Kansas City style ribs, no foil verses foil test

Savannahsmoker

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Two racks of spare ribs both prepare the same way. Will foil one and not foil the other during the smoke.
My wife applying butt rub and oranges.
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Wrapping in plastic wrap and into the fridge overnight.
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Next day take out of the fridge and allow to come up on temperature. About a hour and a half. I spread a thin coat of yellow mustard and more rub to the ribs.
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The pit is running at 225 degrees so in go the ribs.
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Three hours in and I foiled with a mixture of apple juice, apple cider and oil.
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Five hours in, time to remove rack from the foil. The top of the rib look fine but the bottom look mushy.
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Now put on the finishing sauce and turn up temperature to 300 degrees and set the sauce. This should be 15 to 30 minutes
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Ribs been in the smoker for six hours, time to pull, cover and rest for 30 minutes. The rack in the rear is the foiled rack. Both look good but the foil rack shrunk more losing more meat and was really limp when I pulled it., I like some texture in my ribs like competition ribs. Taste test coming up.
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I went to heavy on the sauce but that is what the grandchildren like.
Now for the family judging.
First, the non-foiled ribs. Cut like butter, has a smoke ring and looks like it is moist.
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Second, the foiled ribs. Cut like butter, has a smoke ring and looks like it is more moist than the non-foiled rib
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Now test for how easily the ribs pull apart.
First, the non-foiled ribs. Pull apart easily but did not fall apart and moisture ooze out.
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Second, the foiled ribs. Pull apart easily but did not fall apart and much more moisture oozed out.
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Taste test by the family of six adults and three grandchildren were 7 for foil and 1 for non-foil. The foiled ribs seem to have more moisture and were not completely falling off the bone as I expected. The taste of both were equally great. The non-foiled ribs, while tasting as good, was a little dryer.
Bottom line I am now a convert to, on my Traeger, smoke three hours, foil two hours, pull from foil, apply a finish sauce, turn up the temp to set the sauce for one hour. I guess this is the Standard 3-2-1 method I used in stick burners.
Foiled Ribs Win 7 out of 8 but it was very close. So close that maybe it was a difference between the butts.
 
Thanks for the comparison!:clap2:
I've still not foiled or sauced any spares. From the looks of the pictures, I still think I'd prefer the texture of the unfoiled ribs.
 
Thanks for the comparison!:clap2:
I've still not foiled or sauced any spares. From the looks of the pictures, I still think I'd prefer the texture of the unfoiled ribs.

I also like the texture of unfoiled ribs but I cook what the family likes.
 
Not a large sample size so the results may not be altogether conclusive but thanks for the pics and the comparison. I do foil because Johnny Trigg foils. :wink:

I find the use of orange slices on the meat while dry brining more intruiging. They look good and seems like a good idea but I don't know why...do they impart any flavor/moisture to the ribs? Is there orange in the rub and/or glaze? :confused:
 
I had similar results with KC cut spares. Oddly enough, for some reason when I did foiled vs. unfoiled for BB'a however the unfoiled won!:becky: Glad you found something most everyone can agree on!:cool:
 
I did the same thing last week on baby backs. we liked both results. Im thinking of just foiling for an hour next time, try to split the difference.
 
I foiled my first st louis style last weekend, but I did 2-2-1 and they were by far the best ribs I've ever turned out! Glad to see you tried both side by side!! thanks.
 
Well done and good informative post. Thanks for taking the time to put that together for our benefit. :thumb:
 
Great thread!

Whenever I use foil on my ribs, they seem to be TOO moist- almost mushy. Been doing them without foil the last few times and getting great results. Like the texture & a lil bit of bite. Just my preference. Family seems to agree.
 
of course it could have been the difference between the right and left side of the hog too<lol> Nice test really!!
 
I've experimented with the foil mod on ribs and i've found that 40min works best for me. I tried 2hrs once and we ate them with a straw. YUCK! I settled on 3hrs or until the ribs feal slightly limp when lifted from one end. Forty minutes in foil and a short time back on the fire to carmelize the sauce. Or some times I just pull em off at the end of forty minutes and let them rest in the foil. Slice and sauce afterwards.
 
Send some to Macon and I will second your opinion discreetly
 
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