farked up $15 worth of spares

[david]

rubbed my spares, and put them in the bandera. Sprayed with picklejuice mod, and kept the temp generally between 230 and 260.

a bit of meat was recovered, but it wasn't very moist, and mostly nasty black "crust".

Not a good rib outing at all.

At least the bratwurst was good.

 

[chad]

With that result you sure those temps weren't Celcius??

Sorry about a bad bout of 'q -- that sucks!!

 

[Bill-Chicago]

what was your rub? Lots of sugar that burned?

 

[david]

nope, it was the wild willy's from smoke and spice. Never had a problem like this before with that rub. I didn't even pulled back from the put it on that heavy. I think the problem may have been that they were too damn lean. After 5 hours there was almost no shrinkage where they bone at all.

I think I may have just been due for an burnt offering to the q-gods. I'm going back to brisket and ABTs. Those have never failed me.

 

[BBQchef33]

Not that it would cause the bad batch.. but curious.. are you spraying with straight pickle juice or cutting it with something??? I use it in place of vinegar, in small amounts...mixed with apple juice or something.. ..but never used it straight up.

 

[david]

Not that it would cause the bad batch.. but curious.. are you spraying with straight pickle juice or cutting it with something??? I use it in place of vinegar, in small amounts...mixed with apple juice or something.. ..but never used it straight up.

Yeah, I was just being funny there. I mixed a bit of pickle juice into some jd and apple cider.

I think I probably just got a very lean batch of spares.

 

[BBQchef33]

oh.. ok.. thats my cut.. 40% bourbon, 40-50% apple juice and 10-20% vinegar.

 

[gpavloff]

5 hours at 260 degrees seems like alot of heat on those dudes. Sounds like too much heat for too long to me.
Pav

 

[smokeemifyougotem]

they should have been ok - where were the ribs placed in the smoke chamber?

 

[BBQchef33]

260 may be on the hot side(I like 230-240), but hes talking spares, not babybacks, so 5 hours aint that long. I go 6-7 at 220-240 for spares.

 

[Bill-Chicago]

Do you wrap your spares 3-2-1 style (or 3-4 or whatever your preference)

I need to assume that it was a combo of higher heat, and no wrapping to retain moisture.

 

[david]

There was almost no shrinkage along the bone at all, so I am going with the extra-lean batch of ribs theory.

260 was the high end. They were mostly around 230-240 And I've never needed to wrap my ribs before, but as lean as they were maybe this batch needed that.

 

[chathorne]

i did some last night left the damn membrane on never again will i do that!!!!

 

[tommykendall]

There was almost no shrinkage along the bone at all, so I am going with the extra-lean batch of ribs theory.

260 was the high end. They were mostly around 230-240 And I've never needed to wrap my ribs before, but as lean as they were maybe this batch needed that.

I'm not familiar with the tools you're using but wonder about the accuracy of the temperature reading, perhaps cooking at much lower temps? Until Bash 1, ribs were my weakpoint. Since Bash 1, I cook them frequently and cannot seem to get enough of them. I cook them in the 220-240 range using the 3-2-1 method and haven't experienced what you're describing. I had to go 3.5-2-1 a couple times only because I lost temperature.

 

[in2que]

I cook them in the 220-240 range using the 3-2-1 method and haven't experienced what you're describing. I had to go 3.5-2-1 a couple times only because I lost temperature.

WTF is 3-2-1? I HAVE to spend more time here!

 

[Bill-Chicago]

3 hours in the smoke, 2 hours wrapped in foil, and 1 hour unwrapped and mopping with sauce.

If not mopping, you'll see the 3-3 method (dont unwrap)

Baby backs can be more of a 2-2-1 method, cuz you dont want them drying out.

While cooking in smoke first, frequently spray. After 2 hours for bb's or 3 for spares (or when the meat starts to pull back from the bone) wrap in foil. When I wrap, I will spray more into the foil to keep it moist, then wrap. Return to smoke for 2 hours (3 if not mopping) then unwrap for an hour and mop.

We have not used sauce lately, during the smoke, but use Dreamland to dip them in. need to use a fork though, cuz you pick up the bone and the meat falls off

 

[in2que]

Thanks Bill, I will try it this weekend. Doing bb and St Louis style spareribs. Do you have to rotate the ribs (or anything else for that matter) in the Bandera to get even cooking? I have to turn the cooking racks around. Is that normal?

 

[Oldtimer]

Mark,

Have you seen habanero jelly around here anywhere ?

Brian

 

[Bill-Chicago]

I in essence do, cuz when I wrap them, I try to remember which way they were in, then put them in the opposite way.

With bbs, I put the thicker end on the heat vent side, just to make sure I don't dry out the thinner end.

look at my last bash pic and you'll see I put one rack one way, and one rack the next to mix them up. X's one shelf height apart.

 

[tommykendall]

3 hours in the smoke, 2 hours wrapped in foil, and 1 hour unwrapped and mopping with sauce

HMMM - I mop just before wrapping in foil, and I thought the last hour was the "cooler trick". Guess whatever works.