Consistency Wins Championships: How Smokin' Hoggz Is Leading the KCBS Team of the Year Race
In competition barbecue, one great weekend can happen to almost anyone.
Building a career filled with championships over more than a decade? That's something very few pitmasters ever accomplish.
Bill Gillespie of Smokin' Hoggz has done exactly that.
A 2025 KCBS Hall of Fame inductee, Bill has captured some of the most prestigious titles in barbecue, including victories at both the American Royal and The Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue. Year after year, his name is found near the top of the standings, proving that championship barbecue isn't built on luck—it's built on discipline, experience, and an unwavering commitment to consistency.
For more than a decade, Bill has trusted Humphrey's smokers as a key part of that process. Since 2013, Humphrey's cabinet smokers have traveled with him across the country as he competed against the best teams in barbecue.
This season, Bill added another tool to his arsenal: the Humphrey's Hot Box.
While his talent and experience remain the driving force behind every call he receives, the addition of the Hot Box has helped make one of the toughest categories in competition barbecue even more repeatable. Brisket margins are razor thin, and having equipment that delivers predictable, controllable results can make all the difference over the course of a long season.
The payoff has been hard to ignore.
As Bill continues his 2026 campaign, he's currently leading the KCBS Team of the Year race, with outstanding brisket performances helping fuel that success.
That's exactly why we built the Hot Box.
Not to replace great cooks—but to give great cooks another advantage.
If you ask Shaune (Bill's wife and teammate) what the goal is this season, don't expect her to say "Team of the Year." She'll tell you the goal is the same as it's always been: cook the best barbecue they can, enjoy time with friends, and have fun doing it. The points are simply a reflection of doing those things well.
But if you ask Bill the same question, this is what he will say: "All last weekend people were asking if we were chasing and we told them we’re sticking to our schedule and not trying to think about it. Our biggest priority is trying to get back to the Jack!"
Competition barbecue is about eliminating variables. Every contest presents different weather, timelines, and challenges. The fewer unknowns a pitmaster has to manage, the more attention they can devote to cooking exceptional barbecue.
The Humphrey's Hot Box helps competitors:
- Create a more repeatable cooking process.
- Better manage meat timing.
- Hold meat in an ideal environment.
- Reduce stress during turn-in day.
- Focus on execution instead of fighting the cooker.
Perhaps the biggest endorsement isn't what we say about our products.
It's the fact that one of the most accomplished pitmasters in KCBS history has continued to trust Humphrey's for more than a decade—and when he looked to refine his process even further, he chose to add a Humphrey's Hot Box to the lineup.
We're honored to be a small part of Bill's journey and excited to watch him continue his pursuit of another KCBS Team of the Year title.
We'll be cheering him on every step of the way.
KCBS Team of the Year Points as of 6/25/2026
KCBS BRISKET Team of the Year:
The trailer is loaded, the smokers are strapped down, and the next destination is Washington, D.C. The Giant BBQ Battle is up next, and there's no better stage than cooking barbecue in the shadow of the White House. Safe travels, Bill and Shaune—we'll be rooting for you all weekend long!
#NOTchasingPOINTS