My very first BBQ: Ribs on my new WSM 22.5" (pr0n inside)

[This is not your pork!]

So I finally did it, and bought my first smoker last week:

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It was accompanied by the Weber Rapidfire Starter Chimney, some Weber Lighter Cubes and a total of 26.46 lbs. of Weber Long Lasting Charcoal Briquettes. I don't have an additional thermometer yet (the Maverick ET-732 and a Thermapen are on my shopping list), so I had to rely on the dome thermometer, that comes with the WSM.

I decided to try Ribs for my first smoke, using the 3-2-1 method. I used a self made rub and BBQ sauce following the recipes of the BBQ Pit Boys, because they look fairly simple, and none of the favorite commercial rubs & sauces are available here. The target smoking temperature was 225°F for the whole 6 hours using the Minion Method, and I actually fill the unfoiled water pan with water (due to the lack of extra wide and extra strong aluminum foil, which I could not find locally and will have to order online). For this cook I used apple wood chunks, which was the only kind I could get here on a short notice (and I still have no clue, where to get some other).

I wanted to do Spare Ribs as my first cook, which is why I got these labeled as "Pork Spare Ribs", but as discussed in this thread, they were more likely Baby Backs or Danish Back Ribs.

I got two packages of these, each has around 2.8 kg (= 6.17 lbs) and consisted of 5 slabs. For this cook I only used one of these packages, since it was my first cook (who knew what all could go wrong) and more than enough for my wife and me + 3 kids. The other package will be 'Q'ed within the next few days.

Preparations in the garden

I filled the charcoal ring with a hole in the middle for the Minion Method, placed four apple wood chunks and started the Rapidfire Chimney with 20 briquettes on two lighter cubes.

My WSM, new & shiny, on a sunny day

I waited till the temperature reached around 225°F and the smoke became thin and blueish for the ribs to put on.

Still there? Lacking the desired Maverick ET-732, I went down to check temp and adjusting the three intakes every half hour.

After three hours I foiled the ribs in apple juice. In the 4th hour I had some troubles maintaining the temperature, which may have been a problem due to uneven fuel use, which I put up for discussion in this thread.

For the 6th hour the ribs were unfoiled and 20 minutes before the end I sauced them. They looked amazing!

Ribs on plate with coleslaw and foil-baked potatoes

Closeup of the finished product

These ribs were SPECTACULAR! I have never experienced such extraordinary taste before. The whole family completely omitted the side dishes, so we ate just the ribs and all of it. They were a little too spicy for the kids, so I'll have to leave the Cayenne Pepper out next time.

This cook was a very interesting experience, and I can't wait for the next opportunity (which hopefully will take place on this weekend, unfortunately it's raining the whole week here).

I am not quite sure on cleaning the WSM after this first cook, as I put up for discussion in this thead.

There was also some uncertainty about the aluminum foil, as posted here, because I'll have to order some online.

Some questions which came up:

- It has been mentioned the 3-2-1 method is not supposed to be optimal, and quite a lot use a modified method with higher temperatures than 225°F for ribs. Does hotter and shorter give any advantage on ribs?

- The finished result was very good, very tender with a good bite. How do you know if ribs are overcooked? Is it the fall of the bone, or can you tell by measuring the internal temperature?

- My wife was wondering, why to put each slab of ribs in its own foil with the juice, instead of putting them all in one casserole with the juice and foil on top. Any explanation for the difference?

Any comments and hints are highly appreciated.

 

[JazzyBadger]

Six hours is usually too long for ribs the way I like them. Typically I end up doing a 2 1 1 instead of a 3 2 1. Generally when I'm foiling my ribs I separate them because I put more rub on them before I wrap the foil, and if they're all together the rub has trouble sticking, and starts to smear. Not to mention the heat distribution.

I generally smoke my ribs at 250, by the by. Sometimes I even let them go up to 275. The hotter it is, the less time it takes to cook them. Generally speaking anyway.

Only thing you'd wanna clean in the WSM are the grill grates, and only the bits of fat/rub/sauce. Dump the ashes out, save whatever coals weren't used in the last cook. Keep the grease and "gunk" on the inside on the walls, as it's much like seasoning on a cast iron pan, and will help plug up any leaks.

As others said in your water pan fiasco thread, either omit the water, as it's simply a heat sink for longer cooks, and ribs aren't really a long cook by any means, or get a ceramic plate, or use sand as a heat sink. It's cleaner by far.

Personally, I just don't use a heat sink. Hell, sometimes I just keep the pan out altogether and make my WSM my commercial UDS.

 

[Cris]

As you are in Europe, the woods you have access to may be different than what we have in North America. Apple is an excellent wood to smoke with. If you have orchards nearby, you can often get the trimmings just for the asking. Most fruit or nut bearing trees are good to smoke with. Stay away from pine or coniferous trees.

 

[Lake Dogs]

Overcooked? It's more a matter of how you like them. Some people like to gnaw the meat from the bones. Others like it where if you life a bone all that comes off the table is the bone because the meat is falling off... I like it slightly more firm than falling off the bone personally, but again that's personal preference.

For loin/baby back ribs (you have a version of them), I smoke at 270+- for 1.5 hours unfoiled, then I'll foil them and cook another 2.5 to 2.75 hours (total time 4 to 4.25 hours). I have the sauce heated on the side, so when I unfoil the ribs I hit them with a little sauce and set them aside. Some put the ribs back on the smoker for a few minutes, but frankly sauce absorbs smoke very quickly...

 

[smokainmuskoka]

Geil!

 

[hamiltont]

Looks like you nailed it to me. If they tasted good for you then you definitely did something right. Each cook is a lesson for the next one, etc. etc. Cheers!!!

 

[Jaskew82]

Looks great to me. Don't stress over a thermapen for ribs - I never monitor meat temp on ribs. I use the bend test and toothpick test. This is all you need to know if the ribs are done. Temp is irrelevant.

If you use water (I do), the clean up is a bit more of a hassle than no water but you don't need to foil the pan with water. I find it a waste of good foil. The pan cleans very easily. Also, just clean up the ash, the water pan and the food grates. No need to deep clean the smoker. You want to build of that "seasoning". Once it starts to flake off (will look like paint peeling) you can use a wadded ball of foil to scrap off the flakey stuff. Then back to smoking as usual.

Try several different techniques for cooking and find what you like. It's more the journey than the destination (imo). I find that 275 is ideal for ribs. I cook them for about 4 hours too with a 2-1-1(ish) method.

Welcome to the addiction that is BBQ. It is a lot of fun and maddening at the same time.

 

[BobM]

Nice cook! :thumb:

 

[This is not your pork!]

As you are in Europe, the woods you have access to may be different than what we have in North America. Apple is an excellent wood to smoke with. If you have orchards nearby, you can often get the trimmings just for the asking. Most fruit or nut bearing trees are good to smoke with. Stay away from pine or coniferous trees.

No orchard nearby, only lots of (unsuitable) woods around. But I'll start a new thread on woods shortly with a picture of my stock on chunks.

I would say that 4 of the 5 slabs of ribs came out just perfect, they were tender, but not fall of the bone. Since I don't know any better, I would rate them 100%. The 5th slab got into trouble, since it went a little dry during the foiled 2 hours, because the foil obviously had a hole and the apple juice ran out. That one was still good, but but had no chance against the other four.

I decided to go for 3-2-1 @ 225°F because I have seen a video on youtube from a guy using it for Spare Ribs on a Country Smoker CS-450, and the result looked exactly the way I wanted it.

I will do the second package of these "Danish Back Ribs" within the next few days exactly the same way, and this time I will try to get hold of a better temperature stabilization. With a little luck, I'll get the ordered Maverick ET-732 till Friday, then I don't have to run down to the garden every half hour any more (but I guess I will do that anyway, just because it is so exciting).

If the weather plays nice, I intend to cook once every weekend from now on, and the next choice of meat would be pork butt for pulled pork sandwiches, which I have never eaten before (although I first have to look if I even can get such a kind of cut here, looks like Austrian butchers do it all completely different).

 

[Pookie]

Looks like you're off to a great start. Well done!

 

[Sgt93]

Looks great. Love the photo narrative as well. Nice!

 

[landarc]

Man, they look great and it sounds like your family really enjoyed them. No reason to change if you are getting a product you love. RIbs are so good smoked, and messing with the recipe to change flavor profiles can lead to some great meals.

 

[caseydog]

Your ribs look good. :thumb:

One tiny tip that will save you a little money -- one of those Weber starter cubes is enough to start a chimney full of charcoal. I think Weber says to use two, but they make twice as much money that way. I never use more than one, and I have the same Weber chimney.

CD

 

[This is not your pork!]

One tiny tip that will save you a little money -- one of those Weber starter cubes is enough to start a chimney full of charcoal. I think Weber says to use two, but they make twice as much money that way. I never use more than one, and I have the same Weber chimney.

Thanks for the hint, I had no intention of buying such lighter cubes, I am just using the ones which were included in the Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter Package (= Rapidfire + 4.42 lbs of charcoal + some lighter cubes), before I try sticking with the paper method.

 

[Big George's BBQ]

They look Great

 

[Jaskew82]

Thanks for the hint, I had no intention of buying such lighter cubes, I am just using the ones which were included in the Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter Package (= Rapidfire + 4.42 lbs of charcoal + some lighter cubes), before I try sticking with the paper method.

The paper method works... but the cubes are so much easier and offer less of a mess.

I started with paper and now LOVE the cubes.

 

[caseydog]

Thanks for the hint, I had no intention of buying such lighter cubes, I am just using the ones which were included in the Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter Package (= Rapidfire + 4.42 lbs of charcoal + some lighter cubes), before I try sticking with the paper method.

I live on a windy prairie, so the paper method sends embers flying.

CD

 

[jpittssr]

I think I would just cook and ENJOY!
You got it right the first time!

 

[R-2BQ]

Just a quick question. I see alot of BBQ pics using brickettes. Is this just a personal preferance or is lump not used as much as I though? I'm very new to this forum and only have a few years of BBQ under my belt.

 

[This is not your pork!]

At first I thought I would use lump, because I had some bad experience using briquettes on my African Cowdung Charcoal Grill (strange taste on the meat) in the past, but as the manual of the WSM states, it is designed for use with briquettes, and since my first cook on the WSM with briquettes worked out just fine, I am going to stick with it. Lump is a little cheaper around here, but as far as I know it does not last that long, so briquettes may be beneficial for longer cooks.