It’s not every day that data scientists point their microscopes at our beloved pastime (see: obsessing over great BBQ).

To properly celebrate National Grilling Month (yes, July), the pros over at Talker Research just surveyed 5,000 Americans from multiple states about their grilling habits…

They asked respondents about everything BBQ-related: grilling sins, basic mistakes, and most common customs.

And lucky for us, NY Post shared the full breakdown so we can properly overanalyze like the grilling-obsessives we are.

FIRST, THE SINS…

These are the grilling offenses 5,000 Americans agreed are the most unforgivable:

  • Touching someone else's grill: 32%. You don't touch another person's grill. Let’s say it again for the father-in-laws who desperately need to hear it. You. Don’t. Touch. Another. Person’s Grill. Mmmmkay? This is not a rule that needs to be written down. And yet…

  • Skipping the resting: 31%. You cook for hours, pull the meat, and immediately cut into it. The juices run out, the inside dries up. That’s a true sin. Be patient, young padawan pitmaster.

  • Lifting the lid constantly: 30%. Like dad always said: “If you're looking, you're not cooking.” Every lift drops the temp in your grill, extends the cooking time (ick), and interrupts the process. Stop it, get some help.

WHO'S GOT GRILLING BRAGGING RIGHTS?

The survey broke down who the real grillers are across the US:

  • Wyoming grills the most. Now listen, this might not sound like much to us, but Wyoming BBQers hit 17 grill days a year, which is four above the national average. (Obviously, we in the Dead Meat Society grill roughly 17 times a month, but good for Wyoming.)

  • Oregon, Michigan, and New Hampshire have the most self-described “regular grillers.” 61%, 59%, and 58%, respectively.

  • Hawaii, Mississippi, and Vermont have the rarest grillers. (Imagine living in Hawaii and not hosting a weekly luau, by the way.)

  • 47% of Americans call themselves regular grillers. Which, obviously, leaves 53% of the country off the grill, which we can’t relate to. If you have a loved one affected by a case of non-grilling, we urge you to forward this email to them. DMS can help.

GRILLING IS WHAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER.

Among all the fascinating results published in this survey (seriously, go check this out), there’s really only one stat that we care about…

48% of Americans said food is the single biggest thing that brings people together at a cookout.

The food, you guys. Food beat out music, being outside, and conversation.

So tell us… which grilling sin drives you the most insane, Dead Meat Society?