Weep method with UDS

[Peteg]

Just curious if anyone out there is using Barbefunk's weep method with a UDS. If so, how has that compared to simply foiling? Lately I've been cooking at about 240 1 hour out of foil and then two hours in foil. I always pull them after about 2 hours in foil because the tenderness is pretty much there and I'm afraid to overcook them. Lately they've been coming up pretty dry and I'm thinking I'm ready for a new method. Barbefunkoramaque has convinced me that I'm undercooking and not allowing the collagen to break down, thus leaving me with dry ribs. Any input? Pete

[barbefunkoramaque]

Three hours? This is spares, right? I don;t even see how the tenderness could be there at 3 hours total. This has me puzzled. How does the pierce test do? I think that if you can twist the small end bone inside the ribs at the end... then the rest of the ribs are going to be spot on.

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

Are you sure your thermometer is correct? If so, where are you taking the temperature? Sounds like to me you are cooking much hotter than you think.

[barbefunkoramaque]

No I think the reverse is true and his take on "tenderness" is astray. Here's why. The look of a set of ribs (which we cannot see) cooked at a temp that completes it at 3 hours (2 in foil) is remarkably different than one cooked at even 240 in three hours.

I think you may be right too on the therm beibg off but I bet, and I could be wrong, the grate temp is lower.

My main problem is the three hours total cook time. There is no way its getting done at 240 for three hours. I can say that I CAN cook a set of ribs in three hours if they are small spares (like 3's but under 4s) and they come out pretty damn good with no foil of course.

He says he uses the bend method and we all know that ribs have certain points where they loosen and tighten up.

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

Originally Posted by barbefunkoramaque

No I think the reverse is true and his take on "tenderness" is astray. Here's why. The look of a set of ribs (which we cannot see) cooked at a temp that completes it at 3 hours (2 in foil) is remarkably different than one cooked at even 240 in three hours.

I think you may be right too on the therm beibg off but I bet, and I could be wrong, the grate temp is lower.

My main problem is the three hours total cook time. There is no way its getting done at 240 for three hours. I can say that I CAN cook a set of ribs in three hours if they are small spares (like 3's but under 4s) and they come out pretty damn good with no foil of course.

He says he uses the bend method and we all know that ribs have certain points where they loosen and tighten up.

I see your well taken point.

[barbefunkoramaque]

hey, you could be right. Its a UDS, there;'s no telling where the temp probe is. LOL

[barbefunkoramaque]

looking at his equipment, a weber and two uds you would think this meant he might be cool with the texture quality.

However if he is a CBJ that takes that certainty away. LOL

Pete, you know i am kidding! LOL

[Dave Russell]

Tender in three hours at 240?

It's possible... if cooking very small spares direct, like in a uds. However, I wouldn't think they'd be both tender AND dry in three hours, two of which in foil.

Dave
uds, wsm, wots, wsj, char-griller

[barbefunkoramaque]

i agree dave, like i said maybe 3.5 spares. The foil throws me too. Now that I think of it Smelly could be right. If the spares are laid out on that direct fire, and the temp probe is say, place down the stack, the temp would be way off. Now I had a simular problem when i started to use the weep method kinda (It was a little less moist but not that bad) and i left the sinew on and they were much more moist. The silverskin comes off easy later anyway of thats pointed down. BUT he is using foil!!!! This puzzles me.

[swamprb]

240* where?

At the grate or on a pit therm mounted on the side of the drum?

Grate temps will be 25-50*+ on the grate. Just sick a couple of Polder probes at various spots on the cook grate and watch the temps fluctuate.

That is if he's cooking direct, which I'm assuming he is since its a UDS and using a heat sink would be blasphemous, and I'd recommend foiling the ribs anyway....

I'd turn them every half hour or use a rib rack if you don't want to foil.

[Peteg]

Thanks guys, I use the guru probe positioned about 2 inches below the grate in my UDS and always set for 240. Just last weekend I put a normal grill therm in the same spot and it read 240 just like the guru did. I've been cooking this way for about a month now and have had pretty similiar results. the best cook that I've done in the last couple of months was at 240 and completed in 4 hours and spent 2:30 in foil, they were real juicy and moist but pretty much fall off the bone. That's when I started backing my times off. I'll post a picture tonight of a recent cook that I did where they actually turned out great in about 3:15, problem is 8 times out of ten they're turning up dry. My main question is in regards to the dryness of the rib meat. When I get to that point after about 3:15 the tenderness is pretty close to where it needs to be, I can easily probe with a tooth pick, If I pick it up the meat will start to split, and when sliced, I can pretty easily pull the rib meat off the bone, but the darn rib meat is not moist or juicy. Would you guys agree that if I just cook it a little longer that dry meat will all of the sudden convert a bunch of collagen and turn moist? Thanks for all the help. I'm going to try a couple of different methods in the oven tonight and take some picks. I know.. the oven.. It's just a time thing. Smoker this weekend.

[Peteg]

That's funny . BTW, should mention that I put a drip pan over the fire in the UDS, so they don't necesarrily cook over radiant heat. I also trim them into 8-10 bone sections depending on the rack.

Originally Posted by barbefunkoramaque

looking at his equipment, a weber and two uds you would think this meant he might be cool with the texture quality.

However if he is a CBJ that takes that certainty away. LOL

Pete, you know i am kidding! LOL

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

It just hit me, you originally asked about the weep method. I don't see how the weep method works with foiling? Or cooking at 240 for that matter? Funk?

[barbefunkoramaque]

Reading this now, and not having this info in the PM you sent me, I don't think then my thought is the problem. If its that close then you definately are getting it cooked. I would like to see a no foil cook though. I was going to say the temp could be higher but the juices could be cooling the probe.

I also wonder .... what if you yanked the guru and let the uds settle in on 240 by itself... here is why.... in a normally aspirated fire there is pretty much a uniform flow of air. With a guru, if the fuel supply of arrangement is not particually correct the guru is going to blow on that fire even if there are 4 coals left in an effort to get the temp up... this means..... that moist air will be pushed out as cool air comes in,,,,hold it, nevermind, its wrapped in foil.... i digress. This does not add up. I now believe you have your ribs cooked but it does not add up why they dry in foil for 2/3 of the damn cook.

Originally Posted by Peteg

Thanks guys, I use the guru probe positioned about 2 inches below the grate in my UDS and always set for 240. Just last weekend I put a normal grill therm in the same spot and it read 240 just like the guru did. I've been cooking this way for about a month now and have had pretty similiar results. the best cook that I've done in the last couple of months was at 240 and completed in 4 hours and spent 2:30 in foil, they were real juicy and moist but pretty much fall off the bone. That's when I started backing my times off. I'll post a picture tonight of a recent cook that I did where they actually turned out great in about 3:15, problem is 8 times out of ten they're turning up dry. My main question is in regards to the dryness of the rib meat. When I get to that point after about 3:15 the tenderness is pretty close to where it needs to be, I can easily probe with a tooth pick, If I pick it up the meat will start to split, and when sliced, I can pretty easily pull the rib meat off the bone, but the darn rib meat is not moist or juicy. Would you guys agree that if I just cook it a little longer that dry meat will all of the sudden convert a bunch of collagen and turn moist? Thanks for all the help. I'm going to try a couple of different methods in the oven tonight and take some picks. I know.. the oven.. It's just a time thing. Smoker this weekend.

[swamprb]

What size Guru fan are you using?

If you run the drum indirect, with a Guru, you'll likely get stable temps. Here is a shot I took at a class where TimL is using a DigiQ on his drum.