Ribs - how to smoke them?

LowSlowBo · 12-01-2013, 07:15 AM

There's so many ways on the net it's hard to decide on a method. Low and slow, hot and fast, 2-2-1, 3-2-1, sauce, no sauce, wrap, don't wrap....I just want to smoke and enjoy some ribs!

Any advice for a newb is appreciated.

Jason TQ · 12-01-2013, 07:24 AM

Try it the simple way of just putting them on the smoker and cooking till done using the bend test. Depending on temp will obviously determine your time. Go 250'ish and they should take around 5hrs give or take. Then try foil after that and see what flavors and cooking technique you like more. Half the fun is trying different stuff

.

Big George's BBQ · 12-01-2013, 07:25 AM

What are you doing Spares or baby backs I like baby backs at 235 for 2 hrs, then wrapped with honey and brown sugar for an hour then unwrapped for an hour

dwfisk · 12-01-2013, 07:37 AM

I suggest starting simple, just an indirect cook and low temps (225*-250*) with a good simple rub (just S&P with a dash of paprika and/or garlic is pretty dang good). Cook time will vary with style of ribs (baby back, spares or St Louis cut), but plan on 5 hours plus or minus 2 hours. Just cook them until they pass the bend test, no sauce or glaze (let folks add what they want at the table). If you are worried about them drying out spritz or mop with a little apple juice. Once you get this down you can start playing with stuff like foil or BP, sauces, glazes, more complex rubs, etc.

I found Paul Kirk's Championship Barbecue a useful tool, it has some helpful time and temp tables and a pretty good narrative on cooking technique.

Good luck.

hokiebob · 12-01-2013, 07:44 AM

I tried the 2-2-1 method and concurrently, I just left a rack uncovered the entire time (indirect), but did squirt w/some apple juice every now and then. When done, both were the same, at least to me, so I won't fool w/the foil again.

IamMadMan · 12-01-2013, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hokiebob

I tried the 2-2-1 method and concurrently, I just left a rack uncovered the entire time (indirect), but did squirt w/some apple juice every now and then. When done, both were the same, at least to me, so I won't fool w/the foil again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwfisk

I suggest starting simple, just an indirect cook and low temps (225*-250*) with a good simple rub (just S&P with a dash of paprika and/or garlic is pretty dang good). Cook time will vary with style of ribs (baby back, spares or St Louis cut), but plan on 5 hours plus or minus 2 hours. Just cook them until they pass the bend test, no sauce or glaze (let folks add what they want at the table). If you are worried about them drying out spritz or mop with a little apple juice. Once you get this down you can start playing with stuff like foil or BP, sauces, glazes, more complex rubs, etc.
.

^ Good Advice from both.

I agree, learn the basics before you foil if you feel the need to do so.
.

cmwr · 12-01-2013, 08:17 AM

I cook around 250 for 6 hours or so. I dry rub with a texas rub 24 hours prior. I also cook up my homemade sauce and refrigerate it the same night. 1 1/2-2 hours before the ribs are done I ladle my sauce all over them and put the lid back on. This is done with direct heat and no foil. Ribs naked on the rack.

The last ribs I did I tried to remove the membrane from the backside. I didn't have much luck so I said screw it lol.

16Adams · 12-01-2013, 08:25 AM

Prep ribs-remove skin from bone side and season

Hang baby backs 3:45 minutes in Pit Barrel Cooker

Remove ribs apply layer of Stubbs Sweet & Spicey

Re-hang ribs for 30 minutes

Remove let rest for 15-30 minutes

Enjoy

If you don't have a Pit Barrel Cooker or an Ugly Drum Smoker.
Buy or make a barrel cooker. The sooner you do the sooner you will enjoy "the best you've ever made" ribs.

Sauce step is optional.
YouTube has videos on easy membrane removal
Cooking Ribs, like golf, is an individual sport. Just because a method is different it doesn't make it wrong. Find your game. You've got it, or you wouldn't be on this website.

cmwr · 12-01-2013, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 16Adams

Prep ribs-remove skin from bone side and season

Hang baby backs 3:45 minutes in Pit Barrel Cooker

Remove ribs apply layer of Stubbs Sweet & Spicey

Re-hang ribs for 30 minutes

Remove let rest for 15-30 minutes

Enjoy

If you don't have a Pit Barrel Cooker or an Ugly Drum Smoker.
Buy or make a barrel cooker. The sooner you do the sooner you will enjoy "the best you've ever made" ribs.

Sauce step is optional.
YouTube has videos on easy membrane removal

I tried to cut and remove the membrane last batch I did with pliers and a sharp knife. It wasn't as easy as it looked like it would be. I never accomplished it. The membrane didn't just peel off like catfish skin like I had hoped. It peeled off in little strings leaving 99.9% behind. I just couldn't get it done. Since I had never removed it before, I decided it wasn't worth it so I gave up. I wish I could have got it done though just to try it.

Diesel Dave · 12-01-2013, 08:35 AM

I agree with the slower indirect cook.

Add salt, pepper and whatever if you want.
Remove the membrane from the back/bone side, simple to do. Just take a paring knife and get it under the skin on a bone and then get your finger under it and pull it off.

Get your pit/grill upto temp 250/275 and put them on indirect. Not over the heat.
as was said give em 5 +/- hours and you're good to go.
the bend test will tell you wheb they're done.

Also keep your top vents open and control heat/smoke from the bottom/intake vent.
Good luck

16Adams · 12-01-2013, 08:39 AM

Dull butter knife and paper towel. You can remove membrane safely and easily from three racks of ribs in under one minute. Again-check YouTube.

Or don't remove it. They are your ribs.

Some don't. Enjoy

cmwr · 12-01-2013, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 16Adams

Dull butter knife and paper towel. You can remove membrane safely and easily from three racks of ribs in under one minute. Again-check YouTube.

Or don't remove it. They are your ribs.

Some don't. Enjoy

Sorry I didn't see your last sentence about you tube. I actually did watch you tube videos before I tried it last time. I will research it more.

dport7 · 12-01-2013, 08:42 AM

10 posts, 10 different ways and all very good. I've done them every way possible and still have good cooks and bad.
Take these guys advise, then as time goes on, you'll add your own twist and share it with us.
Just my thought.

Bludawg · 12-01-2013, 09:24 AM

This is the best way IMO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbBFZstQRUY

Fwismoker · 12-01-2013, 09:31 AM

Just experiment...i started out as a 3-2-1 and now i'm a olive oil, rub and go nekkid for 3-4 hours until they're tooth pick tender.

12-01-2013, 07:15 AM	#1
LowSlowBo Is lookin for wood to cook with. Join Date: 11-11-13 Location: Greensboro, NC	Ribs - how to smoke them? There's so many ways on the net it's hard to decide on a method. Low and slow, hot and fast, 2-2-1, 3-2-1, sauce, no sauce, wrap, don't wrap....I just want to smoke and enjoy some ribs! Any advice for a newb is appreciated.

12-01-2013, 07:24 AM	#2
Jason TQ somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 01-10-11 Location: Lawrenceville, GA	Try it the simple way of just putting them on the smoker and cooking till done using the bend test. Depending on temp will obviously determine your time. Go 250'ish and they should take around 5hrs give or take. Then try foil after that and see what flavors and cooking technique you like more. Half the fun is trying different stuff . __________________ -Jason I didn't choose D-Canoe life..........

12-01-2013, 07:25 AM	#3
Big George's BBQ somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 02-07-08 Location: Framingham, MA Name/Nickname : George	What are you doing Spares or baby backs I like baby backs at 235 for 2 hrs, then wrapped with honey and brown sugar for an hour then unwrapped for an hour __________________ Large BIG Green EGG- Hatched 8/17/09 Backwoods Extented Party- sold Weber Genesis Gasser Mid Atlantic BBQ Association KCBS Back Porch BBQ Competition BBQ Team Proud Member of the Zero Club When all else fails ask yourself WWGALD

12-01-2013, 07:37 AM	#4
dwfisk Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 08-01-12 Location: Fairfield, Florida Name/Nickname : Dave	I suggest starting simple, just an indirect cook and low temps (225-250) with a good simple rub (just S&P with a dash of paprika and/or garlic is pretty dang good). Cook time will vary with style of ribs (baby back, spares or St Louis cut), but plan on 5 hours plus or minus 2 hours. Just cook them until they pass the bend test, no sauce or glaze (let folks add what they want at the table). If you are worried about them drying out spritz or mop with a little apple juice. Once you get this down you can start playing with stuff like foil or BP, sauces, glazes, more complex rubs, etc. I found Paul Kirk's Championship Barbecue a useful tool, it has some helpful time and temp tables and a pretty good narrative on cooking technique. Good luck. __________________ I'm Dave Got a bunch of cooking toys and a custom metal fabrication shop where I spend my time building all sorts of smokers & outdoor cooking gear.

12-01-2013, 07:44 AM	#5
hokiebob Found some matches. Join Date: 11-18-13 Location: Mechanicsville, Va	I tried the 2-2-1 method and concurrently, I just left a rack uncovered the entire time (indirect), but did squirt w/some apple juice every now and then. When done, both were the same, at least to me, so I won't fool w/the foil again. __________________ Primo XL, Weber Genesis, old barrel smoker

12-01-2013, 08:17 AM	#7
cmwr is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 09-17-12 Location: Villisca Iowa	I cook around 250 for 6 hours or so. I dry rub with a texas rub 24 hours prior. I also cook up my homemade sauce and refrigerate it the same night. 1 1/2-2 hours before the ribs are done I ladle my sauce all over them and put the lid back on. This is done with direct heat and no foil. Ribs naked on the rack. The last ribs I did I tried to remove the membrane from the backside. I didn't have much luck so I said screw it lol.

12-01-2013, 08:25 AM	#8
16Adams somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 01-16-13 Location: USA	Prep ribs-remove skin from bone side and season Hang baby backs 3:45 minutes in Pit Barrel Cooker Remove ribs apply layer of Stubbs Sweet & Spicey Re-hang ribs for 30 minutes Remove let rest for 15-30 minutes Enjoy If you don't have a Pit Barrel Cooker or an Ugly Drum Smoker. Buy or make a barrel cooker. The sooner you do the sooner you will enjoy "the best you've ever made" ribs. Sauce step is optional. YouTube has videos on easy membrane removal Cooking Ribs, like golf, is an individual sport. Just because a method is different it doesn't make it wrong. Find your game. You've got it, or you wouldn't be on this website. __________________ Tiernan SOB34, Primo Oval XL, Oklahoma Joe's Bronco, Oklahoma Joe's Highland, Pit Boss Austin XL, Pit Boss Table Top

12-01-2013, 08:35 AM	#10
Diesel Dave Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 08-23-13 Location: In the woods	I agree with the slower indirect cook. Add salt, pepper and whatever if you want. Remove the membrane from the back/bone side, simple to do. Just take a paring knife and get it under the skin on a bone and then get your finger under it and pull it off. Get your pit/grill upto temp 250/275 and put them on indirect. Not over the heat. as was said give em 5 +/- hours and you're good to go. the bend test will tell you wheb they're done. Also keep your top vents open and control heat/smoke from the bottom/intake vent. Good luck __________________ [B][COLOR=Blue]Help us raise funds to feed our Veterans and Homeless [/COLOR][/B][COLOR=Blue][COLOR=Black][URL="https://www.gofundme.com/2s8fv5qs"][B][COLOR=Red]HERE[/COLOR][/B][/URL][/COLOR][/COLOR] Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring ― Marilyn Monroe

12-01-2013, 08:39 AM	#11
16Adams somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 01-16-13 Location: USA	Dull butter knife and paper towel. You can remove membrane safely and easily from three racks of ribs in under one minute. Again-check YouTube. Or don't remove it. They are your ribs. Some don't. Enjoy __________________ Tiernan SOB34, Primo Oval XL, Oklahoma Joe's Bronco, Oklahoma Joe's Highland, Pit Boss Austin XL, Pit Boss Table Top

12-01-2013, 08:42 AM	#13
dport7 is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 10-08-13 Location: North East Georgia.	10 posts, 10 different ways and all very good. I've done them every way possible and still have good cooks and bad. Take these guys advise, then as time goes on, you'll add your own twist and share it with us. Just my thought. __________________ If it turns out good, eat it, if it turns out bad, eat it anyway! Finish Strong!

12-01-2013, 09:24 AM	#14
Bludawg somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 07-04-09 Location: Jonesboro,Tx	This is the best way IMO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbBFZstQRUY __________________ I'm a Proxy Vegetarian> Cows eat grass & I eat cows.

12-01-2013, 09:31 AM	#15
Fwismoker somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 08-22-13 Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana	Just experiment...i started out as a 3-2-1 and now i'm a olive oil, rub and go nekkid for 3-4 hours until they're tooth pick tender. __________________ Change the way you rotisserie for the BETTER![COLOR="Red"][B]Cajun Bandit Kits for your WSM or Weber Kettle Now Available![/B][/COLOR] Visit [COLOR="Red"]OctoForks[/COLOR] in Sales & Ventures Website & Blog: [url]www.octoforks.com[/url]