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View Full Version : First smoke on the Weber Jumbo Joe Premium didn't go as well as I had thought...


dbhost
06-26-2018, 09:16 AM
So I thought the ribs were done. I heated them back up for dinner last night, and alas.... not all was well in BBQville... I have never done them fully in a weber. I have always done them for an hour indirect in my Smokey Joe Silver, and finished them off in the oven for a long slow cook total time of about 4 hours...

Sunday's time in the weber was about 2.5 hours, and the ribs LOOKED right... Meat pulled back about 1/4" or so off the ends of the bones...

But it was tough, and chewy...

A couple of issues I had noted about the cook where I think I messed up.

#1. The aforementioned issue with time. I was judging by physical appearance of the ribs, and they looked right, but time just wasn't there to have a full succesful cook on them.
#2. Temp control. I had some difficulty keeping the temp where I wanted it. According to the Weber web site the temp should stay between 250 deg F and 350 deg F. I do NOT want it at 350. I want it closer to 250. I struggled to find the venting position that would keep my temps under 300. I am using a meat probe thermoeter through the lid vents which probably isn't best...

Some solutions to the issues.

#1. My 2" Analog thermometer arrived yesterday and will be installed in the lid this week. I am planning on putting it just outside of the hook, so that it is as close as physically possible to the grate. This will allow me to better monitor temps inside the grill.
#2. I need to back off of the nuts for the just slightly on the vent shutters. Once the kettle heated up the shutters got almost too snug to move, certainly too tight to move exactly where I wanted them to go. I MUCH prefer the riveted construction of the shutters on my Smokey Joe...
#3. Follow the #$%* instructions and modify from there! Time was not my friend on sunday. My wife was rushing me, and like a fool I let her...

The fix for the ribs as cooked...

They are wrapped, have a great smoke ring to them, I am not saucing them so back in the oven at 250 they go, for another 2+ hours to get them good and tender. I tossed in a couple of Tablespoon fulls of apple juice to keep it moist as well...

SmittyJonz
06-26-2018, 11:06 AM
Ribs will take 4-5 hrs at 250*. I like 4 hrs at 275* for St Louis Cuts and 3-3.5 for Baby Backs.
I run them till a bamboo skewer glides effortlessly between the bones......

SmittyJonz
06-26-2018, 11:09 AM
Many will foil the charcoal grate 75-90% of the way to control airflow/ burn, esp when banking to one side.

dbhost
06-26-2018, 02:00 PM
Many will foil the charcoal grate 75-90% of the way to control airflow/ burn, esp when banking to one side.

I had seen that, wasn't sure how well it worked...

stan5677
06-26-2018, 06:23 PM
When I do ribs in my master touch it takes about 5.5 - 7 depending on temp

Happy Hapgood
06-26-2018, 08:03 PM
I'm a bend test guy.

70monte
06-26-2018, 09:12 PM
I also do the bend test to test when they are done. I have never cooked ribs on my kettles so I can't help you there.

dadsr4
06-26-2018, 09:33 PM
I had seen that, wasn't sure how well it worked...
The goal is to force the intake air to travel up through the coals. You can sort of achieve the same thing by putting a large drip pan on the non-coal side.

The Wookiee
06-26-2018, 11:46 PM
I'm a bend test guy.

Totally agree.

SideSt3p
06-27-2018, 12:05 PM
I'm another bend test guy :thumb: I also follow cook temps/times super close to SmittyJonz!

While the temp of the meat will be "done" (IE you won't get food poisoning) if the ribs have only cooked to that temperature the connective tissues within the ribs will NOT have had time to break down and tenderize. Thus leading to chewy and tough meat.

It's really difficult to get into BBQ and be told "oh it's all feel!" but it really is. All I can say is, don't get discouraged and give it another go and see what you can do.

Also, for temp control in a kettle, I highly recommend the Kettle Snake method. I've a visual guy, so here's a good video on it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiGRbyg_zeI

A few notes on this:

I use a cast iron skillet instead of the tin pan. It provides density to the kettle that the heat absorbs into, which helps me maintain a constant temp
Catch the temperature ON THE WAY UP. Leave your top wide open, use bottom vent control to mess with temp


Hopefully some of this is helpful. Keep trying, trust me you're SUPER close to making some awesome ribs!

dadsr4
06-27-2018, 12:49 PM
The bend test doesn't always work for all ribs. SL cut or untrimmed spares are over done when they bend, for me. I use the toothpick in and out easily test. I also catch the temp on the way up. When in doubt, go for a too low temp, it's easier to increase the temp than to lower it.

dadsr4
06-27-2018, 12:51 PM
Ribs will take 4-5 hrs at 250*. I like 4 hrs at 275* for St Louis Cuts and 3-3.5 for Baby Backs.
I run them till a bamboo skewer glides effortlessly between the bones......

These times sound about right to me, too, at around 250 deg.