Making Meat BBQ

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#4718

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1468

peak 1510 · rated over 26 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-06-14

latest 2024-09-13

Best ToY finish

#775

Master 2013

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

6 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 26 contests

Avg finish

top 63%

overall standings

Best overall

678.2060 / 720

Master · Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festisval

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

651.49 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 652.78 (-1.29)

Walk rate

65%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Chicken · Bands & BBQ at the Point

Consistency

±13.19

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 166.79 · weakest Brisket (160.93)

Road miles

1,613

mi across 26 mapped stops · furthest 215 mi

Schedule strength

51%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1566)

Purse competed for

$28K

listed at 4 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 4 state-championship entries

Master avg

652.78 / 720

26 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (14 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.

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180s

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in chicken.

Chicken ×1

They almost always walk

65% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 17 of 26 contests

A top-10 category call in 65% of their 26 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

678.2060 career-best overall

94.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 678.2060 at Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festisval — 94.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
2016-08-19

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Smitty's Real Pit BBQ has finished one call ahead of Making Meat BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2013 their best year

2013 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 47%.

4 contests
1 overall top-10s
1 category wins
average top 47%

A tough matchup

16–1 behind in the head-to-head

WeQ4U ahead in 94% of their meetings

WeQ4U has come out ahead in 16 of their 17 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.9 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.86 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 12% of the time against 31%.

Brisket avg 160.93
Chicken avg 166.79
3 calls in 26 entries

A strong matchup

8–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 80% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of DOLF'S BBQ in 8 of their 10 shared contests.

The comeback

5 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 5 years, then back at Bands & BBQ at the Point (2024-09-13).

last seen 2019-09-13
back 2024-09-13

Chicken nemesis

13 of 16 shared chicken entries lost

BLUE CHIP BBQ ahead 81% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, BLUE CHIP BBQ has out-cooked them in 13 of 16 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

ACME BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A June team

Top 45% average finish in June

Something about June: average finish in the top 45% across 3 contests, versus top 63% the rest of the year.

3 June contests
top 63% the rest of the year

The metronome

±1.83% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.83% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 90.7% of a perfect score
26 contests

A standing appointment

5 years running at one contest

They've cooked Bands & BBQ at the Point every year from 2013 to 2017 — the contest they never miss.

7 visits in all
best finish 17th

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.

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

JIMMY & THE SQUEALERS

#4735 of the rated field

1468 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 6
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1468

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Making Meat BBQ)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Making Meat BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 6 contests
last seen 2014-10-02

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKEN SOULS BARBECUE

#4750 of the rated field

1468 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1508

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1508 at their best, 41 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 18 contests
last seen 2021-06-04

⚔ Head-to-head

Palm tree smokehouse

#4703 of the rated field

1468 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 42
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1525

No shared contest yet.

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 42 contests to 26.

rated over 42 contests
last seen 2026-07-24

⚔ Head-to-head

The BBQ Mavens

#4726 of the rated field

1468 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1468

No shared contest yet.

16 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 16 contests
last seen 2025-11-05

⚔ Head-to-head

Too Sauced to Pork

#4710 of the rated field

1468 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 24%
Peak: 1503

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 16 contests
last seen 2025-10-17

⚔ Head-to-head

Mc Que It

#4744 of the rated field

1468 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1468

No shared contest yet.

Level with Making Meat BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2026-08-14

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
GREY STREET BBQ	17	2	15	12%	⚔ compare
WeQ4U	17	1	16	6%	⚔ compare
THUNDER HOG BBQ	16	2	14	13%	⚔ compare
BLUE CHIP BBQ	16	1	15	6%	⚔ compare
ACME BBQ	15	10	5	67%	⚔ compare
FARMER'S RETREAT SMOKIN BARBEQUE	15	5	10	33%	⚔ compare
SMOKE-N-PEPPERS	14	5	9	36%	⚔ compare
Extra Mile BBQ	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare
HUG HOGS	13	3	10	23%	⚔ compare
SQUEALERS AWARD WINNING BARBEQUE	13	2	11	15%	⚔ compare
BIG JT'S SMOKIN BBQ	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
DOLF'S BBQ	10	8	2	80%	⚔ compare
Bluedog BBQ	10	6	4	60%	⚔ compare
One2BBQ	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
FOWL BUTT BBQ	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	26	8	1	2	180.0000 🔥	153.6228	166.79	top 51%
Pork Ribs	26	3	1	2	174.8688	145.0516	161.76	top 63%
Pork	26	8	0	1	174.8456	148.5140	163.30	top 56%
Brisket	26	3	1	1	179.4400	141.1428	160.93	top 60%

“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
IN	17	0	top 61%
KY	9	0	top 67%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	15	0	top 65%
Large (40+)	11	0	top 61%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Bands & BBQ at the Point	7	17	top 68%	2024-09-13
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	4	12	top 65%	2017-07-07
Wine,Brew & Bar-B-Que Too!	4	20	top 61%	2016-07-15
Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival	2	30	top 51%	2018-08-17
*CCS Fest	2	9	top 54%	2018-04-06

The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 11.2 yrs 2013-06-14 → 2024-09-13

Busiest season 2016 5 contests

Contests a season 3.3 across 8 seasons in the data

Cooks most in IN 17 of 26 contests · 2 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 12 5 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 26 entries · 1 win · 8 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 166.79 · weakest Brisket (160.93)

Walk rate 65% a top-10 call in 17 of 26 contests

Overall top-10 rate 8% 2 of 26 contests

Master average 652.78 out of 720 · 26 contests · 0 GCs

Perfect 180s 1 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 400 395–634 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,613 26 mapped stops · furthest 215 mi

Schedule strength 1566 average field rating faced — tougher than 51% of rated contests

Purse competed for $28,000 listed at 4 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 4 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 5 yrs 2019-09-13 → 2024-09-13

Power rating 1468 peak 1510 · #4718 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Jun 14 First tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Jun 14 First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Jun 14 First overall top-10 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Jul 19 First overall past 90% of a perfect score652.4460 Wine, Brew & Bar-B-Que Too!
Sep 6 First category win (Chicken) Bands & BBQ at the Point
Sep 6 First perfect 180 (Chicken) Bands & BBQ at the Point
2014
Jun 27 Peak power rating (1510) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
2015
Aug 21 10th tracked contest Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival
2016
Aug 19 Career-best overall score678.2060 Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festisval
2019
Sep 13 25th tracked contest Bands & BBQ at the Point
2024
Sep 13 Most recent contest Bands & BBQ at the Point

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.3	*CCS Fest	2018-04-06
+9.6	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festisval	2016-08-19
+5.5	Wine, Brew & Bar-B-Que Too!	2013-07-19
+4.9	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2013-06-14
+4.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2014-06-27

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.5	Bands & BBQ at the Point	2024-09-13
-10.4	CCS Fest: CCS Spring Festival & BBQ Competition	2016-04-22
-9.3	*CCS Fest	2017-04-07
-8.5	CCSFest	2019-04-05
-5.8	Fire on the Mountain	2019-07-26

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2024	1	0	0	0%	top 94%	87.5%	87.5%
2019	3	0	0	100%	top 78%	91.8%	90.8%
2018	2	1	0	50%	top 37%	93.6%	93%
2017	4	0	0	25%	top 75%	91.5%	89.7%
2016	5	0	0	40%	top 65%	94.2%	91.3%
2015	4	0	1	75%	top 63%	92%	91.4%
2014	3	0	1	100%	top 58%	91.3%	90.6%
2013	4	1	1	100%	top 47%	90.6%	89.7%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2024-09-13	Bands & BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY	29 / 31 (630.1376)	29 (156.5372)	23 (162.8000)	28 (157.1316)	29 (153.6688)
2019-09-13	Bands & BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY	17 / 28 (660.9712)	16 (168.5600)	24 (158.7884)	9 (170.8228)	18 (162.8000)
2019-07-26	Fire on the Mountain 🏅 Leburn, KY	21 / 25 (652.4000)	10 (170.8572)	5 (171.4056)	21 (157.6456)	24 (152.4916)
2019-04-05	CCSFest 🏅 Indianapois, IN	36 / 40 (648.4004)	10 (172.0116)	37 (154.7772)	28 (165.6800)	38 (155.9316)
2018-08-17	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival Madison, IN	30 / 54 (665.5428)	15 (172.5716)	30 (165.0972)	28 (166.2284)	38 (161.6456)
2018-04-06	*CCS Fest Indianapolis, IN	9 / 49 (674.2292)	18 (168.5372)	3 (174.8688)	9 (169.7144)	34 (161.1088)
2017-09-15	Bands & BBQ at the Point Carrollton, KY	21 / 33 (651.2800)	22 (165.6684)	21 (164.5372)	22 (162.8572)	19 (158.2172)
2017-08-18	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival Madison, IN	35 / 55 (655.8396)	9 (174.2744)	29 (164.5256)	49 (148.5140)	20 (168.5256)
2017-07-07	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Indianapolis, IN	25 / 30 (658.6972)	23 (167.4172)	27 (159.3600)	22 (164.5372)	19 (167.3828)
2017-04-07	*CCS Fest Indianapolis, IN	40 / 45 (616.8456)	37 (153.6228)	43 (145.0516)	39 (151.9200)	14 (166.2512)
2016-09-16	Bands & BBQ at the Point Carrollton, KY	20 / 31 (667.8740)	9 (173.7028)	24 (162.8000)	21 (163.9540)	12 (167.4172)
2016-08-19	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festisval Madison, IN	19 / 63 (678.2060)	32 (167.3828)	46 (159.9888)	4 (174.2628)	5 (176.5716)
2016-07-15	Wine,Brew & Bar-B-Que Too! New Palestine, IN	25 / 39 (661.0284)	26 (165.0856)	23 (167.3944)	35 (158.8456)	16 (169.7028)
2016-07-08	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Indianapolis, IN	23 / 30 (647.2916)	17 (165.6800)	21 (161.7144)	23 (159.3828)	21 (160.5144)
2016-04-22	CCS Fest: CCS Spring Festival & BBQ Competition Indianapolis, IN	45 / 49 (630.7312)	45 (158.2284)	44 (150.8000)	35 (161.1200)	31 (160.5828)
2015-09-11	Bands & BBQ at the Point Carrollton, KY	21 / 29 (655.2568)	24 (162.2284)	26 (158.2056)	15 (168.5600)	14 (166.2628)
2015-08-21	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival Madison, IN	30 / 64 (662.1944)	49 (160.5372)	37 (163.3828)	46 (158.8344)	1 (179.4400)
2015-07-17	Wine, Brew & Bar-B-Que Too! New Palestine, IN	34 / 44 (659.8628)	27 (167.9772)	39 (159.9544)	9 (174.8456)	38 (157.0856)
2015-07-10	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Indianapolis, IN	15 / 28 (653.6916)	22 (158.8228)	14 (164.5716)	6 (171.4744)	16 (158.8228)
2014-09-05	Bands & BBQ at the Point Carrollton, KY	21 / 36 (657.0168)	24 (164.5372)	28 (157.0740)	9 (170.8800)	14 (164.5256)
2014-07-18	Wine, Brew & Bar-B-Que Too! New Palestine, IN	35 / 51 (644.4344)	3 (178.8572)	25 (163.9888)	43 (153.6800)	45 (147.9084)
2014-06-27	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Indianapolis, IN	12 / 26 (656.0116)	8 (167.4400)	1 (173.7028)	23 (149.7372)	10 (165.1316)
2013-09-06	Bands & BBQ at the Point Carrollton, KY	22 / 34 (647.8980)	1 (180.0000)	31 (152.5260)	19 (163.4172)	25 (151.9548)
2013-07-19	Wine, Brew & Bar-B-Que Too! New Palestine, IN	20 / 57 (652.4460)	4 (174.8456)	24 (162.8344)	22 (164.5372)	46 (150.2288)
2013-06-28	Smoke on the Square: In Memory of David Harness Franklin, IN	17 / 32 (642.8572)	14 (164.5714)	14 (164.0002)	3 (173.1428)	32 (141.1428)
2013-06-14	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Lexington, KY	10 / 27 (641.1428)	17 (156.5714)	11 (161.7144)	6 (164.0000)	12 (158.8570)

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
2018 ↗	Master	#1189 (205 pts)	#1256 (205 pts)	#1040 (295 pts)	#1254 (205 pts)	#1586 (120 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1170 (253 pts)	#1052 (343 pts)	#1253 (253 pts)	#1218 (263 pts)	#959 (373 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#934 (356 pts)	#893 (416 pts)	#1062 (326 pts)	#832 (471 pts)	#723 (546 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1020 (297 pts)	#1230 (247 pts)	#1140 (282 pts)	#781 (477 pts)	#676 (552 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1104 (272 pts)	#797 (462 pts)	#886 (412 pts)	#1152 (282 pts)	#1032 (317 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#775 (398 pts)	#440 (713 pts)	#859 (373 pts)	#576 (578 pts)	#978 (308 pts)