RECYCLED SMOKE

RECYCLED SMOKE is a competition barbecue team with 36 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2023. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 37 at the Smoking In The Foothills Barbecue Competition and Festival (2015). They are ranked #1192 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,192

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1588

peak 1636 · rated over 36 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Apr 19, 2013

latest Apr 7, 2023 · 10 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#284

Master 2015 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

9 podiums

Overall top-10s

25% of 36 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 39%

overall standings

Best overall

696.5600 / 720

Master · Smoking In The Foothills Barbecue Competition and Festival

Perfect 180s

Current form

659.44

last 5 Master vs avg 659.01 (+0.43)

Walk rate

69%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.7372

Pork · Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge

Consistency

±30.50

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 168.68 · weakest Pork (164.16)

Road miles

3,695

across 36 mapped stops · furthest 211 mi

Schedule strength

36%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1548)

Purse competed for

$4,500

listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 1 state-championship entry

Master avg

659.01 / 720

36 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (13 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

A multi-meat day

1 contest with 2+ category wins

They've won two or more meats on the same day 1 time — the best of them 2 category wins at Waxhaw Grill'n and Chill'n BBQ Cook-off (Oct 11, 2013).

Chicken 1st
Pork Ribs 1st

They almost always walk

69% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 25 of 36 contests

A top-10 category call in 69% of their 36 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

696.5600 career-best overall

96.7% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 696.5600 at Smoking In The Foothills Barbecue Competition and Festival — 96.7% of a perfect 720.

Master
Oct 16, 2015

The one to beat

3× one call ahead of them

TWO OLD MEN AND A GRILL has finished one call ahead of RECYCLED SMOKE 3 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2015 their best year

2015 was the year it came together: 11 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 29%.

11 contests
3 overall top-10s
2 category wins
average top 29%

A tough matchup

24–3 behind in the head-to-head

REDNECK SCIENTIFIC ahead in 89% of their meetings

REDNECK SCIENTIFIC has come out ahead in 24 of their 27 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.5 points behind their best meat

Pork is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.51 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 25% of the time against 33%.

Pork avg 164.16
Chicken avg 168.68
9 calls in 36 entries

Show 6 more storylines

A strong matchup

11–4 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 73% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BUBBAJACK'S in 11 of their 15 shared contests.

The comeback

4.8 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 4.8 years, then back at Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition (Apr 7, 2023).

last seen Jun 15, 2018
back Apr 7, 2023

Chicken nemesis

19 of 25 shared chicken entries lost

SMOKIN SKULLIES ahead 76% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SMOKIN SKULLIES has out-cooked them in 19 of 25 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

4× one call behind them

PICKIN' PORKERS has landed one call behind them 4 times.

An October team

Top 22% average finish in October

Something about October: average finish in the top 22% across 6 contests, versus top 39% the rest of the year.

6 October contests
top 39% the rest of the year

The long haul

3,695 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,695 miles across 36 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 211 miles to Sam's Club National BBQ Tour.

36 mapped stops
furthest 211 mi

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
2023 ↗	Master	#1240 (63 pts)	#1165 (98 pts)	#1358 (78 pts)	#1602 (53 pts)	#1567 (58 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#770 (485 pts)	#797 (490 pts)	#690 (585 pts)	#610 (660 pts)	#796 (475 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#284 (1,210 pts)	#229 (1,345 pts)	#398 (930 pts)	#277 (1,170 pts)	#289 (1,180 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#492 (785 pts)	#511 (750 pts)	#368 (1,000 pts)	#529 (725 pts)	#556 (665 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#483 (641 pts)	#420 (741 pts)	#343 (891 pts)	#637 (521 pts)	#592 (541 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to RECYCLED SMOKE, each with one reason worth a look.

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

HAMBONES BY THE FIRE

#1,186 of the rated field

1588 power rating

Contests: 70
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1664

2–5 in 7 shared contests (29% to RECYCLED SMOKE)

These two have cooked 7 of the same contests — HAMBONES BY THE FIRE ahead 5–2 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 69 contests
last seen Sep 5, 2025

⚔ Head-to-head

LETZQ

#1,194 of the rated field

1588 power rating

Contests: 35
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 49%
Peak: 1592

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

rated over 32 contests

⚔ Compare careers

BUGHOUSE SMOKERS

#1,187 of the rated field

1588 power rating

Contests: 46
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1645

They've been 1645 at their best, 58 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 45 contests
last seen Jun 28, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM

#1,198 of the rated field

1587 power rating

Contests: 29
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1587

Careers of much the same size, 29 contests to 36, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 28 contests
last seen Sep 29, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

HEFTY LEFTY BBQ

#1,191 of the rated field

1588 power rating

Contests: 57
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1603

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 57 contests, alongside a 18% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 52 contests
last seen Sep 30, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

BELGIAN BBQ TEAM FIVE Q

#1,189 of the rated field

1588 power rating

Contests: 56
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 64%
Peak: 1679

They turned up 6 years after RECYCLED SMOKE did, first appearing in 2019.

rated over 56 contests
last seen May 23, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
REDNECK SCIENTIFIC	27	3	24	11%	⚔ compare
PICKIN' PORKERS	26	14	12	54%	⚔ compare
THE SMOKEHOUSE MAFIA	26	5	21	19%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN SKULLIES	25	4	21	16%	⚔ compare
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ	24	10	14	42%	⚔ compare
SAUCED! BBQ TEAM	21	2	19	10%	⚔ compare
SMOKE THIS	20	3	17	15%	⚔ compare
CHECKERED PIG	20	3	17	15%	⚔ compare
FatHeads bbq	19	11	8	58%	⚔ compare
HOLY SMOKE BBQ-NC	19	10	9	53%	⚔ compare
TWO OLD MEN AND A GRILL	19	1	18	5%	⚔ compare
TOO SAUCED	18	11	7	61%	⚔ compare
K & D SMOKERS	17	7	10	41%	⚔ compare
WHO CARES BBQ	16	10	6	63%	⚔ compare
Killer B's BBQ	16	3	13	19%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	36	12	2	3	176	156.5712	168.68	top 36%
Pork Ribs	36	10	1	3	176.5600	151.4172	165.34	top 42%
Pork	36	9	1	2	177.7372	145.6800	164.16	top 51%
Brisket	35	11	0	1	177.7028	142.7884	165.43	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
Medium (20–39)	13	0	top 39%
Large (40+)	23	0	top 40%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
NC	34	top 38%
VA	1	top 82%
SC	1	top 45%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Peak City Pig Fest	3	3	top 29%	Jun 16, 2017
Hog Happnin'	3	13	top 42%	Nov 6, 2015
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2	11	top 58%	Aug 18, 2017
Kings of Q BBQ cook off and Festival	2	5	top 36%	May 19, 2017
Peak City Pigfest	2	20	top 72%	Jun 17, 2016
Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic	2	25	top 40%	Sep 18, 2015
Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge	2	19	top 26%	May 8, 2015
BBQ Capital Cook-Off	2	10	top 33%	Apr 24, 2015

More numbers

Busiest season 2015 11 contests

Contests a season 5.1 across 7 seasons in the data

Most contests held in NC 34 of 36 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 26 8 of them more than once

Opponents faced 613 finished ahead 1,099 times, behind 679

Longest layoff 4.8 yrs Jun 15, 2018 → Apr 7, 2023

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

20231 milestone

Apr 7 Most recent contest Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition

20162 milestones

May 6 25th tracked contest Jiggy With the Piggy
Jun 3 Peak power rating (1636) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour

20152 milestones

May 8 Career-best single call (Pork)177.7372 Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge
Oct 16 Career-best overall score696.5600 Smoking In The Foothills Barbecue Competition and Festival

20142 milestones

Jun 20 First overall podium Peak City Pig Fest
Jun 20 10th tracked contest Peak City Pig Fest

20136 milestones

Apr 19 First tracked contest Kings Mountain Firehouse BBQ Cook-off
Apr 19 First call Kings Mountain Firehouse BBQ Cook-off
Apr 19 First overall past 90% of a perfect score665.7136 Kings Mountain Firehouse BBQ Cook-off
Apr 26 First overall top-10 BBQ Capital Cook-Off
Oct 11 First category win (Chicken) Waxhaw Grill'n and Chill'n BBQ Cook-off
Oct 11 First multi-meat day Waxhaw Grill'n and Chill'n BBQ Cook-off

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+13.6	Peak City Pig Fest	Jun 20, 2014
+12.5	Smoking In The Foothills Barbecue Competition and Festival	Oct 16, 2015
+11.7	BBQ Capital Cook-Off	Apr 26, 2013
+11.4	Waxhaw Grill'n and Chill'n BBQ Cook-off	Oct 11, 2013
+10.8	Beak Week BBQ Challenge	Sep 11, 2015

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-21	Peak City Pigfest	Jun 17, 2016
-13.4	Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition	Apr 7, 2023
-11	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Aug 12, 2016
-6	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Aug 18, 2017
-5.9	Bone Suckin Sauce Peak City Pig Fest	Jun 15, 2018

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2023	1	0	0	0%	top 82%	92.3%	92.3%
2018	1	0	0	0%	top 64%	89.1%	89.1%
2017	4	1	0	100%	top 47%	93.8%	91.5%
2016	6	1	0	50%	top 56%	93.4%	87.5%
2015	11	3	2	64%	top 29%	96.7%	93.3%
2014	7	2	0	100%	top 33%	94.5%	92.3%
2013	6	2	2	67%	top 34%	92.7%	91.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Apr 7, 2023	Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition 🏅 Stem, NC	23 / 28 (664.4916)	16 (170.2628)	20 (167.3944)	27 (162.2628)	24 (164.5716)
Jun 15, 2018	Bone Suckin Sauce Peak City Pig Fest Apex, NC	28 / 44 (641.5200)	15 (168.5256)	21 (161.6800)	36 (158.2400)	36 (153.0744)
Oct 13, 2017	Grillin & chillin BBQ cook-off Waxhaw, NC	6 / 29 (675.3712)	11 (169.1084)	9 (168.5716)	13 (167.4056)	7 (170.2856)
Aug 18, 2017	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Asheville, NC	22 / 29 (654.1828)	3 (173.1428)	12 (167.4172)	28 (154.8228)	25 (158.8000)
Jun 16, 2017	Peak City Pig Fest Apex, NC	16 / 47 (661.6340)	11 (169.6684)	12 (168.0572)	36 (155.9428)	10 (167.9656)
May 19, 2017	Kings of Q BBQ cook off and Festival Ayden, NC	20 / 36 (642.7884)	31 (158.8228)	26 (157.7028)	27 (157.6800)	7 (168.5828)
Aug 12, 2016	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Richmond, VA	23 / 28 (631.2912)	18 (162.2400)	14 (164.5600)	20 (161.7028)	27 (142.7884)
Jul 7, 2016	SC Festival of Discovery Greenwood, SC	37 / 82 (651.7824)	20 (168.5256)	50 (159.3712)	62 (155.9200)	24 (167.9656)
Jun 17, 2016	Peak City Pigfest Apex, NC	46 / 46 (495.8512)	18 (167.3712)	30 (159.3716)	11 (169.1084)	—
Jun 3, 2016	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Asheville, NC	11 / 27 (672.4340)	11 (167.9656)	2 (176)	9 (169.6800)	24 (158.7884)
May 20, 2016	Kings of Q BBQ cook off and Festival Ayden, NC	5 / 30 (671.9428)	11 (167.4056)	15 (163.9772)	2 (170.8572)	5 (169.7028)
May 6, 2016	Jiggy With the Piggy Kannapolis, NC	37 / 76 (656.4912)	32 (169.1200)	68 (151.4172)	45 (161.6684)	5 (174.2856)
Nov 6, 2015	Hog Happnin' Shelby, NC	13 / 60 (678.1940)	5 (176)	30 (165.1200)	51 (159.3712)	3 (177.7028)
Oct 16, 2015	Smoking In The Foothills Barbecue Competition and Festival Lenoir, NC	3 / 37 (696.5600)	10 (171.9656)	2 (176.5600)	11 (171.4172)	4 (176.6172)
Oct 9, 2015	Waxhaw Grill'n & Chill'n Waxhaw, NC	4 / 28 (684.4684)	1 (174.2628)	14 (164.5372)	7 (170.8228)	4 (174.8456)
Sep 18, 2015	Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic Salisbury, NC	25 / 59 (664.5144)	9 (173.7028)	34 (162.8572)	42 (159.9772)	22 (167.9772)
Sep 11, 2015	Beak Week BBQ Challenge Goldsboro, NC	5 / 32 (672.5832)	4 (173.7372)	13 (163.9772)	8 (170.8344)	15 (164.0344)
Jun 19, 2015	Peak City Pigfest Apex, NC	20 / 45 (653.5196)	27 (163.3712)	20 (163.9772)	37 (158.2056)	15 (167.9656)
Jun 12, 2015	Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival Tryon, NC	20 / 78 (676.4456)	12 (173.1200)	36 (164.5372)	13 (169.6800)	25 (169.1084)
May 8, 2015	Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge Kannapolis, NC	19 / 74 (672.5028)	34 (167.9884)	64 (154.8116)	1 (177.7372)	12 (171.9656)
Apr 24, 2015	BBQ Capital Cook-Off Lexington, NC	31 / 60 (657.5996)	37 (163.9540)	27 (165.1200)	28 (166.8228)	36 (161.7028)
Apr 17, 2015	19th Annual Firehouse BBQ Cook-Off Kings Mountain, NC	13 / 41 (663.9316)	6 (174.2972)	27 (157.6800)	20 (163.4172)	13 (168.5372)
Apr 10, 2015	Bib's Camel City Cookoff (formerly Jammin' Pig) Winston-Salem, NC	19 / 51 (670.1828)	17 (170.8344)	26 (165.1544)	26 (164.5256)	15 (169.6684)
Oct 31, 2014	Hog Happnin' Shelby, NC	30 / 61 (665.0512)	43 (162.8228)	38 (161.7144)	10 (170.8456)	22 (169.6684)
Oct 10, 2014	Grill'n & Chill'n BBQ Cook-Off Waxhaw, NC	7 / 27 (669.0856)	9 (168.5600)	20 (158.2628)	5 (170.8228)	5 (171.4400)
Sep 19, 2014	Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally Salisbury, NC	16 / 64 (672.4916)	31 (169.1428)	5 (174.8572)	16 (169.6800)	43 (158.8116)
Jun 20, 2014	Peak City Pig Fest Apex, NC	3 / 48 (680.5828)	5 (172.5484)	7 (169.7372)	8 (170.2972)	6 (168)
May 9, 2014	Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge Kannapolis, NC	21 / 80 (663.3144)	28 (166.8228)	6 (173.7144)	56 (156.5144)	27 (166.2628)
Apr 25, 2014	BBQ Capital Cookoff Lexington, NC	37 / 62 (637.6228)	6 (172.5600)	14 (166.3088)	61 (145.6800)	48 (153.0740)
Apr 18, 2014	17th Annual Firehouse BBQ Cook-off Kings Mountain, NC	22 / 55 (661.6800)	26 (166.2744)	4 (173.7028)	18 (166.2856)	42 (155.4172)
Nov 1, 2013	Hog Happnin' Shelby, NC	42 / 75 (656.4800)	55 (161.0972)	12 (170.3088)	66 (157.0856)	27 (167.9884)
Oct 11, 2013	Waxhaw Grill'n and Chill'n BBQ Cook-off Waxhaw, NC	4 / 25 (667.3716)	1 (176)	1 (170.8344)	4 (171.4400)	20 (149.0972)
Sep 20, 2013	Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic Salisbury, NC	27 / 72 (664.4344)	23 (169.6684)	34 (164.5372)	47 (163.9656)	32 (166.2632)
Jun 21, 2013	Peak City Pig Fest Apex, NC	17 / 36 (650.2852)	19 (163.9998)	6 (169.1430)	25 (157.7142)	19 (159.4282)
Apr 26, 2013	BBQ Capital Cook-Off Lexington, NC	10 / 71 (660)	4 (170.8570)	48 (154.8570)	18 (168.5716)	12 (165.7144)
Apr 19, 2013	Kings Mountain Firehouse BBQ Cook-off Kings Mountain, NC	17 / 55 (665.7136)	44 (156.5712)	4 (174.2856)	31 (162.8568)	9 (172)

RECYCLED SMOKE

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (13 found in their record)

A multi-meat day

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

An October team

The long haul

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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

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

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)