Smoked ribs not quite right

How archaic is your smoker??

I often use a Weber Kettle for ribs. Try babybacks.

Light up about 2 dozen briquettes only, then split them half on each side of the smoker. Then put the preped (membrane stripped and dry rubbed the night before) ribs in a rack, in the center of the cooker (indirect heat... nuthin under the ribs). The dome temp should be between 200-225 degrees -- no more. Use an instant read through the top holes if it is not equipped with a thermometer. Keep the top and bottom vents open. Add wood chips or chunks to the coals on each side and cover the cooker.

To maintain 225, you will need to add about 3-4 coals per side every 45 minutes or so.

After about 2 hours, your ribs will be brown and purty. Baste with some sauce if you like, and keep on the cooker for another 30 min or so. They are done when the meat recedes from the end of the bone about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch, and when they are simply nice and tender (when you can pull a bone off the end).

Actually it isn't that old it is a brinkmann sportsman..I really like it and it does a fab job with being able to smoke and grill. I must admit the CS wasn't really what I was expecting when i went and looked at it..it seems nice and would probably make everything much easier but doesn't it take away some of the testosterone levels? where does the whole man..fire..primitive fit in with the CS? I am not disrespecting the CS in anyways, however before I invest the money in one these are some of the small concerns I have..

My wife says that the CS is what we use for "Lazy Q," with a note of disdain in her voice. Having had a New Braunfels offset, an Egg, and standard grills, however, I love the ease and consistency of the CS.

The CS does take away much of the smoke that requires you to take a shower before you go to bed after starting a fire for an overnight cook. It does keep you from having to constantly open your pit to move the meat into or away from the hot spot. It also doesn't send up a constant fog of smoke that annoys the neighbors.

The CS simply makes good barbecue. If you can get past the ease and not get caught up in the science of it, you will learn new areas of skill that will affect your finished product more than tending fires. You can then focus on creating good rubs and sauces, good meat preparation, and making super side dishes that will add to your meals!

No, you don't get to play with the fire, you just get a great product that allows you to enjoy some of the other things you like to do!

I think perhaps we women have being blaming the testerone on the wrong gender.. Could it be that we women are the ones obsessed with it?

This might come off dumb but here goes it...do you still use wood/charcoal or is it electric? Do any of you do all of your cooking with wood? We do all of our grilling with wood, but other sites I have checked out said that wood doesn't burn even enough..is this true or just all smoke?

Errin

The CS uses an electric element with a metal box surrounding it in which you place chunks of wood. The wood smokes from the heat of the element and the meat gets its smoky flavor from that relatively small amount of smoke. The meat is cooked using the same "low and slow" principle of a wood or charcoal cooker. You still get the benefits of the slow cook without the constant tending to the fire and meat.

You don't get a "smoke ring" with the CS under normal circumstances, but that is a topic for a 200-level course at CS University.

Let's get to the original question. If you have a smoker why are you cooking in the oven?

When you say "smoked ribs not quite right" you start in the oven and then grill them...what wood are you using for temp and or smoker? On this old smoker?

Now, my guess would be that you can't get the temp control consistent in the smoker. If you're getting dry ribs, you're cooking them too hot or too long or both. I've heard the name, but I don't remember the model you mention.

Are you wanting help with the ribs?

Your second comment:

quote:

Originally posted by Zaysma:
[qb]This might come off dumb but here goes it...do you still use wood/charcoal or is it electric? Do any of you do all of your cooking with wood? We do all of our grilling with wood, but other sites I have checked out said that wood doesn't burn even enough..is this true or just all smoke?

Errin[/qb]

Nah, we handle all questions....this IS a friendly forum.

1. The CS is an electric unit that does burn chunks of wood to generate smoke for flavor. Uses electricity for the heat source.

2. Do I use wood? Sure, there's a time and a place for all heat sources, depends on your smoker/grill/cooker

3. Wood doesn't burn even, but for most people it won't matter. What you might conisder is using lump charcoal (not briquettes). It's a hot, consistent heat source and great for grillin'

Smokie; I would like help with the ribs so that I can smoke them the whole time. The way that the smoker is set up you have your charcoal pan in the very bottom then you have your water pan and right on top of the water pan is your first grill rack and then another above it..I used a large hand ful of bris. in the bottom and put a handful of wet hickory in foil. The first batch was probably in for about 4 hrs during this time I never opened the lid...dry as can be but with a great flavor...since I had 9lbs of spare's and I didn't want to waste anymore with being dry I moved to the oven method and then throwing them in the smoker for the taste.
I am starting to see some of the nicer aspects of the CS after reading some other post.
I love the way smoked meat taste and considering that we had three pigs butchered it is a nice treat. Is there anything you can't do with a CS or any real drawbacks?

Unless you can lay one of the big ones on its side,large whole hogs would be tricky.

It is difficult to flash grill small pieces of shellfish and a good pizza crust is difficult.

All that being said,I can't think of anything on those hogs you couldn't do nicely.

Z,

Sounds like your little smoker is very similar to a Weber Smoky Mountain, check out their forum for ideas -- and you'll end up buying on probably. They're great. You can pick up some good tips there for. If your ribs were dry at four hours, in a vertical smoker with a water pan, you ran too high a temp and did the water run dry?

Virtual Weber Forum

As for the CS. Yup, it does most things well, it would take a long post, but there are things it does better than some and not as good as others. It's a perfect compliment if you have a lot of grills. It does a great job on briskets and butts as the CS does a great job keeping the humidity levels up without the use of a waterpan. Chicken, I do in the CS and do it very well, but I'd prefer to cook them a little hotter than the small CS does them.