The Results of my 1st Q

[itschris]

First, I want to thank everyone for the comments and advice they gave along the way on my original post (Gentlement... my first Q is on) I put up pics of how things went along the way.

The results were okay... probably better than I expected, but not what I hoped for. I'd say the baby backs equaled my 2nd best effort I ever created on the gasser... so I guess that encouraging for my first attmpt.

The flavor was fantastic... but they were just too tough. I can't tell if they overdone, not done enough, the temp was too high or what. I put a few of the half slabs back on just to see what happens. I tried to take an up close pic but my camera blows. The meat was white-ish.. you definately see the smoke line however. They didn't pull easily aprart. You sorda had to tear them apart. I'm going to take some temp readings... perhaps my door thermometer is way off and they were just too hot for too long... I don't know. It's a bit discouraging since I was able to keep smoker at 225 pretty much all afternoon. I followed the 3-2-1 closely... I'm thinking it's gotta be temprature.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Did you add any apple (or other fruit) juice when you foiled?
I usually do ribs @ 235 if doing the 3-2-1 method. Did the ribs (on the ends) pull back exposing the bone? By about 3/8"?

on edit: it doesn't look like the meat pulled back from the bone. You might want to check the temp at actual grate level, and adjust from there.

 

[itschris]

Oddly enough, I just check the temp using my little Polder probe. Laying the metal probe accross the grate in the middle of the smoker read within 2 - 3 degrees of what door gauge was reading (203 or so) I rigged the probe so it was vertical and the tip was about 5 inches maybe 6 off the grate... the temp was 236 - much different from the probe reading and the door thermom.

 

[Norcoredneck]

Have to use potato cut in half. stick probe through potato to hold. Also grocerie stores have inexpensive oven rack thermometers. You should do a biscuit test (do search). Don't remember if you said you foiled or not.

 

[Mooner]

You need to make sure you keep them foiled until their tender. The 3-2-1 method is an ok guide but foil is what cooks those ribs, they will not be tender until their tender so after 2 hours in foil just unwrpa and check them. If their not done keep on cookin.

 

[Pig Headed]

You said that you used the 3-2-1 method and you cooked babybacks. They usually cook them about hour less than spares or around 5 hours. Maybe 2.5-1-1.5 or thereabouts.

 

[itschris]

Maybe I just didn't foil long enough ... maybe didn't spray enough in the foil and/or kept them on too long... 6hrs total. Well, I took good notes... so I'll try it again next weekend.

 

[SloppyQ]

Something went haywire for you, 6 hrs at 225 should have done the job. Next time try the toothpic test, when it slides in without resistance the ribs are done.

 

[DaChief]

I agree...something funny as 6 hours for BB's should have been more than sufficient.

 

[Smokin Gator]

Chris,

I am NOT being personal here... just giving some feedback as I see it...

The BBs look overdone. Use the 3-2-1 guideline with spares but NOT BBs. They cook much quicker. As a guidleline 2-1.5-1 should be about right. Now that being said.... throw it out the window.

If you want fall off the bone ribs (that is what I want with BBs) cook them until the color and bark look about like you want. THEN foil them... that is when you will be getting the "steam effect" that will give you the tenderness. Check them in about an hour for tenderness. Once you have done it a few times you will be able to tell by picking them up and seeing how they bend. Do this even when you don't know what you are looking for so you can develop that "feel."

For know try pulling a bone on the end. If it feels like it would pull off with a bit of effort unwrap the ribs but leave them in the foil. Your bark will have gotten a little mushy while they were wrapped. This time unfoiled will help it set back up. Check the bone again in about .5 an hour. They will probably need a little more time and now start checking them every 15 minutes. Shouldn't be too many checks before they are perfect.

Also, I don't know that cooker... but I only trust temps measured at the cooking grate level. I use the probe/thermometer through the potato trick and it has always worked well for me. Give that a try...

Great job on taking notes and best of luck on the next cook!!!

 

[itschris]

I think I discovered the problem. This is the kinda stuff I lose sleep over. I spend a solid hour mapping temps in the chamber. Maybe it's just a coincidence but the door thermometer is almost dead accurate to the grate level temp. Maybe it's calibrated that way, maybe it's just wrong the right way.

About six inches above the grate, the temp is about 30 degrees hotter. I had my ribs in racks which stood them up about an 1.5 inches or more off the grate and put them in a much hotter zone since they were standing up as opposed to laying flat... so instead of smoking at 225 like I thought, they were actually over 250 due to how they were positioned.

So next time, it's either flat on the grate or in the racks with a temp reading of 190 or so on the door. We'll see how that works.

On the positive side... I'm able to control the temp pretty well, I had practically no fluctuations over the 6 hrs that weren't easily controlled. I put 9x9 pan filled to the brim with apple juice and Captain Morgans right where the firebox attaches. I'm assuming that helped.

Again I want to say thanks for all the help. Don't worry about being critical either... blunt and candid works good for me. We'll see what happens next time.