Arranging ribs in smokette question??

basically you have to trim for length to fit them in a smokette. Or get a rib rack and you can stand more up. they can touch, but smoke won't penetrate where they touch. Some hang them, but I find that takes as much room as laying them down.

Racks give you more space it seems. The aftermarket rib racks make for kettle smokers is the style I'm talking about.

Yea I have a few different rib racks that I have picked up a long the way, I bought some from Cabeles, and some from other places, but never used them as never had the need to use them, I always halve the racks, and I am talking about either baby backs, or st. louis cut ribs, I have done 6 racks in my smokette, but for the party I am having next month, I am going to need to do a little more that that. Just trying to see what my options are.

Why don't you smoke 4 half racks layered like you suggest and see how they turn out. If good, you're set. If just OK, you've still had a decent dinner with someone.

I don't know if foiling, towel and cooler would work cause you're holding them for 4.5 hrs or so. How about foiling and leaving the first batch in an oven at, say, 140*? Smokin, Todd, Tom or someone with more experience can weigh in here.

I'd be interested in the answer cause I'll be in the same situation at my next barbecue.

Cookshack sells a shelf hanger for the smokette that allows you to put in 5 shelves. The shelves are close together but will allow you to cut up your slabs, lay them flat on the shelves and cook several at a time.

quote:

Originally posted by Subman:
Cookshack sells a shelf hanger for the smokette that allows you to put in 5 shelves. The shelves are close together but will allow you to cut up your slabs, lay them flat on the shelves and cook several at a time.

That's a good solution. For the Elite, the fix would be about $175 because I would also need 3 racks. I'd be interested in other suggestions to see if another solution works. If they don't, then you probably have the answer.

Think about going to a picnic where a cook is doing 100 racks for the crowd.

Yes,things may take some time,but touching will not call the" food police".

Plan on extra time,rotate slabs,learn for the next time.

I have a question, I was considering the rib hooks, but it says that the rib hooks do not work with the smokette? Why is that, is it because the ribs would be too long? What if I was doing baby back or st. louis, and had the racks cut in half?

Next time you do some ribs... do some measuring. I use the rib hooks in an 055 and they work fine but it is a taller unit. And I also put the hooks in the ribs about 1/3 of the way down from the large end of the ribs.. so they fold over a little on the top end. I don't like to get the small ends too close to the wood box thinking they would dry out. Maybe put the small end up would be better.

But measure the distance you have to deal with, versus what kind of cutting and folding you could do with the rib hooks. That should tell you what you can do. (actually I think I cut my last two slabs about in half before using the hooks on them)

The rib hooks are cheap in any case... and some people have made their own from material bought at Home Depot. Search the archives.

One reason I like the hooks is the lack of cleanup necessary as opposed to the racks.