Help with Baby ribs (PLEASE)

The CS is a moist cooker and when you open the door before the meat is done, you let that moisture out. If you dry rub them and leave them in with the door shut for however long you decide it takes, then take them out and sauce them when they are done, you will see how moist and tender they can be.

If it took 8 hours with opening the door several times, 5 or 6 hours should be plenty with keeping the door shut.

I would highly recommend that you buy rib hooks for your 008. Cut the bb's in half, and insert the rib hooks about half way down so the top of the hook is clear of the top rib. Put one rack as high as possible in your 008 and set the ribs in accordingly. I have use up to 8 hooks in my 008. I rub the ribs first with mustard, than a dry rub. My ribs are usually done in four hours.

Mountainman,

Your post did not say, did you fully defrost the the rack of baby backs before putting them in?

Eight hours is too long for baby backs. Like Hippie sez, resist the temptation to open the door. What was the weight of the rack? A 3 to 3.5 lb. baby back rack should take 5-6 hours approx. at 225*. So try again with another rack, smoke at 225* near the top shelf position and do not open the door until 5 hours. Take a quick peak for doneness by meat pull back and bone wiggle. Estimate any additional time, if any is needed.

If you want sauce, pre-heat the sauce and apply after the ribs are done.

Agree with all of the above and "yes!" eight hours is way too long for babybacks. Four, maybe five hours max for me.

Have you checked the temp of your unit? Is it really cooking at 225�? Might want to check it out.

I used to always judge rib doneness like you, how much the meat had pulled up on the bone. The bone wiggle is good but Tom turned me on to using a tooth-pick. If the tooth-pick goes thru the thickest rib meat with little resistance they're done.

And like Mike, I sauce mine after they come out of the smoker. As Mike said, heat the sauce. It will set up nicely on hot ribs.

First tho, I'd check the temp of your smoker.

Just my $0.02

Pull back is NOT the definition of done ribs. I cook ribs enough times, no two ever pull back the same amount.

If one end is thicker than the other, they won't come out exactly the same. Same with a brisket. The fat and thin ends have different results (and why you cook the deckle/point longer for fat to render more).

You said you halved them. The thinner end should cook quicker than the thick.

8 hours for BB is too long.

How much did the racks weigh?

Have you tested the smoker for temp, is it working okay?

Having had my smokette for 10 months now I�ve successfully smoked several each, pulled pork, chicken, turkey, salmon, brisket (flat and point including burnt ends), and pastrami in a timely manner (time close to what others report here that is), so I�ve never felt the need to measure the smoker temperatures, I�ve only measured the meats internal temperature.

Today I did spend several hours to satisfy everyone�s curiosity, and let me say that my smokette cycles from a high of 288 degrees to a low of 217 degrees when the temperature knob is set to 225 degrees.

Please let�s not get carried away with the cooking times involved here as we all understand that the time will vary with the meat type and weight, and the bottom line according to one of our smoking gods is �It is done when it is done�, or so like that.

My question was and still remains, with a significant thickness difference between the two ends of the ribs (or two sections in my case) and the smaller or thinner end is done what do I do to get them both close to the same. I�m assuming that since the thinner section was perfect and that as the thicker section was not close to falling off the bone and a bit dryer, then the thicker needed more cooking time. Do I remove the thinner end and foil, place it on a higher rack to start with or just leave it in till the thicker section is done?

Thanks for your patience, mm

Sounds like you are on the right track and a little trial and error should get you there.

You could cook the thicker sections closer to the firebox,as you mentioned.

You could also start your smaller sections an hour later than the thicker.

The end bones, on most slabs, tend to present more of a challenge.

Okay, you said you halved them, so this should be a big issue.

Then take the ends out when they're done to your liking. Just take a bone and twist it.

If the thin end is done, remove it. Check the thick end. If it's not done, just let it cook longer.

You can put the thicker end in the smoker first and follow with the thinner ends a while later to try to get them to finish together if that's your goal.

OR cut up several slabs and cook the 1/2s that are the same size. Freeze the others. Next time cook the other ends.

You obviously have some good ideas about what to do, just try it and see. Adapt to what you want it to come out like.

Like you said, you can put different thicknesses in different parts of the smoker. Put the thicker in the top. Thinner in the middle.

Cooking them whole presents a problem. You will have to cook them longer to get the thicker end done and the thinner end will be dry and overcooked.

You can trim the thicker end down a little if you want the whole rack to cook evenly.

8 hours for ribs is normally too long, so if it's taking that long at 225, we all ask because it's outside what it takes. I never have them take 6 let alone 8.

Did you weigh them? Makes a HUGE difference in time. If you don't know what they weigh, next time weigh them. If they took 12 we'd ask the same them about temp. If you go with the cook 1/2 rack method, make sure they're about the same size and they'll cook up.

When I pick out Loin Backs I look at them and try not to pick some that have a hugely thick end. In my smoker (the FEC) I put the thick end to the back (which is my hot spot). You can map your smoker to find it's hot spot. On the top or on the bottom, front or back.

mountainman.I see you have smoked salmon before. I am going to do some this weekend. If you have any tips give us a shout.
Mountain man(aka.Duke).

1 of y'all is gonna have to change your identity name! No wonder I am so confused all the time! Don't blame it on the alkeyhaul!!!

No, no, no.....
Given enough it just won't matter