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14 replies

Help with ribs on my FEC 100.

FM Former Member
I have been trying to cook ribs on my new FEC 100 and they are some of the worst ribs I have ever cooked! This last weekend I had 3 baby backs and 3 St Louis style. Prep the night before with mustard and Fast Eddy's rib rub. Set cooker at 275 for 4hrs. Sprayed with apple juice every hour and a little rub. Added a little butter the last hour. When they where do put some four men and a pig on the last 15min. Did not turn ribs and cooked on the bottom two racks. Temp was perfect the entire cook. Ribs looked great but the meat was so bland. Some of the worst I have ever cooked. Any help would be appreciated. I want to do a comp but these would come in last place.

Thanks Slim
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mistermikemistermikeMember
This is what works for me in my FEC100. Start with a cold smoker, set at 274 for 3 3/4 to 4 hours depending on how many ribs. We like baby backs but you need to go longer for SL. I usually do 6 racks at a time. Prep your ribs by pulling the membrane, rub on both sides with your choice of rub. (I make my own but its pretty basic), I am a mustard guy so a couple of lines of spicy brown mustard on each side rubbed in, then I use Tabasco Chipolte putting on a few shakes on both sides rubbed in. Let them set for 10 to 15 minutes and place in the cold smoker and start them up as described. Rubbing ribs and letting them sit in the refer overnight makes them taste to much like ham to me. Towards the end of the cook test them with a toothpick as it should slide between the bones fairly easy not like butter but with a little resistance if you like a little pull of the bone vs fall of the bone.
FM Former Member
All,

We HAVE to talk wieght of the racks when you're talking ribs. Throwing out a general time just doesn't help. I've said it many times. Why? Case in point. I do my St. Louis ribs at 275 for 4 hours (weight around 3 to 3 1/2 per rack) and they come out perfect. If I did those 6 hours they've be awful.

That's my exact timing for contests... and I've won a lot of $$$ on ribs.

Know the weights of your racks.

The toothpick will help doneness.

G,

So when you cooked these in your stickburner did you use mustard, the same rub, the same sauce?

Not sure how FE's rub comes out bland. maybe it's old rub or it wasn't on thick enough.

I personally think the mustard step isn't needed. If you put any rub on and it has any salt, let it sit for 15 to 30 min and it will pull plenty of moisture for the rub to stick. I don't think mustard add anything to the rib. Me, I love mustard.

When you say bland, are you focusing in on the smoke taste, the rub taste or the sauce taste. You should have tasted the sauce given you applied it at the end. If not, switch the sauce.

The rub, I'd try something different to see if you just didn't like the rub.

Russ
FM Former Member
quote:
Originally posted by SmokinOkie:
All,

We HAVE to talk wieght of the racks when you're talking ribs. Throwing out a general time just doesn't help. I've said it many times. Why? Case in point. I do my St. Louis ribs at 275 for 4 hours (weight around 3 to 3 1/2 per rack) and they come out perfect. If I did those 6 hours they've be awful.

That's my exact timing for contests... and I've won a lot of $$$ on ribs.

Know the weights of your racks.

The toothpick will help doneness.

G,

So when you cooked these in your stickburner did you use mustard, the same rub, the same sauce?

Not sure how FE's rub comes out bland. maybe it's old rub or it wasn't on thick enough.

I personally think the mustard step isn't needed. If you put any rub on and it has any salt, let it sit for 15 to 30 min and it will pull plenty of moisture for the rub to stick. I don't think mustard add anything to the rib. Me, I love mustard.

When you say bland, are you focusing in on the smoke taste, the rub taste or the sauce taste. You should have tasted the sauce given you applied it at the end. If not, switch the sauce.

The rub, I'd try something different to see if you just didn't like the rub.

Russ
I am no expert, but I agree 100% with everything you have posted. I have many people buying my ribs right now. It is too the point that I cannot keep up with the demand at $20/rack. My own rub has salt in it. I put it on 1/2 hour before, turn them over at the 15 minute mark, and rub the second side. It gets a wet look on the rub. I don't cook by time myself. I smoke at 225 and depending on the weight, they go anywhere from 3.5 -4.5 hours for STL. I check at the 3 hour mark with a toothpic and do a sauce mop. I then check every half hour after that. They almost always come clean off the bone with a slight tug.

Here is my last batch.

FM Former Member
Yes I did use mustard on my ribs while using my stick burner. The ribs where bland by there self only got some flavor after the sauce was put on. The ribs I cooked where all 3 to 3 1/2. I will start with diff rubs and prep them right before smoking them. Smokin Okie what pellets do you use if you don't mind. Thanks for all you help! Ribs just went on sale for $1.88 lb for hormel spares im going to get a bunch of them and keep trying.

Thanks Slim
FM Former Member
quote:
Originally posted by G Kalwei:
.. Smokin Okie what pellets do you use if you don't mind. .
Thanks Slim


I love Cherry for contest ribs. The red color from the wood helps a lot.

Brand doesn't match as much as mix. Avoid Traeger at all costs. Other brands, CS, Candy Sue, etc will have mixed and 100% pellets. What we mean is mixed has a base wood for BTU's and flavor wood for flavor. 100% means it's 100% of the wood type.

Just try some different ones and see what fits you're flavor profile.

For rubs, ESPECIALLY for contest, always use fresh rubs. I always buy new for the contest year.

A year old will have some loss of flavor. It will work, but it won't taste the same as fresh.
R randye 2Member
I know it has been covered, but the same cooking method on two different cookers should not affect the flavor very much.

I know the FEC can put out some killer ribs. I am not there yet, but we took 24th out of 85 a few weeks ago. The best in a large group we have done. but others have done much better.

That goes to show it's me not the cooker that's not getting the job done.

RandyE

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