Covered Embers

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

Power ranking

#3606

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1491

peak 1501 · rated over 8 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2017-04-22

latest 2023-10-07

Best ToY finish

#722

Master 2023

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

8 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 9 contests

Avg finish

top 63%

overall standings

Best overall

693.7372 / 720

Master · Country Road & BBQ Contest

Perfect 180s

Current form

660.85

last 5 Master vs avg 661.23 (-0.38)

Walk rate

89%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176.0344

Pork Ribs · Country Road & BBQ Contest

Consistency

±15.63

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Brisket

avg 165.49 · weakest Pork (164.68)

Road miles

1,114

mi across 9 mapped stops

Schedule strength

27%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1536)

Master avg

661.23 / 720

8 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

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.

Signature meat

33% pork ribs entries won

3 wins from 9 entries

When pork ribs is on the table, watch out — they've won it in 33% of their entries (3 of 9).

best 176.0344
average 164.82
5 calls

They almost always walk

89% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 8 of 9 contests

A top-10 category call in 89% of their 9 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

693.7372 career-best overall

96.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 693.7372 at Country Road & BBQ Contest — 96.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
2023-10-07

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

TORINO RIBS has finished one call ahead of Covered Embers 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

6–0 behind in the head-to-head

STICKY FINGERS BARBECUE TEAM ahead in 100% of their meetings

STICKY FINGERS BARBECUE TEAM has come out ahead in 6 of their 6 shared contests.

A strong matchup

3–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BURROS BBQ in 3 of their 3 shared contests.

The comeback

2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2 years, then back at FO.G & SMOKE (2021-09-25).

last seen 2019-09-14
back 2021-09-25

Brisket nemesis

5 of 6 shared brisket entries lost

STICKY FINGERS BARBECUE TEAM ahead 83% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, STICKY FINGERS BARBECUE TEAM has out-cooked them in 5 of 6 shared brisket entries.

The metronome

±2.17% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.17% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.8% of a perfect score
9 contests

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.

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

GRILLSPITZ BBQ HUNTERS

#3615 of the rated field

1491 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 35%
Peak: 1491

2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to Covered Embers)

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

rated over 17 contests
last seen 2019-10-05

⚔ Head-to-head

Diddy's Delectable 3BQ

#3622 of the rated field

1490 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1490

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 8 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 8 contests
last seen 2026-07-31

⚔ Head-to-head

L" If I Know

#3596 of the rated field

1491 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1491

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 5 years before Covered Embers's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 8 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

Inclusive BBQ Events

#3589 of the rated field

1491 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1491

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2026-08-08

⚔ Head-to-head

P.I.G.

#3584 of the rated field

1491 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1491

No shared contest yet.

12 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 33% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2022-06-17

⚔ Head-to-head

CHICK'N BUTTS BBQ

#3630 of the rated field

1490 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1502

No shared contest yet.

Level with Covered Embers on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2021-10-01

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
STICKY FINGERS BARBECUE TEAM	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
GRILLER INSTINCT	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
ITALIAN STYLE BBQ TEAM	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
COOKLOUNGE BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
DRAGON BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	8	4	0	1	175.4172	155.4172	165.48	top 64%
Pork Ribs	9	5	3	4	176.0344	135.8172	164.82	top 47%
Pork	8	2	0	1	170.8456	157.6684	164.68	top 69%
Brisket	8	4	0	2	171.4400	160.0000	165.49	top 48%

“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 contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	5	0	top 61%
Medium (20–39)	3	0	top 66%

The story so far (14 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 6.5 yrs 2017-04-22 → 2023-10-07

Busiest season 2019 3 contests

Contests a season 1.8 across 5 seasons in the data

Contests visited 8 0 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 9 entries · 3 wins · 5 calls

Strongest meat Brisket averages 165.49 · weakest Pork (164.68)

Walk rate 89% a top-10 call in 8 of 9 contests

Overall top-10 rate 22% 2 of 9 contests

Master average 661.23 out of 720 · 8 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 76 52–89 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,114 9 mapped stops

Schedule strength 1536 average field rating faced — tougher than 27% of rated contests

Longest layoff 2 yrs 2019-09-14 → 2021-09-25

Power rating 1491 peak 1501 · #3606 of 6,413 rated

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

2017
Apr 22 First tracked contest Bardo-Q BBQ Competition
Apr 22 First call Bardo-Q BBQ Competition
Apr 22 First overall past 90% of a perfect score674.3084 Bardo-Q BBQ Competition
Apr 22 Peak power rating (1501) Bardo-Q BBQ Competition
2018
Sep 29 First category win (Pork Ribs) Meat, Smoke & Beer Festival & KCBS BBQ Competition 2018
2019
Sep 14 First overall top-10 Italian Hardcore Barbecue (DAY 2)
2023
Oct 7 First overall podium Country Road & BBQ Contest
Oct 7 Career-best overall score693.7372 Country Road & BBQ Contest
Oct 7 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)176.0344 Country Road & BBQ Contest
Oct 7 Most recent contest Country Road & BBQ Contest

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+8.4	Country Road & BBQ Contest	2023-10-07
+2.9	BBQ Friui Venezia Giulia	2019-05-11
+1.7	Italian Hardcore Barbecue (DAY 2)	2019-09-14
+1.4	Bardo-Q BBQ Competition	2017-04-22
+0.3	Meat, Smoke & Beer Festival & KCBS BBQ Competition 2018	2018-09-29

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12	Country Road & BBQ Contest -Day2	2019-03-23
-9.5	The War of Barbeque	2018-03-24
-2.6	FO.G & SMOKE	2021-09-25

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)
2023	2	1	0	50%	top 43%	96.4%	96.4%
2021	1	0	0	100%	top 69%	91.2%	91.2%
2019	3	1	2	100%	top 67%	91.8%	90.5%
2018	2	0	1	100%	top 71%	91.1%	91.1%
2017	1	0	0	100%	top 50%	93.7%	93.7%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2023-10-07	Country Road & BBQ Contest CARTIGLIANO, 36050	3 / 7 (693.7372)	3 (175.4172)	2 (176.0344)	6 (170.8456)	3 (171.4400)
2023-10-07	Country Road & BBQ Contest (ONE MEAT RIBS) CARTIGLIANO, 36050	—	—	14 (158.8228)	—	—
2021-09-25	FO.G & SMOKE Modena, 41013	11 / 16 (656.5600)	13 (159.3828)	8 (168.0688)	14 (157.6684)	2 (171.4400)
2019-09-14	Italian Hardcore Barbecue (DAY 2) Carugate MI, 20015	7 / 13 (661.1428)	12 (158.2284)	1 (172.6288)	3 (170.2856)	7 (160.0000)
2019-05-11	BBQ Friui Venezia Giulia Lignano Sabbiadoro, Udine, 33040	12 / 23 (656.5144)	21 (159.3944)	1 (171.4744)	14 (164.5256)	11 (161.1200)
2019-03-23	Country Road & BBQ Contest -Day2 Torreglia, Pa 30027	24 / 25 (636.3200)	8 (173.7144)	25 (135.8172)	15 (165.0856)	20 (161.7028)
2018-09-29	Meat, Smoke & Beer Festival & KCBS BBQ Competition 2018 Graz, 8010	11 / 19 (655.9204)	18 (155.4172)	1 (174.2744)	18 (158.2516)	4 (167.9772)
2018-03-24	The War of Barbeque Noventa di Piave, 30020	15 / 18 (655.3596)	10 (167.4284)	15 (158.8572)	12 (165.6684)	12 (163.4056)
2017-04-22	Bardo-Q BBQ Competition Bardonecchia, 10098	14 / 28 (674.3084)	6 (174.8800)	18 (167.4400)	21 (165.1200)	16 (166.8684)

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
2023 ↗	Master	#722 (207 pts)	#778 (207 pts)	#637 (330 pts)	#898 (147 pts)	#770 (207 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#1020 (111 pts)	#1123 (101 pts)	#965 (136 pts)	#1127 (96 pts)	#679 (241 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#1017 (256 pts)	#1360 (171 pts)	#634 (536 pts)	#935 (316 pts)	#1063 (261 pts)