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09/Sep/2010

Jack Draw and Bub-Ba-Q still #1

The draw for the Jack Daniels World Championship was last Friday and teams from around the country were on pins and needles waiting for the results to hit the internet. The Jack Daniels folks don't allow cell phones in the room with the draw so it typically takes a while the results to get published. Notable teams in this year's field include Lotta Bull, Pellet Envy, IQue, The Long Dawgs, and Cool Smoke. Notable teams who didnt make the cut include Bub-Ba-Q, Swamp Boys and Jack's Old South. With the competition for the top spot very close between Pellet Envy and Bub-Ba-Q, Pellet Envy has a serious advantage with their addition to the Jack field.

The draw this year was not without it's own controversy, mostly surrounding an IBCA event in New Mexico. There were also some questions about several qualifiers who had 25 teams enter chicken, but not the rest of the categories. To be honest I think that this year's draw highlights the need for the Jack Daniels to clear up their qualification process a little. I wonder if the whole draw isnt part of the charm of what many consider to be the top prize in BBQ.

Now on to the competition results. Pellet Envy won the first half of the Great Bend, KS weekend and then took 1st in the World Brisket Championship. Pellet Envy couldn't finish the sweep of the weekend; however, and finished 7th in the 2nd Great Bend contest. The second Great Bend event was also the subject of some discussion this weekend since there were 8 180's, or perfect scores, in that contests. Perfect scores were once there common at KCBS events, but the move towards starting at 6 made them scarce for a couple of years, but they have started to make a comeback this year with several 180's sprinkled throughout the country, but this weekend was the first multiple 180 contest since North Little Rock back in March. Both contests featured some serious heavy hitters pulling down those top scores, so I am sure that was some very good BBQ the judges were sampling.

Mesquite, NV was the big money event for this past weekend with nearly $40,000 in prize money up for grabs. Arlie Bragg has made a habit of putting on big money contests out west and he always attracts several of the big touring teams each year to his events. They are known to be well run and have big money. Smoked to the Bone took the top spot and CancerSucksChicago.com took home the reserve grand. Smoking Triggers came in 4th and followed last weeks perfect score in brisket with another brisket win.

The American Royal, Jack Daniels, FBA Triple Crown, and the Best of the Best contest are waiting just around the corner and will certainly go a long way in determining who holds the top spot heading into 2011.

Good luck and safe travels.

01/Sep/2010

Bub-Ba-Q takes back the top spot

After a 1 week hiatus Bub-Ba-Q has reclaimed the top spot with a Grand Championship in Amelia Island, Florida. This first year event drew a tough crowd with several of the top 15 teams in attendance including Cool Smoke, Jack's Old South, and Chatham Artillery. Munchee's Smokehouse took Reserve Grand. Bub-Ba-Q won his first Grand Championship since February and ended a 6 month drought.

Pellet Envy was unable to keep the top spot with a disappointing finish in Springdale, Ar. Less than 1 point separates the 2 teams in the rankings and it will certainly will come down to who takes care of their business in the bonus events that are coming up this fall. With 3 bonus events left this year there is a chance for one of these teams to distance themselves from the pack, or for a team to really step up. Parrothead and Butcher's have both made charges of late and could really close in on the top spot with a top finish in a bonus event.

Speaking of Parrothead they moved into the top 5 with a Grand in Albert Lea, MN this past weekend.

Johnny Trigg of Pitmasters fame won his first Grand in 2 years this past weekend in Craig, CO. Trigg may decide to take up residence in Colorado after this season with 3 top 3 finishes in the mile high state. Trigg's Grand was highlighted by a 180 in Brisket. Way to go.

Old Dominion is currently tearing up the southeast with 3 straight Grands and is up 33 spots this week to 87th.

If you thought that 3 straight was good Able Acres is really impressive with 4 straight Grands in the state of Indiana. They are up 32 spots this week to 89th.

Them summer is drawing to a close and the BBQ is getting to kick into high gear starting the the Jack Daniels draw on Friday. Rhythm 'N Que and Pellet Envy have automatics with 7 Grands and there are several other teams around the country with automatic bids. The rest of the teams with be furiously hitting f5 to find out who got lucky and will be cooking in this year's World Championship. The Jack Daniels is a bonus event and rarely does a team lead the rankings without a top finish at at least 1 bonus event.

Good luck and safe travels.

27/Jul/2010

Pellet Envy stays home while Bub-Ba-Q takes 3rd

So with a little egg on my face I from last week’s article about Pellet Envy competing in Mason City and closing in on Bub-Ba-Q, I will start off this week with Bub-Ba-Q extending his lead over pellet Envy with a 3rd place finish in Live Oak, FL. I have always wanted to write about the upcoming events along with the weekend’s events but have never really been able to get a good idea of who is competing each weekend before the weekend. So if you are an organizer and can provide a list of teams competing at your event I would be happy to include your contest in the article in the weeks leading up to your event. But anyway, back to the rankings. Bub=Ba-Q took full advantage of Pellet Envy sitting this weekend out by taking 3rd overall in Live Oak and extending his points lead to 38 points, which gives him a little breathing room over Pellet Envy. Bub-Ba-Q has had a consistent season, but is looking to get back to the top of the podium after not winning a contest since February. With that said Dillard looms large as it will see 4 of the top 6 teams in the country head to Dillard, Georgia for the Bluegrass and Barbecue Festival.

Dillard was the first BBQ contest I cooked and it set the bar very high for all other contests. They do the little things right, the breakfast is from the Dillard House and the competition is fierce. This will be our fifth trip to Dillard and I am hoping to get the ever elusive Brisket call to complete my set of Dillard plaques as I have chicken, ribs, and pork plaques at the house. Calls in Dillard are special and knowing that I have calls in each category in Dillard is certainly something that I will hang my hat on, well once I get that brisket call. Teams sit on the waiting list for years before they can get into Dillard and once you get in, you keep coming back. So I will practice everything this weekend and then spend all next week getting everything packed up for the trip to Dillard.

So one of the things I have to do before any contest is check all my rubs and sauces. Looking through everything I put together my shopping list and head over to the KC BBQ Store and place my order. It is the only place where I can order all of the rubs and sauces that I use in competitions. They have everything you need for a contests and the shipping is super fast. I typically can order something in the morning and have it by the next afternoon. I just wanted to give them a little plug since they always do an awesome job with my orders and I really do appreciate people who go above and beyond.

I also ordered a new Pit probe for my Stoker last week and I must say that I was pleased with the service that I got from Rock’s BBQ. In the past I might have told you that while the Stoker is one of my favorite BBQ toys and makes cooking consistent BBQ much easier, there customer service was always lacking, but my experience this time was quite the opposite. Quick turn around and shipping and I got my Pit probe in plenty of time for my practice this weekend. I have always loved my Stoker, but I love it even more knowing that the customer service is coming up.

This upcoming weekend is a little light on contests, which is fine by me. This has been a busy summer for contests and a busy summer for us rankings guys. Anyway, check out Brockport if you are looking for a last minute contest in NY. A state championship event with some solid teams and a NEBS grilling event makes for a fun weekend of competition.

26/Jul/2010

Iowa Smokey D's BBQ makes a big move

Iowa Smokey D's BBQ made a big move this weekend up 4 spots to 12th overall. Iowa Smokey D's BBQ was able to make the most of a weekend that saw 2 contests on the same weekend just miles apart. Smokey D's started the weekend by taking Grand Champion in Waterloo, IA and closed out the weekend by taking Reserve Grand in La Porte City, IA.

Iowa Smokey D's BBQ needs to carry the momentum from last weekend into this weekend as they head to Mason City, IA for the Up in Smoke BBQ Bash. Pellet Envy and Quau are among the more than 70 teams that will be competing for $14,000 in cash prizes.

Pellet Envy has pulled within 28 points of #1 team Bub-Ba-Q. I believe that Bub-Ba-Q is competing in Live Oak, Fl this weekend and need solid finish to ensure that he stays in the top spot. Regardless of how this weekend goes the stage is set for a very exciting Dillard Bluegrass and BBQ festival as both Pellet Envy and Bub-Ba-Q are both scheduled to be competing in one of the country's top contests.

14/Jul/2010

Quau moves past Swamp Boys

This weekend Quau moved into the #3 spot overall with a 3rd place finish in North Wildwood, NJ. Quau moved past former #1 team Swamp Boys who spent the weekend in Shannon, IL where he finished 6th overall. Iowa Outlaws took Grand and Pellet Envy finished 4th overall. This was the last Shannon contest as I understand it. Sad to see a long standing contest that everyone speaks so highly of come to an end.

Rhythm'N Que has been on a steady climb to the top and is currently holding down the 13th overall spot. Rhythm'N Que is knocking on the top 10 for the first time based on a strong first half of the season. 8 top 10's, 4 Grands, including Grand and Reserve Grand on the July 4th weekend. Rhythm'N Que gets points in spades as they are typically the beneficiary of the double up style contests that are a little more common on the west coast. Rhythm'N Que is just 50 points for the top 10. They are having a great run this season and I hope that they can keep it up for the second half of the season as they carry the banner for west coast competition bbq.

Teams from around the country headed to Greenwood, SC for the Festival of Discovery. The Greenwood is a favorite among competition cooks and has been featured on the Food Network. This year's version was won by Triple J with Wicked Que taking Reserve Grand. Wicked Que has also been having a great year this year and is quickly moving up the rankings, sliding into the top 60 this weekend. Smokey Mountain Smokers finished 3rd in Greenwood.

Seems like Sam's Club is making a move to become a major sponsor of competition BBQ with their sponsorship of the KCBS Team of the Year award as well as a midsummer competition where they invited the top 30 KCBS teams to compete for $25k in cash. Another $25k contest payout is never a bad thing. Good luck to everyone who was invited.

14/Jul/2010

Brockport BBQ Festival

The Brockport BBQ Festival is looking for teams. This first year event is a part of the Brockport Summer Festival and is offering teams a chance to compete in a KCBS BBQ contest, a NEBS Grilling contest, Chili Cook-Off, and a Kid's Q. The contest is July 31- Aug 1 and if you want to sign up check out their website.

This first year event is a Royal qualifier, a Jack Draw, and a member of the Empire State Championship. This event has attracted some of the region's top talent including, Jacked UP BBQ, Full Throttle, Big Belly BBQ, and nation touring team Florida Skin and Bones. So if you think your que is the best time to drag everything out of the backyard and compete against some proven winners.

Also if you are having a contest and would like me to write a little article about your contest just email me @ nationalbbqrankings@gmail.com with some details of your contest and I will write up an article to post on the home page.

29/Jun/2010

Safeway BBQ Battle highlights weekend

Many of the top teams from around the country converged on the nation's capital this past weekend. Teams making the trip included several top 10 teams with Pellet Envy, Jack's Old South, Quau, and Cool Smoke in attendance. Team Bobby-Q had their 3rd straight top 10 finish in DC and Quau took the top spot. The win in DC moves Quau into the 4th spot overall and closes the gap on Swamp Boys who held a cooking school this weekend. Quau knocks Jack's Old South to the 5th spot. Jack's Old South is typically very strong in DC with a sweep of the MBN and KCBS events in 2008 which he followed up with the MBN grand and a top 10 finish in the KCBS in 2009. I dont have the MBN results as of this time, but I am sure that Jack's Old South finished strong in that event.

The Pork Pulling Plowboys moved into the top 10 this week with Butcher's right behind. Both of these guys are offering a competition BBQ class and rarely do you get the chance to take a class taught by 2 teams that really know how to win like Butcher's and Plowboys.

The Long Dawgs continue their hot streak and move into the 36th position. They have really been hitting it recently. In their last 4 contests they have 2 Grands, 1 reserve and a 3rd place. Not a bad month.

I Que wins Grand in Boston, NY and moves into the top 30. The world champs have taken a little while to get warmed up this season, but seem to have come around in the last month taking 3 top 5's including 2 Grands.

This weekend is another big money contest @ Daytona International. I am sure that all of the heavy hitters will be heading to Florida for a chance @ $30k in prize money. Couple this with NASCAR and the 4th and you have the makings of a great weekend. Rankings will probably not be updated on next Monday but should be done on Tuesday. Everyone have a safe 4th of July.

28/Jun/2010

Creating a profile and linking it to a team

First you need to create a login. To sign up click on the sign up link in the upper right hand corner of each page.

To sign up you simply enter a username, your email address, and a password. Then click “Sign Up” to create your profile.

You will then get a green pop up on the home page if the profile creating was successful. You will need to confirm your email address by clicking the link in the activation email.

If you attempt to login in before activating the email you will see a red pop up asking you to validate your email address.

Once you click on the link in the email you will activate your profile.

To link your new profile to a team in the national bbq rankings simply click on your username in the upper right hand corner next to logout. This will take you to your profile page. Here you can change your password, opt into the nationalbbqrankings.com newsletter, and also apply to a team.

Just start typing the name of the team that you want to apply to in the team name text box. As you type you will begin to see some choices for teams. You may apply to any team in the rankings; however, the team you wish to apply to should have at least 1 top ten call in order to be listed in the rankings.

Once you have applied to a team your membership to that team is pending. It needs to be approved by either the creator of that team or if you are the first person to apply to a team your membership is approved by someone at the national bbq rankings. The first person approved for each team is then considered the creator of that team and they will then approve all memberships to their team. After applying you will see a green pop up indicating that your membership is being processed and that you will receive an email once the membership has been processed.

If you are the first person to apply to a team and are approved as that team’s creator you can then manage the team profile that appears at the top of the team page. You can also edit the team name in the database and it will immediately update the rankings with the new team name.

Linking a profile to a team in the rankings will make sure that you have access to any new features that we roll out in the future. If you have any questions please drop me a line @ nationalbbqrankings@gmail.com

22/Jun/2010

National BBQ Rankings now include PNWBA events

Starting this week I will be adding in the Pacific Northwest BBQ Association events to the rankings. These events will be counted the same as any other contest that is not a bonus event. I have already added in the Astoria, OR event from May and will try and get the other events in so I can be update to date with the PNWBA events. Including these events allows the National BBQ Rankings to expand yet again and cover another region with the rankings. The National BBQ Rankings are the only rankings that allow teams from around the country to compare themselves with teams they may never compete against, or who may compete in a different sanctioning. The National BBQ Rankings also dont penalize teams for not sticking with a single sanctioning as we track all of the major sanctioning bodies across the country. Teams from the south typically compete in a variety of sanctioning and are under represented in the typical "Team of the Year" awards or rankings that closely follow that formula.

The National BBQ Rankings now offers an avenue for those teams to see where they stack up regardless of the sanctioning. So regardless if you are cooking MBN, KCBS, FBA, GBA, or now PNWBA the National BBQ Rankings is your only way to see where you compare to the best competition BBQ cooks in the country.

14/Jun/2010

Swamp Boys returns to top.

Swampy Boys looks to be getting back on track for 2010 with a second Grand Championship this season after taking the top spot 7 times in 2009. Swamp Boys traveled to Elba, AL and walked away with the Grand Championship this past weekend. Swamp Boys used this weekend to increase his lead on #4 Jack's Old South and close the gap with Pellet Envy, neither of which competed this weekend.

Bub-Ba-Q took Reserve Grand in Tryon, NC with Chatham Artillery taking the Grand Championship.

TheSlabs.com took 4th overall this weekend, still knocking on the door.

Most of the action took place in the 35-100 overall rankings. Seemingly a lot of teams with just a few grands or none took the last walk this weekend. Congrats to all those teams.

Also PigDawg followed a Reserve Grand last weekend with a 3rd place overall this weekend. Congrats.

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