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First Attempt at Ribs

FM Former Member
I tried ribs in my Smokette for the first time this weekend and could use a little help/advice for future smokes...

I purchased one rack of baby back ribs from the local grocery store, removed the membrane, placed the rub on, and let sit overnight in the fridge. The next day I placed them in the smoker at 225F (no preheat) using the rib hooks with about 3-4oz of hickory wood. I let them cook for 3 hours, removed them in order to slap on some bbq sauce, and then quickly put them back in for another hour. I wanted to keep smoking them, but the family was getting hungry so I took them out and ate them at that point. They had a great flavor and looked perfect and everyone loved them, but they weren't as tender as I was hoping they would be.

What could I try different next time to make them more tender? Perhaps I should leave them in a little longer (3 hrs, put bbq sauce on, and then 2 hrs) or maybe for that last hour wrap them in foil (3 hrs, put bbq sauce on and wrap in foil, and then 1 hr)?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance...
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FM Former Member
quote:
Originally posted by Wader:
...I wanted to keep smoking them, but the family was getting hungry so I took them out and ate them at that point...
What could I try different next time to make them more tender? ...


Simple, not letting the family decide when it's time to eat. Just because they're hungry, doesn't mean the Q is ready.

They're done when they're done means that until you've cooked them a LOT of times, there will always been a learning curve to knowing when they're done. Trying to "time" it for a set time just takes practice.

And do what Tom said Big Grin Keep great notes and just keep practing.

They just needed to cook longer.
FM Former Member
Wader, at the risk of going against the grain here, I'll tell you how my baby back ribs have turned out the best so far. The first several attempts in my Amerique were to follow the Cookshack instructions exactly: cook 3 1/2 hrs at 225, remove and wrap in foil and cook another 45 minutes at the same temp. For me, the ribs turned out a little bit dry and were not falling off the bone. Then a friend of mine who does competition BBQ suggested an alternative: apply rub only, cook only 3 hrs at 235, remove, brush on your sauce and enjoy. These have been the most moist and tender ribs we have had so far and is the way I will continue to cook 'em. I loaded up the Amerique last time with 12 half racks and when finished, there were no leftovers. Give it a try.
FM Former Member
quote:
Originally posted by DougieT:
... Then a friend of mine who does competition BBQ suggested an alternative: apply rub only, cook only 3 hrs at 235, remove, brush on your sauce and enjoy.


Glad it works for you, but also as a competitor, time is NEVER the method to tell when they are done. If they're small BBacks, say under 2, they'll be done in that time. But buy a rack of 3+ loin backs (and the label says only bbays) then you'll be very disappointed.

In the last few months we've had a lot of threads from newbies cooking only on time and being disappointed.

To be a good pit master, you have to learn to Tell if it's done. Whether you foil or not, methods such as 3-2-1 aren't guarantees. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't, and I'll tell you right now, it's because people don't weigh and keep good notes.

Start weighing your ribs, keeping good notes and soon you'll have a recipe, like Dougie does, that works for you.
T tomMember
I'm no rib expert,but I do cook with a few.

The MOST important part of Smokin's message is take real good notes about what you cook and how.
Most comp cooks buy the same type ribs,from the same supplier,,same general weight,trim and prep the same every time.

Take careful notes,and try to use the same timing.

They all try to leave a little cushion,so they can check EACH slab,and adjust at the time,to what their experience has taught them.

They are not like boiling water,or grilling a burger,or even smoking a butt.

Taking good notes,on several attempts,is about the only way to know.

The nice thing about a Cookshack is,even our falures are edible. Cool

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