They almost always walk
86%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 12 of 14 contests
A top-10 category call in 86% of their 14 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
Alderfire BBQ
Alderfire BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 14 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2019 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 17 at the Smoke on the Sound (2026), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion twice. They are ranked #1070 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1597
peak 1597 · rated over 13 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted
Contests
14
in the data
First seen
Aug 17, 2019
latest Sep 25, 2026 · 7.1 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
2 reserve
Category wins
2
5 podiums
Overall top-10s
7
50% of 14 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s, still running
Avg finish
top 34%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
691.73 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 683.45 (+8.28)
Walk rate
86%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±10.68
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 172.36 · weakest Pork Ribs (169.87)
Road miles
7,312
across 14 mapped stops · furthest 2,030 mi
Schedule strength
41%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1554)
Purse competed for
$207K
listed at 12 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 13 state-championship entries
Master avg
683.45 / 720
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #282 (773 pts) | #346 (668 pts) | #412 (593 pts) | #334 (673 pts) | #302 (783 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #603 (282 pts) | #669 (267 pts) | #713 (257 pts) | #747 (207 pts) | #688 (242 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #618 (260 pts) | #686 (250 pts) | #654 (320 pts) | #802 (180 pts) | #782 (200 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Alderfire BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
29 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,069 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 85%
- Peak
- 1597
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 12 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,067 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 55%
- Peak
- 1597
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before Alderfire BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,072 of the rated field
- Contests
- 19
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 16%
- Peak
- 1597
Careers of much the same size, 19 contests to 14, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#1,073 of the rated field
- Contests
- 20
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 30%
- Peak
- 1597
20 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 30% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#1,068 of the rated field
- Contests
- 36
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 22%
- Peak
- 1606
They were already cooking in 2013, 6 years before Alderfire BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#1,074 of the rated field
- Contests
- 41
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 27%
- Peak
- 1616
Level with Alderfire BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Axe BBQ | 13 | 7 | 6 | 54% | ⚔ compare |
| RJs Smokehouse | 11 | 6 | 5 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| Rob's Smokin and Grillin BBQ | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| J&C BBQ | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| SLOW PORKIN | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Old Dirty Basters | 7 | 6 | 1 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN TIMBERS NORTHWEST | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| DND BBQ | 6 | 6 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Daddy & Me BBQ | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| SLO.MO.QUE | 6 | 4 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| SinBin BBQ | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| EZ-D'S SMOKE SHACK | 5 | 5 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| ONW BBQ Co | 5 | 5 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| CROOKED PIGS | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| LAKE HOUSE BBQ | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 14 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 177.7028 | 166.2744 | 172.36 | top 32% |
| Pork Ribs | 14 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 177.1544 | 156.5944 | 169.87 | top 46% |
| Pork | 14 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 176.0116 | 165.1084 | 171.29 | top 40% |
| Brisket | 14 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 179.4400 | 159.9544 | 169.94 | top 41% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 2 | 0 | top 19% |
| Medium (20–39) | 10 | 0 | top 32% |
| Large (40+) | 2 | 0 | top 58% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 2) | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 20% | May 31, 2025 |
| 2024 Icebox Cookoff | 2 | 19 | 0 | top 53% | Jul 6, 2024 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2025
4 contests
Contests a season
2.3
across 6 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
WA
6 of 14 contests · 5 states in all
Contests visited
12
2 of them more than once
Opponents faced
280
finished ahead 305 times, behind 187
Longest layoff
3 yrs
Aug 17, 2019 → Aug 20, 2022
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- Peak power rating (1597) Smoke on the Sound
- Most recent contest Smoke on the Sound
20256 milestones
- First category win (Brisket) The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 1)
- 10th tracked contest The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 1)
- Career-best single call (Brisket)179.4400 The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 1)
- First overall podium The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 2)
- First Reserve Championship The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 2)
- Career-best overall score701.1316 The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 2)
20221 milestone
- First overall top-10 Hermiston Fall Fest, BBQ, Brews, & More
20193 milestones
- First tracked contest 3rd Annual Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cookoff
- First call 3rd Annual Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cookoff
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score657.7028 3rd Annual Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cookoff
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +17 | The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 2) | May 31, 2025 |
| +15.8 | Meat & Tater BBQ Fest | Aug 29, 2025 |
| +12.6 | 7th Annual DuPont BBQ Competition | Aug 24, 2024 |
| +12.5 | Smoke on the Sound | Sep 25, 2026 |
| +10.7 | DuPont-Hudson's Bay BBQ Competition | Aug 19, 2023 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -1.1 | 2024 Icebox Cookoff | Jul 6, 2024 |
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 | 1 | 1 | 100% | top 12% | 95.2% | 95.2% |
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 100% | top 23% | 97.4% | 96.3% |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33% | top 41% | 96.4% | 95.1% |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 46% | 94.8% | 94.2% |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 37% | 94.9% | 94.7% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 41% | 91.3% | 91.3% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25, 2026 | Smoke on the Sound 🏅 Redmond, WA | 2 / 17 (685.6576) | 1 (175.4288) | 11 (168.5716) | 4 (169.6800) | 4 (171.9772) |
| Aug 29, 2025 | Meat & Tater BBQ Fest 🏅 Meridian, ID | 4 / 39 (701.1204) | 11 (174.2628) | 15 (174.2860) | 8 (176) | 7 (176.5716) |
| Aug 16, 2025 | 8th Annual DuPont BBQ Competition 🏅 DuPont, WA | 12 / 30 (689.6456) | 3 (177.7028) | 9 (174.2628) | 22 (166.8572) | 14 (170.8228) |
| May 31, 2025 | The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 2) 🏅 Sweet Home, OR | 2 / 28 (701.1316) | 11 (173.7028) | 3 (176.5600) | 6 (176.0116) | 6 (174.8572) |
| May 30, 2025 | The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 1) 🏅 Sweet Home, OR | 10 / 30 (681.0972) | 11 (171.9772) | 27 (157.0972) | 6 (172.5828) | 1 (179.4400) |
| Dec 6, 2024 | BBQ Jackpot 🏅 Las Vegas, NV | 37 / 74 (678.7544) | 53 (166.2744) | 52 (166.2400) | 15 (175.4172) | 29 (170.8228) |
| Aug 24, 2024 | 7th Annual DuPont BBQ Competition 🏅 DuPont, WA | 4 / 27 (694.2056) | 5 (174.8572) | 6 (173.1200) | 10 (175.4056) | 10 (170.8228) |
| Jul 6, 2024 | 2024 Icebox Cookoff 🏅 Sweet Home, OR | 21 / 37 (680.4800) | 19 (169.6916) | 19 (169.6800) | 21 (169.7028) | 14 (171.4056) |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) unrated Lynchburg, TN | 54 / 81 (675.3368) | 10 (174.8456) | 49 (170.2628) | 68 (165.1084) | 68 (165.1200) |
| Aug 19, 2023 | DuPont-Hudson's Bay BBQ Competition 🏅 DuPont, WA | 6 / 30 (682.2168) | 13 (170.2512) | 3 (177.1544) | 19 (168.5484) | 10 (166.2628) |
| Jul 1, 2023 | Icebox Cookoff 🏅 Sweet Home, OR | 19 / 38 (677.6684) | 10 (173.1200) | 19 (168.0228) | 18 (168.5484) | 23 (167.9772) |
| Oct 7, 2022 | Hermiston Fall Fest, BBQ, Brews, & More 🏅 Hermiston, OR | 5 / 19 (683.3940) | 6 (171.4400) | 6 (170.8456) | 8 (170.2856) | 5 (170.8228) |
| Aug 20, 2022 | 5th Annual Hudson's Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cookoff 🏅 DuPont, WA | 14 / 29 (679.8972) | 15 (170.2628) | 8 (175.4172) | 9 (174.2628) | 25 (159.9544) |
| Aug 17, 2019 | 3rd Annual Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cookoff 🏅 DuPont, WA | 11 / 27 (657.7028) | 7 (169.1544) | 22 (156.5944) | 5 (169.6912) | 14 (162.2628) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.