Shorter Rib Cook Time

begolf25

begolf25

Knows what a fatty is.
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We are just getting started in competition BBQ. This Saturday will be our 2nd competition. It is a one day competition with ribs and chicken only.

We have always practiced using about a 6 hour window to cook our ribs. This weekend we will only have about 5. I was thinking we could cook a little higher and go with something like a 3-1-1. Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to practice this before.

Any suggestions on cutting an hour out of our cook time?

Thanks,

Bryan
 
If it's st louis cut try 2-2-1 You want them done. 250 miimun but probaly 250 for the first 2 then 300 for the next 2 then it's up to you.
 
i have very good results with ribs @ 300-325 for 2.5-3 hours in a WSM. very tender, good tooth, juicy, with good flavor.

find the time to test out your cook before bringing to the playinmg field.
 
Practice on Friday in your oven. It will get you close. Or roll the dice and crank the temp.
 
yeah, but NOT IN THE OVEN.

it's not even close to the same as a comp live fire enviornment.
for recipes, maybe, but a temp and time on a live fire with a set turn in time? gotta do it for real.

it won't give you a true field test result in an oven.
 
with the cookers you have listed just raise the temps. i cannot believe that with those cookers it takes that long. are you trying to warm then death.
 
I take it that this is a one day event? Was the amount of time you will have a surprise? I'm curious why you didn't practice the shorter cook time.

You don't mention wether you are cooking spares or loin backs. If they are spares, you can try a 2-1-1 at 275 degrees. If they are getting close to done when you take them out of the foil you can always cut back the temp or cook them until they are done and hold them in a cooler or Cambro if they are early.

For Loin backs, 2-1-1 at 240 should be fine unless they are very meaty.
 
boogiesnap said:
yeah, but NOT IN THE OVEN.

it's not even close to the same as a comp live fire enviornment.
for recipes, maybe, but a temp and time on a live fire with a set turn in time? gotta do it for real.

it won't give you a true field test result in an oven.
Click to expand...

So, You're saying 275 f. in an oven is different than 275 F in a smoker ?!?!... why ?
 
Podge said:
So, You're saying 275 f. in an oven is different than 275 F in a smoker ?!?!... why ?
Click to expand...

That's like... Would you rather get crushed by a ton of steel or a ton of feathers?... The only thing a oven doesn't offer is smoke. That's why they invented liquid smoke. Wouldn't go to a contest without it!
 
Podge said:
So, You're saying 275 f. in an oven is different than 275 F in a smoker ?!?!... why ?
Click to expand...

oh, i don't know, maybe fire management?

if it's the same, why then don't we just all enter betty crocker recipe contests?

alright, i'll stop by the penalty box now.
 
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. We are cooking spares. Unfortunately, the past 4-5 weeks have been crazy with work and family commitments practice time has not been available but I think we can make things work.

Contracted Cookers, we usually go 3-2-1 and get pretty good results. They do come off the grill nice and warm :wink:
 
boogiesnap said:
oh, i don't know, maybe fire management?

if it's the same, why then don't we just all enter betty crocker recipe contests?

alright, i'll stop by the penalty box now.
Click to expand...

I was assuming that fire management issue was already out of the equation. I would hope that anyone that enters a contest would have the experience down enough to keep a constant temp in their choice of smoker. If turn in times are constant, and expectations of things being finished within a certain window, it is one of the most important things is to have fire management/constant temps down first.

Once that is taken care of, then there's no reason why a person can not practice certain things in an oven for flavor profiles, etc. Things may be a little different, but can be learned to be adjusted.

I've done a lot of practicing in the oven and my BGE. Once I come up with something worth firing up the smoker for, I then move on to that. Then i've found very subtle differences in times vs temps for my smoker compared to the oven and BGE. But that's just my experience.
 
Scottie said:
That's like... Would you rather get crushed by a ton of steel or a ton of feathers?... The only thing a oven doesn't offer is smoke. That's why they invented liquid smoke. Wouldn't go to a contest without it!
Click to expand...

I take liquid smoke to contests, because I just drink it for the nice tasting burps.:becky:
 
i see what you're saying, BUT, depending on your cooker, maintaining 325* as opposed to 225* can be a challenge, especially if you've never done it before.

and thusly very risky at a comp.

btw bgolf25, i personally don't foil ribs at that cook temp.
 
Podge said:
I've done a lot of practicing in the oven and my BGE. Once I come up with something worth firing up the smoker for, I then move on to that. Then i've found very subtle differences in times vs temps for my smoker compared to the oven and BGE. But that's just my experience.
Click to expand...

I do the same thing Podge. I like trying new things in the oven. gives me a good idea on flavor and if I think it's going to work.

But what do we know?
 
GUYS...without question you know far more than i.

i personally have had poor results BBQing in the oven.

but i don't know squat.

best of luck at your comp begolf25!
 
boogiesnap said:
GUYS...without question you know far more than i.

i personally have had poor results BBQing in the oven.

but i don't know squat.

best of luck at your comp begolf25!
Click to expand...

I should have added that you obviously will not have great BBQ from the oven, especially from lack of smoke. So, yeah, you will have poor BBQ results from an oven. But, it will give you a better handle on cooking times, how different rubs will affect the meat taste, etc.. The main outcome will be that it'll suck, but you will have good test results, like for example, you can find out that a thighs cook for x hours will be perfectly done when cooked at Y degrees... or that, cooking ribs with a certain type of rub makes the ribs too salty... etc..
 
275° is 275°... but convention qualities of most cookers are very different than ovens. The more hot air you have moving the faster the meat will cook.
That's why convection ovens cook faster at the same temperature as regular ovens.
 
boogiesnap said:
GUYS...without question you know far more than i.

i personally have had poor results BBQing in the oven.

but i don't know squat.

best of luck at your comp begolf25!
Click to expand...

These guys wouldn't steer you wrong. There are a lot of contests and Grand Championships between those two. Scottie was a past winner of the Jack Daniels World Championship of BBQ. I just thought I would let you know.
 
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