We’re excited to share our official results from the 2025 Annual Amateur BBQ Smoke Off! It was a fantastic day of competition, smoke, and delicious ‘cue, where we went up against seven talented teams. We competed across all four main categories: Pulled Pork, Ribs, Brisket, and Chicken.
Here’s a look at how PJ’s Magic Smoke stacked up!
| Category | Category Score | Maximum Possible Category Score |
| Brisket | 62 | 75 |
| Pulled Pork | 60 | 75 |
| Ribs | 59 | 75 |
| Chicken | 64 | 75 |
Total Overall Score: 245 / 300
Brisket: We came in with a strong 62/75. We hit the main pillars—we were confident in the smoke ring, tenderness, and taste. To close the gap, we know we need to elevate our score in the other judging metrics, specifically Presentation, and we already have a few ideas for improvement!
Judges comments;
“Excellent top to bottom”
“Spot on smoke, tender, YUM”
Pulled Pork: Our pulled pork earned a score of 60/75. “Always a crowd-pleaser, but we’ll be tweaking our rub for next year to hit that perfect flavor balance.”
Judges comments;
“A little sweet for their taste.”
“Great sweet/smoke. Super tender. But would like a little more seasoning.”
Ribs: The Ribs scored 59/75. Our superb glaze and good taste were hits with the judges! For next year, we’ll be focused on improving the tenderness (less stick-to-bone) and building up a crisper bark on the outside.
Judges comments;
“Nice presentation; Good taste. Could have little more bark to the rib outside”
“Superb Glaze!! Sticks to bone a bit more than I prefer. Can’t get over the glaze – YUM!”
Chicken: Our best-performing category! The Chicken brought in a score of 64/75. A great result, but the judges confirmed our next focus: ensuring consistent moisture and packing in a bit more overall flavor to hit the high 70s next year.
Judges comments;
“Glaze is Delicious, Fairly good texture. Some areas dry but mostly good”
“Very Good; Could have a bit more flavor”
Overall Score:
When all the scores were tallied, our Total Overall Score for the competition was 245/300!
Conclusion/Future Plans:
A huge thank you to Trevor, the Linglestown Church of God, Linglestown Fire Department and judges of the Annual Amateur BBQ Smoke Off.
We learned a lot and gathered valuable feedback.
We’re already planning for next year! Stay tuned for updates on our practice smokes and recipe adjustments.
Let us know in the comments what your favorite BBQ item is!