few questions after first competition

We usually cook our spares at 275 going on at 8am and off at 12pm. We start ramping the heat up around 7:30am to have heat ready for ribs to go on 8. The heat will usually have the butts and brisket ready to come off between 8 and 9.

so no foil? and they turn out nice and tender? Thats hard part for me to figure out.

I'm not a comp cook, but I too cook my spares at 275 on the FEC. Takes about 4 hours and I don't wrap either. Always come out moist and tender. Smokin Okie's toothpick test never fails.

Ok thats what everything Ive read says time and temp wise. So thats what Ill do. And Ill try the toothpick test from now on. So right now Ive got 2 racks in the rib racks for some practice. I suppose 30 racks vs 2 would provide much more moisture, do anyone spritz the racks or a small pan of water?

thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by beansberry:
so no foil? and they turn out nice and tender? Thats hard part for me to figure out.

I'm a sinner, for I'm a foiler for comps....

It takes a lot of practice, close attention to details ie. weight of ribs, kind of ribs, and most of all weather conditions.

No way I'm foiling 30 racks though.

ok so the ribs turned out way better then I imagined that they would and gotta say I like the result. Only wish I would have do them like this last week at my first competition last weekend.

quote:

Originally posted by beansberry:
Ok thats what everything Ive read says time and temp wise. So thats what Ill do. And Ill try the toothpick test from now on. So right now Ive got 2 racks in the rib racks for some practice. I suppose 30 racks vs 2 would provide much more moisture, do anyone spritz the racks or a small pan of water?

thanks!

Yes, I spritz a few times, have heard of a few folks using a pan of water.

I too like to cook ribs at 275*, sometimes they look decent.

so when doing a large amount of ribs where they are directly on top of each other. Does the dripping ruin the rack below? If so what do you do to prevent it?

nice turn in Cal! Being that I just finished my first comp. Now Im testing out the rib racks and tonight was a test with 2 racks and man I wish I would have done my racks like this I would have scored way better. But I noticed that the ends do get a lil darker then the rest of the rack. I did spin the rib rack 180 at the half way mark.

quote:

Originally posted by cal:
I too like to cook ribs at 275*, sometimes they look decent.

Looks like at least a 7.

But seriously, those look great. I'd have given them a 9.

In comps i cook 3-4 racks of ribs... all on one shelf... nothing dripping on them...

Now... doing it this way will cause the end ribs to burn a bit... but you aren't turning those in anyway...

I prefer to cook two racks one in front one in back to avoid the hot spots of the airflow immediately in front of and to the back of the pit... however cooking 4 racks of ribs would have two above the other two and thus dripping... so... What you can do.... is cook two racks of ribs on one rack... put a rack with a sheet of foil protecting those ribs above it then cook the other two racks on the shelf above the foil...

All in all that was too complicated... so I stuck with 3-4 racks all on one shelf... BUT... when I foil I have been known to rotate the ribs based on doneness and hottest spots of the pit on a given shelf... YMMV.

Nordy