SpaceCowboy
MemberGot rid of the matchlight.
Been lurking on this site for a while and finally decided to post after my last disaster with ribs. Note up front that everything described below was done on a UDS with grate temp around 300-315. Probe was in the center of the grate. Temperature/wind were mild as I am located in Houston, TX.
Here goes...
I started trying pitmaster T's weeping ribs technique a couple months ago and have done about 4 smokes with progressively worse results using babybacks/spares. First set of baby backs turned out great but since then I've been having a problem where the ribs just don't seem to be fully weeping. I never hear the sizzling sound of juices dripping onto the coals that I heard the first time. Here's a description of the last 2 smokes:
2 weekends ago - 2 babybacks @ ~3lbs each fresh from grocery store. No audible indications of weep, decided to take a peek at around 4 hours just in case something happened. Ribs were somewhat weeping but were still dry in areas. Passed bend test and meat probed like butter. The ribs were almost too tender as they almost fell apart just coming off the smoker. My guess is they were overcooked somewhat? Still pretty dam tasty though.
Las weekend's disaster - Babyback(3lb) and spare (6lb) frozen for about a week or two and then thawed in the fridge for a day and a half before smoking. Never heard any signs of weeping so at 3.5 hours I decided to poke at them with a skewer through the holes in the lid. Baby back and spare both did not probe well so I figured it's just taking a while. Decided to peek at 4.5 hours when nothing seemed to be happening. Baby back... nothing. Did not pass bend or probe test which I thought was bizarre. Spare was weeping quite well over the majority of the surface so I decided to shut everything off. Pulled at around 5 hours' time and what I got was BONE DRY. Most of the baby back was inedible! I knew it was in there too long but there was never any physical indication of it being done. Spare was okay on top, however the bottom was almost charred and was very dry as well.
So all the hot and fast experts out there... What the heck is going on? Why am I not getting any weep? Is it perhaps a meat quality issue with the frozen stuff? I can't imagine I've been peeking too much considering I don't even do a thing until around 3 hours.
Here goes...
I started trying pitmaster T's weeping ribs technique a couple months ago and have done about 4 smokes with progressively worse results using babybacks/spares. First set of baby backs turned out great but since then I've been having a problem where the ribs just don't seem to be fully weeping. I never hear the sizzling sound of juices dripping onto the coals that I heard the first time. Here's a description of the last 2 smokes:
2 weekends ago - 2 babybacks @ ~3lbs each fresh from grocery store. No audible indications of weep, decided to take a peek at around 4 hours just in case something happened. Ribs were somewhat weeping but were still dry in areas. Passed bend test and meat probed like butter. The ribs were almost too tender as they almost fell apart just coming off the smoker. My guess is they were overcooked somewhat? Still pretty dam tasty though.
Las weekend's disaster - Babyback(3lb) and spare (6lb) frozen for about a week or two and then thawed in the fridge for a day and a half before smoking. Never heard any signs of weeping so at 3.5 hours I decided to poke at them with a skewer through the holes in the lid. Baby back and spare both did not probe well so I figured it's just taking a while. Decided to peek at 4.5 hours when nothing seemed to be happening. Baby back... nothing. Did not pass bend or probe test which I thought was bizarre. Spare was weeping quite well over the majority of the surface so I decided to shut everything off. Pulled at around 5 hours' time and what I got was BONE DRY. Most of the baby back was inedible! I knew it was in there too long but there was never any physical indication of it being done. Spare was okay on top, however the bottom was almost charred and was very dry as well.
So all the hot and fast experts out there... What the heck is going on? Why am I not getting any weep? Is it perhaps a meat quality issue with the frozen stuff? I can't imagine I've been peeking too much considering I don't even do a thing until around 3 hours.