Brining ribs? who does and who doesn't

I inject and immerse my ribs with the same brine. I also never wrap. I get juicier ribs without wrapping than I do with wrapping.

A typical St Louis slab will take and hold a cup or more of liquid.

Edit: I will add that I NEVER get any sort of hammy taste or texture when doing this. I suppose you might if the brine was strong enough, but I don't really know.
 
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I think of saltiness when thinking of a brine. I soak overnight in an applejuice and worchestershire mixture that is 1 part mixture to 3 parts water.
 
I tried injecting Ribs for the first time a few weeks back with Butcher's pork injection. Noticed a marked difference in the taste, but it was a little too strong, and I haven't had the time to try again with a little weaker injection.
 
I don't brine ribs and can't think of anyone who does in at the KCBS comps I go to here in Georgia. Of course that doesn't mean somebody isn't doing it on the sly...
 
I started brining this summer for competition. Did some trials with vs without, and found they had more flavor and moisture when I brined. Also weighed them after a 5hr brine, and had gained 5% weight, which I think is admirable. Now during the winter, Im going to work on my brine recipe with flavor notes and amount of sugar. I dont like the idea of injecting, dont like all the holes in my meat, and with the time crunch at competitions, I pleased with the moisture gain I can get in a few hours.
 
ynotfehc said:
I started brining this summer for competition. Did some trials with vs without, and found they had more flavor and moisture when I brined. Also weighed them after a 5hr brine, and had gained 5% weight, which I think is admirable. Now during the winter, Im going to work on my brine recipe with flavor notes and amount of sugar. I dont like the idea of injecting, dont like all the holes in my meat, and with the time crunch at competitions, I pleased with the moisture gain I can get in a few hours.
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No doubt the brining alone is effective, but when I inject the ribs I use a 16 gauge needle from tractor supply. I inject through the bone side in between each bone. The second membrane(the really thin one that's left after you remove the first membrane) seems to keep all the liquid from coming back out.
 
Never tried myself. I never have any problems getting juicy tender ribs so I never saw the point. Cooked next to a guy at a comp over the past weekend that had brined his and they were no more juicy/tender than mine were and tasted like crap (jury is out if it was the brine or other factors).

If it works, yay, but I'm glad it's not a step I have to put into the que.
 
Don't brine....have been thinking about soaking though..
 
I have brined loin backs but would be hesitant to brine spares, especially in a competition. I feel if they are cooked properly there is no need. Maybe I should try it sometime because ribs have been my Achilles Heel lately.
 
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