C
cquinn
Guest
Well it was a day of firsts.
First time I smoked anything - Used a snake and 3-2-1 with foil. (terms I had no idea of what they meant until I studied up here - thanks to everyone who posted. It made a BIG difference) Was uneven on regulating the temp. Mostly held at 220 to 250 but fell to 200 for quite awhile. I can see I have a tendency to over check the temp. Probably lowered it just from that. It's just a matter of getting used to where and when to adjust the vents. For me it's probably best to install a temp. gauge in the lid and just compensate for the difference between lid and grill temps. After working with this system for awhile I might find I don't really need a gauge. Have been using a Taylor oven gauge and just setting it on the grill.
First rack of ribs - Used a simple balanced rub just to establish a baseline. Ribs had nice finished color and literally fell off the bone. Used the 90 degree bend test to check for doneness. They damned near slipped out of the bones right there! Smoked them too long for my taste. Used hickory and the flavor was very strong. Would like to try applewood and reduce the time from 3 hours to 2 or 1 1/2. Don't want the smoke to overwhelm the flavor of the ribs.
I did learn that for this cut it pays to buy a quality product. I used a local brand 'Farmer John' but found then not to be as lean as I prefer. Will use a local butcher from now on.
All in all a successful first try.
First time I smoked anything - Used a snake and 3-2-1 with foil. (terms I had no idea of what they meant until I studied up here - thanks to everyone who posted. It made a BIG difference) Was uneven on regulating the temp. Mostly held at 220 to 250 but fell to 200 for quite awhile. I can see I have a tendency to over check the temp. Probably lowered it just from that. It's just a matter of getting used to where and when to adjust the vents. For me it's probably best to install a temp. gauge in the lid and just compensate for the difference between lid and grill temps. After working with this system for awhile I might find I don't really need a gauge. Have been using a Taylor oven gauge and just setting it on the grill.
First rack of ribs - Used a simple balanced rub just to establish a baseline. Ribs had nice finished color and literally fell off the bone. Used the 90 degree bend test to check for doneness. They damned near slipped out of the bones right there! Smoked them too long for my taste. Used hickory and the flavor was very strong. Would like to try applewood and reduce the time from 3 hours to 2 or 1 1/2. Don't want the smoke to overwhelm the flavor of the ribs.
I did learn that for this cut it pays to buy a quality product. I used a local brand 'Farmer John' but found then not to be as lean as I prefer. Will use a local butcher from now on.
All in all a successful first try.
