First Drum Que Results

You have to keep in mind, everything cooks faster in a drum.

Ribs

bbqpigskin said:

OK...Just finished eating the first baby backs done in the drum smoker. I kind of have mixed results/feelings about the cook.

What I liked:

• Sucker goes like a mother with no attention at all! it has been almost 6 hrs and no temp drop or spike.
• Very consistant heat.

What I did not like:

• 2 of 3 racks came out kind of dry and really tough on the backside(pic below). Only went for 4 hrs @ 240. I ended up pulling the good meat off to use later for beans.
• not a great smoke ring

Any suggestions or tricks would be appreciated!

Click to expand...

Well I cook spares and they take about 4 1/2 hrs between 250 and 300 and I dont turn or foil them or mop. Last week they came out great not dry or hard and with a good smoke. Have not done many baby backs but I understand they cook a bit quicker than spares so maybe they should have been pulled sooner. Also it looks like in the pic that all three ribs, vary a lot in size, so a couple may have not been as done as they should have been or vice a versa. Not really sure, just guessing but I would try a couple more and soon. Also my top rack is closer to the top but I dout that had much to do with it.
Dave

I do spares trimmed bone side down for an hour then turn and spray with apple juice then keep turning every 45 minutes. 4-5 hrs. I have started them in a rack and turned after an hour, sprayed and foiled 3-1.5-.5.
Babybacks 3-4 hrs.

I've never done BB's in my barrel but I would think 4 hours is too long.

Mike,

Do you know if the ribs were enhanced? If so that may be part of the problem because they cook faster. Next time check them at about 2.5 hours. If they have a nice bark then foil them for for about a half hour then put them in the cooler. I don't do BBs very often but 4 hours with no foil does seem like too long on a UDS.

Again congrats on the cooker though. She turned out beautiful!!!

Mike,

You need to have a small fire in a drum, too much surface area can really throw off the cook. I too think 4 hours is too long for BB's, and turning/rotating is critical when cooking anything direct. The 240° may even be too high as well. On direct cooks, keep the fire just hot enough for the meat to sweat and drip. You can tell by the smell and color of the smoke if you are dripping too much. I'm an old baster, especially with BB's because they are so lean, but that is just me. Some folks never baste or spray ribs and they come out good.

Try checking your thermometer in boiling water to see where you are at calibration wise. With direct cooking, 10° will make a difference in the way you cook or when you turn. Don't know where your therm is mounted on your drum but the heat zones change about every 5" in height.

On ribs, the goal is not to have an actual smoke ring .... cook them just slow enough so that the full thickness of the meat gets the pink color.

Here are the first BB's I cooked on my BDS.

Good thread. I don't have a _DS of any sort, but it is interesting to see such a different method than I am used to.

Norco said "You have to keep in mind, everything cooks faster in a drum.". I can accept this, seems logical, but really, if we are talking the same TEMP, how can this be?

Since this must be the result of a more direct heat, shouldn't this "cooks quicker" be reflected in a higher relative temperature?

bbqpigskin said:

Thanks! I just need to play with it some more and get it down. Like I said before, my only Experience before yesterday was on an offset.

Click to expand...

I have a couple of those inexpensive oven thermometers that I will set on the grate of my cookers to get a feel for the actual temp I'm cooking at. I don't use them on every cook, but they will let you get a correction factor for your pit thermometer.

bbqpigskin said:

Hey, it is not so bad to practice when even the not so great results still taste pretty dang good!

Click to expand...

That is always a great way to look at it. First few cooks on any new cooker are learning experiences for sure.

G$ said:

Good thread. I don't have a _DS of any sort, but it is interesting to see such a different method than I am used to.

Norco said "You have to keep in mind, everything cooks faster in a drum.". I can accept this, seems logical, but really, if we are talking the same TEMP, how can this be?

Since this must be the result of a more direct heat, shouldn't this "cooks quicker" be reflected in a higher relative temperature?

Click to expand...

My theory (and it is just that) is that in addition to the direct heat from the coals, there is heated air that is swirling inside the barrel around the meat. Radiant heat and convection working together should equal faster cooking times.

Mista, the original Drum Major of this site told me this when I made mine. Ifound it to be true when compared to my Bandera.

I first started using a rib rack mainly because I was cooking for 50 + and needed the room. I discovered that the first 3 hours in smoke before I wraped eliminated the dryness I was getting on some of the slabs. Any time I have to open the pit I also spray with apple juice as do many. This seems to help a great deal with keeping a moist product as well. Just my thoughts Brother I hope they help.

I'm thinking that lids might also play into scheme also, I like using the Weber lid on mine but the flat lid has more vent holes and closer to the heat source. I just did a lot of research on the BDS and before the Forum was closed, took note of general cooking times and tips, which I used as a guideline on the Babybacks, I like to foil then remove and finish on the grill.