first go at ribs....

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dubmike

Newbie
Original poster
Dec 23, 2009
27
10
orchard park, ny
so i had my first go at ribs on my brinkman smoke n' grill, this was my first time using the smoker also. i will say they did not come out like i wanted. not entirely terrible, just too tuff. im not sure if i oversmoked them or if during the smoking process i should have put something on them to keep them moist.

i used sugar and silver maple wood, it took a while for me to be able to keep a steady heat of 175 to 200, but from what ive been reading on here is that the temp. gauges that come with them arent usually to precise. so i used a good rub and smoked them for about 5 hrs then put some bbq sauce on during the last few hrs, i smoked them aroung 6 or so hrs. i used wood throughout the whole smoking process, would that have caused them to become tuff?

i signed up for the Smoking Basics eCourse, and i guess im going to go from there and keep reading all the posts on here.

ive been going through this site for a few hrs now, tons of great information. thanks for the help!

peace
mike
 
My guess is that they remained tough because you didn't foil them.
Not that you HAVE to foil to achieve tender ribs but it makes it a lot easier.
Using wood the entire time wouldn't have caused them to remain tough.

Did some spares for dinner since I had a pastrami going last night.
Gave them the 3-2-1.
3 hours in the smoker, wrapped in foil with a little spritz liquid and back into the smoker for 2 more hours then remove from the foil and place back into the smoker for 1 more hour or less, best way to judge is by pull back 1/4" -1/2" or you can grab 2 of the bones, pull them apart and if the meat begins to tear easily they are done.
Also if you didn't remove the membrane from the bottom of the ribs that would give them a toughness as well.
 
Yeah just do what Jim told you and you should be just fine. So happy smoking and enjoy.
 
Which type of ribs? Baby Backs, Spares or Beef??

175 to 200º is a little low for a cooking temp. More like 225 to 250º for ribs. Plus the 3-2-1 method that has been mentioned. Make up a spritz of apple juice and apple cider vinegar and you can give them a spritz ever 1/2 hour or so.
 
i did one spare and one baby back. i'll keep that temp. in mind next time i smoke which im sure will not be far away. im planning on doing something tasty for new years, so ill need to test a few more things before then. i really dont want to make my friends guinea pigs.

i definately cant wait to do something else on there.

does anyone think that i may be able to wrap the ribs in foil now and throw em in the oven on low heat for a little while how they are now? they arent unedible but i'd like to see if there was something i could do to make the left overs more tasty.

thanks for all the input!!!
 
Might be able to steam/braise some moisture into them.
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Remember with BB, you don't need as much time as with spares. More like a 3-1-1/2 is what I do for mine.
 
What he said.
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That is most likely why yours were tough. They weren't cooked long enough.

Try 'em again closer to 250°, with 3-2-1 or 2-2-1 depending on spares or babybacks and you'll be good to go.
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Dave
 
They dont need to stay tough, You can put them in a chaffing dish make sure theres water in the bottom and light the sterno.
Brush a thin layeR of barbecue sauce on the bottom and maybe a bit of Red Hot, place the ribs inside brush with barbecue, each piece, steam in the chaffing dish all day, they will fall off the bone.

I used to grill mine then place in the chaffing dish for about 8 hours before the company arrived and they were honestly awesome!
 
I agree with the guys, that your temperature was probably not high enough.

I was going to mention the digital thermometer but SQWIB beat me to it. Get the remote probe so you don't have to open the smoker to see what is going on. Run the probe through a piece of foil or some guys use a potatoe to keep the tip from touching the metal grate.

This is a thread about how useless the thermometers that come with most smokers are:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=85679

If they weighed a few more pounds, they might make a good boat anchor. Actually, there is usually nothing wrong with the thermometer, it just isn't at the grate, so you have no idea what your actual temperature is at the meat. That's a key variable you need to control. See the pictures in the above thread for examples.

I also put a probe in the meat. Probably not going to work for BB's, but works OK for full racks like I cook. Pull at 170-172 and let rest.

I am with you, I love experiemnts, but not when company's coming for dinner. If I am doing something new, or even something I've done a lot, but am using different equipment, I always make a trial run. This way I get some left overs because there usually aren't many when company comes!!!

Good luck. Don't get discouraged, these guys can get you through anything!
 
thanks alot for all the great info, such a helpful bunch,
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and i do have one of them digital thermometors and i will definately put that to use for the next smoke session.
 
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