | 44 / 47 (624.9712) | 41 (161.1084) | 38 (161.6800) | 44 (157.6456) | 43 (144.5372) |
| 2016-10-21 | Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off Union Grove, WI | 43 / 51 (605.5544) | 38 (156.5372) | 41 (150.8000) | 26 (159.9772) | 47 (138.2400) |
| 2016-08-26 | Grill Games Kenosha, WI | 19 / 37 (638.8460) | 5 (171.4516) | 21 (160.5944) | 19 (161.0972) | 29 (145.7028) |
| 2015-10-23 | Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook off Union Grove, WI | 37 / 44 (610.8228) | 27 (160.5600) | 34 (150.8800) | 7 (170.3316) | 44 (129.0512) |
| 2014-08-22 | Grill Games Kenosha, WI | 37 / 47 (616.4688) | 28 (160.0116) | 15 (164.5600) | 42 (142.2400) | 36 (149.6572) |
| 2013-08-23 | Grill Games Kenosha, WI | 42 / 43 (565.5316) | 40 (145.1772) | 40 (142.2172) | 35 (152.5372) | 43 (125.6000) |
| Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Park Ridge, IL | 18 / 38 (300.5260) | 25 (145.0744) | 17 (155.4516) | — | — | |
| Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Park Ridge, IL | 32 / 39 (286.2628) | 26 (145.1772) | 33 (141.0856) | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #332 (60 pts) | #164 (235 pts) | — | — |
| 2021 ↗ | Backyard | — | #262 (60 pts) | #224 (100 pts) | — | — |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1471 (120 pts) | #1702 (115 pts) | #1489 (135 pts) | #1453 (145 pts) | #1407 (150 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1491 (128 pts) | #1764 (113 pts) | #1478 (153 pts) | #1424 (168 pts) | #1739 (113 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #1380 (183 pts) | #1452 (193 pts) | #1498 (183 pts) | #1412 (198 pts) | #1470 (183 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #1624 (150 pts) | #1293 (245 pts) | #1765 (140 pts) | #1738 (150 pts) | #1839 (120 pts) |