new to smoking baby back ribs HELP

Welcome to the forum.

3.5# is BIG for loinback ribs...I'm guessing you're looking at 4.5-5 hrs at 275. Longer if you use a lower temp. My trick for testing doneness on ribs is a toothpick. Insert it between the bones. It should penetrate with little resistance.

Foiling is optional and a bit tricky. My advice is to hone your ribs by smoking without foil. It's easier to check doneness that way.

Bottom line, tough ribs are under done.

Keep a journal of weights, cook times, temps, etc. Once you find the magic mark you can try foiling. Try a Google search on 3-2-1 ribs and you'll get info on foiling techniques.

Good luck!

i have it set right now at 225 deg. what would be a good time to open and check them? When i do open to check should i spray with apple juice? They been on there for 1 hour and 35 minute so far i hope they turn out good

Which smoker do you have?

At 225 those ribs will take 5+ hrs. Don't open the smoker for the sake of spritzing...every time you do, you'll lose heat and extend the smoke time (unless you're using a FEC pellet smoker).

I'd start checking doneness (toothpick test) at 4.5 hrs.

it is a model 50 the smoker was gave to me about a year ago so i been trying to learn it a little at a time. So 4.5 hour mark do the tooth pic test. when should i put barbacue sauce on them?

quote:

Originally posted by pseshooter300:
So 4.5 hour mark do the tooth pic test. when should i put barbacue sauce on them?

Yes. Doubt they'll be ready then but I'd still check 'em. The toothpick wants to go in towards the middle of the rack, dead center between the bones.

When they're done, paint them with sauce and foil them for 15 minutes.

While you're waiting on your ribs, check out Smokin' Okie's Ribs 101 HERE
There will be a quiz tomorrow morning

If you're the cautious type, you might want to do your first toothpick test at 4 hrs. Then test every 20-25 minutes or so.

When I sauce my ribs, I sauce them after I pull them, and then I throw them on the grill for just a few minutes a side to firm up the sauce. I actually pull them from the smoker just before they pass the toothpick test and test them on the grill. I wouldn't do this for your first couple rib successes until you get the feel for the toothpick sliding in like butter. That way you'll have positive experience before adding another step.

ok i will do the test at 4 hours

MaxQue is a better cook than me, but smoking them at 275* (which is fine) scares me a little about them finishing early. Just being cautious. They will take longer at 225*.

Well. I misread MaxQue's advise. If you're cooking at 225* then 4.5 hrs for the toothpick check is probably fine for the size ribs you have. Enjoy.

would 4.5 be a good time to check or should i wait till 5 hour mark?

I'm always overly cautious. May take a little longer to cook with more checks, but never too late.

I smoke my BBs at 250 for 5 Hrs., spritz with apple juice or if I have some left over Smokins' finishing sauce then hold at 160 for a minimum of 1 hr. I do not use the toothpick test anymore, can tell when they are done by the meat pulling off of the bone. I think that comes with lot's of cookings, I would recommend the toothpick test in the begining. I also don't sauce until I pull them out and sauce them on the grill.

well the ribs have been on 5 hours and 50 minutes did the tooth pick test and there is still some resistance. How much longer should i be prepared to leave them in i have checked them twice in the past hour and put apple juice on them. Any ideas?

As Fearless Leader often says, "They're done when they're done."

As long as you're getting resistance with the toothpick, they need more time. Kick the heat up to 275 if you're in a rush to eat. Trust me, the wait for properly cooked ribs is worth it.

my suggestion is to try 250 next time then go up if need be. Just keep your notes.

well the ribs turned out really good this time thanks to everyone's advice. Ended up smoking the ribs for 6 hours i did open the door twice after 4 hour mark to due apple juice after the 6 hour mark i put sauce on them and wrapped in foil and turned the smoker down to 160 for a hour then took them out and put them in a cooler for about 45 more minutes until we was ready to eat. They were good. I think i might try the next rack of ribs that are around the same size and leave the door shut longer

OK...you kept notes, right?

Glad to hear the end result was to your liking. Next time around look for Loin backs (babybacks) in the 2.25 - 2.5 lb range and cook them at 275...you'll cut your cook time in half.