I Barney'd my pork ribs...Please help!

[N2OGuy]

Well First off Im smokin witha Modded Bandera. I made a small grate for my coal bed which is on the lowest shelf. The smoke box port has a extension so the smoke will move throughout the whole area of the box.
I installed a big temp guage called a pro temp that was bought at home depot in the stock hole in the door . I drilled a second hole mid ways down from that hole and installed another temp guage so I could see the temp difference between the top and bottom of the box. So about my meat It was a packaged style of tender cut Hormel spare ribs. I used the Pork rub recipe in the recipes section. I then let set covered while I got my Dera goin. I used one chimney stack of kingsford unlit in the box and another of lit and burned off charcoal. I also used chunk mesquite to add to maintain my temps. I let the box temp come up to 250 and got it maintaining 230-245 on the top temp guage/ lower was 300 ish.
I have the water tray filled with 50/50 water/apple juice and its now warm as well. I put my racks of ribs in the middle racks of the box and began cooking. I left them on for 4 1/2 hours and maintained 230-260 the entire time. Pulled them off and parts were realy good and others were tough as heck. It wasnt dry just tough. Actually juice was running out of them when I cut the slabs up. Could it have been my meat choice or my cooking technique? Please help guys. Im new here but have really enjoyed reading all your post and seeing how good the smoker I chose can be in a seasoned veterans hands .

 

[jminion]

They needed to cook longer, run a tooth pick in the meat between the bones, if feels like it's going through warm butter, there done. If you get resistance then they need more time in the cooker.

 

[Bill-Chicago]

First, I'm no veteran, but I'll give my .02

By modded dera, I hope you have a full fire grate mod, meaning, you have expanded steel in there covering the full 16x30 firebox.

Second comment, Oven thermometers. Your only taking temperatures up the wall of the door. I buy there $5 oven therms (3 or more) and place them different levels, front and back.

Next, water pan should (IMO) be water only. Take the apple juice, put it in a sprayer, and mix with cheap bourbon. Every 30 minutes, quick open the door, and spray down the ribs. I time this to when I add wood, so that I quickly get back to temps.

3rd, I like 210-230. Your temps sound high (for me!) but might work for you.

4th, no wrapping? For me, (and plenty will differ) as soon as the meat pulls back a bit from the bone, I wrap in foil (spraying Alot in the foil first) and returning to 220 for 2 or 3 hours. I then remove them, and throw in a cooler for 2 hours.

5th, did you St. Louis the spares? I need to because I gotta get rid of the knuckles for my kids.

So, IMO, you might have had some high temps, but you need to know the temps in the entire smoke box. If the firebox mod was done, then the baffle mod is next to help even out temps. Spray Spray SPray, wrap and spray, and WAIT while the cooler does its magic.

This will not produce competition ribs. It will produce the ribs that the bones just fall out of.

Welcome

I nearly PM'ed you a welcome, but you signed off after posting this!!

 

[kcquer]

N20 Guy, First off Welcome! Stop by Cattle Call and let us know a bit about ya.

About your ribs, check near the top of the Q-Talk forum index, there is a thread called "Roadmap". It has links to thread that describe basic techniques for most common Q item. You'll find a thread on the "3-2-1" method for ribs. Use this and you'll get really good ribs and you can tweak to suit your personal tastes from there.
Make sure you test your door therms in boiling water before you take too much stock in their readings. Even good ones can be off. Some can be adjusted, look for a hex nut at the base of the gage. If yours can't be adjusted, determine the error and set what is actually 225 (or target temp of your choice) at the 12 oclock position.

Welcome Again!

 

[BigBelly]

There is a ton of great advice here in this thread. Like KC said, please stop by the Cattle Call and introduce yourself.

Welcome aboard.

 

[parrothead]

Definately lower temps. I shoot for 200-225.

 

[Solidkick]

Spray them Ribs! I like to use 50% apple juice and 50% beer.

Waterpan--I have used apple juice and water combo, it doesn't really hurt anything, but more or less a waste of apple juice. If you want aroma, cut up some apples or pears and throw in the waterpan.

 

[tommykendall]

Spray them Ribs! I like to use 50% apple juice and 50% beer

Waste of beer. Try using something else

 

[BigBelly]

I cut my apple juice with Worcestershire sauce. Preferably the white wine Lee & Perrins brand.

 

[jeffsasmokin]

I cut my apple juice with Worcestershire sauce. Preferably the white wine Lee & Perrins brand.

Ooh, that sounds good! I'll have to try some of that in my basting sauce.

 

[Solidkick]

Spray them Ribs! I like to use 50% apple juice and 50% beer

Waste of beer. Try using something else

I didn't say I used the whole beer TK, where'd you think the other 50% went? LOL

 

[tommykendall]

I didn't say I used the whole beer TK, where'd you think the other 50% went? LOL

You had me worried that we have a sick brother. Good to hear you're ok

 

[Wayne]

I think you cooked them too hot. 3.5 to 4 hours at 220 to 225 should do for spare ribs. With thick or untrimmed ribs you can go up to 250. Another thing is to get ribs in a primal pack (cryovac). BBQ is all about making cheap meat taste great. If it is done right then buying expensive meat is just a waste of money that could be spent on more wood, a bigger pit, or steaks to grill. The 3-2-1 method works pretty good because it lets the ribs steam a while in the foil and that breaks down the collagen that makes the meat tough. However if you cook the meat too hot, fast, and dry then you will cook the collagen before it breaks down and that means tough, and with ribs there is no cure other than boning and grinding it into meat salad (my cure for all bad 'Q). Also you can rub the ribs on the meat side or both sides if you peal the membrane and that will give it good flavor. If you want to baste or spray it then you only need to do it the last 30 minutes or so. I think that any more is a waste of spray. However, basting early and often will make you look busy at the pit and less likely to be asked to do any honey-do's while the ribs cook. I also use to try all kinds of things in the water pan and have come to the conclusion that nothing you add really finds its way into the meat. So all I use is water. And finally, my last bit of advise is to never cook ribs alone. My family loves my smoked sausage stuffed pork loin so that is what I usually fix with ribs. That way you will always have good meat to eat while you are learning and experimenting with ribs. That way the family will always be glad to see you at the pit.

 

[BigAl]

Yep ,use the 3-2-1 method, u'll be all smiles.

 

[417bullelk]

As a newbie, I can say that the 3-2-1 method works wonders for cheap ribs. The last ones I did came out great, but I still think I can do better. I would have to say your temps are a bit too high, the LOW and slow thing really works well for ribs. Another BIG thing for me is wrapping. I have now tried both ways and my wrapped ribs came out MUCH better. It tends to lessen the darkening of the meat and gives them a great color. Then that last hour..baste 'em up and let them sit. The sauce just bakes on and makes that gooey stuff that makes BBQ t-shirt staining great. My last ribs were pink to the bone and FULL of flavor. It makes it all worth it when my 6 year-old says "Daddy..you make the best dinners..."

 

[Neil]

"Daddy..you make the best dinners..."

Kind of says it all, doesn't it? Yesterday I think I made the best spare ribs I've ever done. Put them on the 'dera at 11:30 along with a fatty and some polish sausage. Sprayed with apple cider whenever I needed to add wood in the fire box. Wrapped at 5:00 for one hour then one more hour to ensure good bark. Meat pulled clean off the bone with a slight tug with the teeth. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm spare rib Nirvana achieved.

 

[jeffsasmokin]

"Daddy..you make the best dinners..."

Kind of says it all, doesn't it?

Yes, It does!!!

 

[N2OGuy]

Wow thanks for all the help guys! I had a feeling this was a great site and the response I got was awsome thanks. Im on my days off again so back to the pit to give her another go. I will Impliment my new wealth of info and post back with what I get .Thanks again.

 

[Neil]

Yep ,use the 3-2-1 method, u'll be all smiles.

3-2-1 is great for babybacks but if you're doing spare ribs you need to go more like 6-1-1.

 

[tommykendall]

3-2-1 is great for babybacks but if you're doing spare ribs you need to go more like 6-1-1

Maybe at a 200 degree pit temp, or maybe this is very dependent on your climate and altitude. In the 225-240 range, I find BB's generally go for 2-2-1, spares 3-2-1.