First Timer Doing Ribs..a little advice

BTW...smoker is an 025.

Understand where you are coming from. There are a thousand ways to do these things and none are right - some are wrong. I use a relatively simple strategy and I get consistently good results. I put dry rub on my ribs (50/50 mix of headcountry rub and brown sugar) for 2-3 hours before placing the ribs into a 250 degree smoker. I generally use a combination of apple and hickory - experiment with amount - I usually use and ounce or so of each. I check the ribs after 3 hours by passing a probe through the center of the rib. If it passes through like butter the ribs are done. If not, spritz with a little apple juice and check again in 1/2 hour. I then brush my favorite bbq sauce on the ribs and FTC for an hour or so. They are delicious!!

First off, throw away the booklet and get your advise here. I'd follow Ribs 101 for your first smoke. Keep it simple. Apply rub up to a few hrs before smoking. Throw them into the smoker. Check for doneness. Eat. You could put the rub on the night before, but if the rub has salt, it could give the ribs a hammy taste. It's just simpler to put the rub on before smoking. I leave the 3 packs of baby backs in the cryovac package overnight. Simple.

Most experienced folks will run the smoker at 250* for ribs. 225* works just fine also, just takes a bit longer.

Your rib cooking time will vary according to weight of ribs, primarily. A 3# rack of baby backs will run roughly 4 hrs, give or take. A 2.25# rack of baby backs may finish in 3 hrs. Full spares will run 5-6 hrs or longer if they're hefty. Check for doneness as advised by jacksmoker above. As you gain experience with different weights of baby backs, for example, you'll be able to roughly estimate approximate cook time.

Enjoy your ribs. I'm sure they'll turn out fine. I followed Ribs 101 for my first Cookshack baby backs, and they were the best ribs I had ever cooked. Only got better from there.

There are very few things in the world that have only one way to do them. And cooking is the biggest variance of them all.

All the various methods will produce very similar results. And then you get into what flavors you like, and it get s even more complicated.

Just follow a method you like for the first time, and then play with others as you feel the need, till you find the one you and your family loves the best.

As a buddy says, It's all good.

RandyE

quote:

Originally posted by Randy E:

Just follow a method you like for the first time,
RandyE

Well that's sorta the problem. I have no idea what method to like, since they vary so wildly and I haven't cooked ribs before. I suspect I won't actually like one method over the other until I've tried it several times.

I'm just looking for a way to get me into the ballpark...

quote:

Originally posted by Pags:
Your rib cooking time will vary according to weight of ribs, primarily. A 3# rack of baby backs will run roughly 4 hrs, give or take. A 2.25# rack of baby backs may finish in 3 hrs. Full spares will run 5-6 hrs or longer if they're hefty. Check for doneness as advised by jacksmoker above. As you gain experience with different weights of baby backs, for example, you'll be able to roughly estimate approximate cook time.

Solid advise right there, if your cooking at 250*.

Rub 30 minutes ahead of time and let them set out on the counter, too make the rub look like a paste on the ribs. A little sauce the last 20 minutes of cooking, if you desire!

Did you check Ribs101 and check the ribs101 video update link at the top of this forum?

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinOkie:
Did you check Ribs101 and check the ribs101 video update link at the top of this forum?

Indeed I did, and I mentioned as much in my post. Even when looking at Ribs101, it says 225 degrees...and in the video, he calls out for 275 degrees. And in this thread, 250 is being recommended.

So you can see why I'm a tad confused/info overloaded, eh?

All 3 temps will cook the ribs. The higher the temp, the faster the cook. But 250* is only 11% higher than 225*. I've done a ton at 225*. Great ribs. I now do 250*. Why? Cause some experienced folks here recommended it. Just pick a rub, pick a wood, pick a temp, throw the ribs in...and enjoy the results. You'll do fine.

I'll be a stinker and throw in yet another temp. I cook my baby backs at 235. Why? Because after a little experimentation, that's the temperature I settled on. After a few cooks, you'll dial in to your own temp. For example, I still don't have spare ribs down yet. Last time I tried 275 as was recommended by numerous people here, but didn't like the way they came out, too greasy for me. So next time I try spares, I'll probably try 250 to see how things go.

Just pick a temp and try it. They'll still turn out better than what you can get at most restaurants.

I notice more grease in spares vs baby backs, and I think that's cause the spares have more fat. May mean we need to render more of it.

Pags just for S&G's try a rack of SL Spares at 275. IMHO the higher heat helps to render the fat more thoroughly vs lower temps. Another tip, after pulling the paper skin, remove any extra fat clinging to the bones as well as the top fat ususally found down on the brisket end.

Hate to see you limit yourself to loin backs the rest of your smokin days

To tag onto Max,think about a steak.

When we say we buy spares with fat,it is meant to be the interspered fat and it becomes flavor ,as it cooks away.

The large exterior chunks on either can be quick/rough trimmed away.

Of course when cooking a couple cases,an adequate drip pan is the answer.

As to the roughly average setting temp at some point in the cooker,10º-15º won't stop the end product from being done,as long as it is enough higher than the finished meat.

Most cookers have a temp they like to run at,but I've met dang few hawgs that can read a therm.

Thx Max and Tom. I love my 3 lb rack of loin backs, but appreciate the help on the St. Louis. We'll see how 275* works. (Don't tell the hawg Tom. )

I've got 2 3+lb racks of Smithfield loinbacks in the fridge as we speak. I'll do what I've done for the past couple of years and mimic Pags method almost word for word. 250 seems to give me what I'm looking for. The one thing I didn't see mentioned in this thread is to keep a good logbook or spreadsheet on your method. Next time you'll know what to change and what to stick with. The one time you forget to take notes you're ribs will be perfect and you will forget what it was the worked so well.
Oh, I spritz with Woodchuck hard cider when need be. Makes takin' a sip a bit nicer...

I'm still at 250* on the loinbacks but will kick it up to 275* on the next rack of St. Louis. If it helps render fat like MaxQue suggests, it'll be worth a try.

RRocket,

The best advice I can give is just enjoy the process and take good notes. I kept my first batch of ribs simple - applied rub about an hour before smoking, and smoked at 250 over 2 oz hickory until done (using toothpick test). I wrapped 'em in foil and towel and rested in a cooler for about 30 minutes. Don't try to get fancy with your first batch. The nice thing is your first batch of ribs won't be your last. Also, it's very hard to mess things up with a Cookshack. Oh, and you'll have plenty of taste testers, believe me.

Practice, Practice, Practice.

As you can see by the # of variations, that most find a way that works for them.

When I teach ribs (need to update 101) the key things are as some have said:

1) notes. Keep good notes until you get the process nailed down -- then keep taking notes

2) temp. KNOW the temp of the smoker (test it and monitor it)

3) rib. KNOW the weight of each rack. From cook 1 with 2.2 lb BB to cook 2 with 3.5 lb spares, they won't finish. Weigh your racks and know that and you'll improve rapidly

4) doneness. Some many options for testing doneness. What works for me 100% is a toothpick. Not the bend test, not the bone pull test and not the rib internal temp. Stick a toothpick into the meat between two bones. Should feel little/no resistence.

quote:

Originally posted by Pags:
All 3 temps will cook the ribs. The higher the temp, the faster the cook. But 250* is only 11% higher than 225*. I've done a ton at 225*. Great ribs. I now do 250*. Why? Cause some experienced folks here recommended it. Just pick a rub, pick a wood, pick a temp, throw the ribs in...and enjoy the results. You'll do fine.

I agree with Pags (who could argue with Pags' cooking?): pick a rub, pick a wood, pick a temp, throw the ribs in, and remember that the key to producing a perfectly cooked rib is Smokin's toothpick test. When its done, its done.

quote:

Originally posted by Pags:
I'm still at 250* on the loinbacks but will kick it up to 275* on the next rack of St. Louis. If it helps render fat like MaxQue suggests, it'll be worth a try.

So Pags, what's your verdict? 250 or 275?

Anybody else?

My temps vary because you're reading through 12 years of my life and posts (or is it 13?)

In my FEC I use 275 because that's the sweet spot for the smoker.

You need to find the sweet spot for your smoker.

225 is the normally reference temp. Although for the life of me, I've never see where THAT temp came from.

You'll see 250 mention more for the big cuts, mainly because it works for them and cuts the time a little. At the restaurant I use around 250 becuase of the smoker and our timing needs.

Sorry I didn't see you had looked at the videos. Sometimes I'm guilty of power reading and making quick answers.

I highly suggest, taking great notes. There are various forms out there for filling in the blank, but basically take track of all the variables that could matter.

For pork, I NEVER rub overnight. If the rub has any salt in it, it will tend to cure the pork. 30 min to 2 hours is plenty. But keep that in your notes also.

So what did you wind up doing and how did it come out for you?

Ever since I started using my FEC 100 I've been using the RIB PRESET which is 224 X 3 hours. Sometimes I would cook longer, others I would foil and rest. It's been hit or miss as my wife would say some were greasy/fatty. Yesterday I did 3 racks of St. Louis cut ribs 3# each @275. I checked @3 hours and ran another 30 minutes (toothpick test). A lot more fat rendered out and the ribs were fall apart tender. My biggest critic was pleased ! I won't use the preset again and wonder why it's even there when Fast Eddy does his @275.

The CS150 I bought for my restaurant 10 yrs. ago came with the same presets. It was probably a carry-over to the FEC100...not sure why though. I never used it in the 150 or the FEC. Guess it was meant to be a "set it and forget it" option but given differencials in brisket/rib weights...it's not all that usefull. My .02 anyway.