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Did my second batch of ribs Friday. Made some S hooks out of stainless steel. My first batch I put on the smokette grills. They turned out pretty good. Friday I hung them leaving lots of room and at least 1 inch from the sides of the smoker. Not as good. I did cook them 1/2 hr longer. First batch was 5 hrs. Weather pretty much the same. Butcher at Costco told me loin back and baby back were the same. Yessterday was loin back. Are they the same? Do the ribs cook differently on the grilles than hanging? Sorry to be so long winded.
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Jim - "Yes," loin back & B-backs are one in the same. I can't see where smoking on the CS grates would turn out a better product than hanging them. Remember, no two pieces of meat are identical even if they come from the same critter.

What was different about the second batch - what didn't you like? Why did you cook them longer? You are using a CS 08, correct?

The more details you give on your cooking adventures the better we can analyze the potential problem.

Hang in there!
They were a little bit tougher. I cooked them longer because a couple of fatter (larger) pieces were a little on the rare side with the first batch. The rest were perfect. The second batch were all done, so maybe they cooked a little to long. I used 1 piece of wood both times. The first batch were on the grilles. The second batch the slabs were 18 inches long. I cut them into 6 inch long slabs so they would hang without touching anything below. Yes I have an 008. Love it. Cooking another batch next Friday.
Jim - What is your test for doneness? A rib should not be anywhere near rare.

Some judge by how far the meat draws up on the bone (about 1/2") while some use the bend test ( hold a full slab with a pair of tongs. If the slab bends i the middle and met begins to break apart - they're done). Also, the "toothpick" test. If you can push a toothpick between the bones with the thickest meat with little resistance, the ribs are done.

Hope this makes sense and helps a little.
Jim -- When it comes to times & temps toss the cookbook that came with your smoker and come to the forum and ask questions.

If you are doing B-backs I usually check them at the 3-3 1/2 hr mark with a smoking temp of 250º. If you do 225º go 4 hrs.

If you are doing regular spares check at the 5 hr mark.

You'll catch on soon. But do come to the forum before trusting that cookbook that came with your CS.

Hang in there! You'll do fine! Big Grin
Last edited by wheelz
Loin back and baby back are not the same...technically. They are the same cut of rib, just different weights (but that doesn't mean every butcher refers to them correctly)

Most of the time "loin back" means they have more weight to them. I typically see loin backs at more than 3lb per rack. BB's can be under 3.

I ALWAYS recommend you weigh the racks. As I've said many times, especially for newbies, a different of 1/2 pd or 1 pd on a rack can be up to 2 hours different.

Just some thoughts to consider.
Wheelz,

While I don't define meat cuts from a contest organization list of rules (they're grouping them for their purposes), I'm talking about learning to cook ribs so we can figure out why loins and bb don't cook in the same length of time.

You say tomato, I say potato... I did say "technically", as in the meat cutters guide it's the same rib, just trimmed of the loin (hence smaller and less meat)

Loin/Baby is like saying Spares/St.Louis, just two different cuts of the same ribs.

Full spares (untrimmed) will take longer than trimmed

Loin (if true loin, over 3) will take longer than baby backs

Here's the key. Know the cut and weight of each rack. Loins will be heaving, full spares will be heavier.

Oh, and just for reference, baby back was a marketing term by the Danish Gov't to sell us undersized ribs and we "bought" it.

But back to the original question Big Grin

I think the reason most hang ribs is that they like the "way" they cook. More even heat and smoke is usually the theory.

I smoke mine on the rack, but I flip them (don't like the grill marks to sink into the meat)

I think just a little experimentation would give you the results you want. Keep an eye on weight and you'll improve your ribs.

Smokin (owner and sole proprietor of the Original "Smokin" post for length and detail) Cool
Last edited by Former Member
I like to hang Ribs. I usually cut them in half so they are about 10" to 12" long slabs. I smoke them at 225 for 4-5 hours depending on weight. I use a model 55, I never open door until I take them out. Just made some BB's last night. They were very good, sorry no leftovers, all gone. Roger
I worked for a major casual dining chain that is pretty famous for their Baby Back Ribs.

Our 'learnings' smoking ribs for over thirty years was for optimal taste to lay the racks of ribs on our smoker racks meat side down with bone ends pointing up.

Juices during the cooking process will tend to collect or 'pool' in the U-shaped valley of the rib and ultimately self baste the meat for a moister end product.
quote:
Originally posted by fishmagnet:
I worked for a major casual dining chain that is pretty famous for their Baby Back Ribs.

Our 'learnings' smoking ribs for over thirty years was for optimal taste to lay the racks of ribs on our smoker racks meat side down with bone ends pointing up.

Juices during the cooking process will tend to collect or 'pool' in the U-shaped valley of the rib and ultimately self baste the meat for a moister end product.


Thanks for the tip I plan on cooking some this weekend for the first time.

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