Time vs. Weight vs. Temp

ZILLA

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So I'm cooking St. Louis spares for competition. I'm running the pit at 250*. Starting weight is 7.4lbs per rack untrimmed perhaps 4.5lbs after trimming them (i'm guessing here). 2.5-1.5-1 gives me what I want for a finished rib at this weight and time combination.

I can't always find these honkin ribs throughout the year. The next week I can only find 5.3 lb spares at starting weight perhaps 3.5lbs trimmed. The next week I'm down to 4.8lbs....(which I won't buy) I still need to maintain 250* house temp because I have a beeve cooking too.

Any ideas as to adjusting my times for lighter weight ribs and where?

I was thinking of peeling 10min off each of the three times for a 30 min reduction for ribs at 3.5 lbs trimmed.

Thoughts?
 
Could work, or rest after 1.5 foil time a bit before going back on the cooker for glazing. I've had to do it when I don't want them to over cook. I'll pull from the pit and open the foil and let the ribs sit in the juices while holding. Usually meat down, then bone down.
 
Dang, that's some bronto ribs.

I'm scared I'm gonna get tougher ribs so I usually try to get untrimmed slabs 4.5 lbs. or so and under, but I've heard weight doesn't matter much anymore.
 
I've never found larger ribs to be tougher but then I'm very picky about marbling of the meat. I really like a wider rib in the box but I hate to cut to wide on a smaller rack and get the knuckle in there.
 
Zilla,

I never buy ribs that big. The bigger the rack of ribs the older the hog and to me that mean less tender.

I normally smoke my ribs in the 5 to 6 hour range and have never really paid that much attention to the length of time it takes versus the size of the rack. I suppose if I did competitions it would be a could idea to do so though.
 
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