Help !

[smokeysmoke]

Hello all,

I am new to smoking. I smoked my first rack of ribs yesterday. I have a small offset barrel smoker. First off I had problems maintaining a constant temperature. I think that will come with practice. I smoked my ribs for about 5.5 hours. I spritzed them every hour with a Apple Cider / Water mixture. I used a homemade rub that I found on the internet. I did not cover the meat entirely though. I did rub it into the meat though.

The Ribs came out done for sure. They had that distinctive pink ring. But, the outside skin was like shoe leather. Could this have been caused by the inconsistent temp? Or is there something else I should be doing that I am not.

Thanks for anyones help.

Mike in St Clair Shores Michigan

 

[congosmoker]

All in all it sounds like it was a good smoke. Did you remove the membrane from the ribs?

 

[ron50]

Sounds like the bark on the ribs. If it was too thick and chewy it could have been from too high a temperature like you mentioned or too much sugar in the rub which can give your ribs more of a black color.

Practice practice practice and it's fun to eat the efforts along the way.

Leaving the membrane on shouldn't make that the outside like leather.

 

[richtee]

First off...GO WINGS! Now... when did you foil them? It's an easy way to go about learning to do ribs. Look up the 3-2-1 method on the left side of the main page. Eventually...you'll be able to handle them without foil, as some do. I still use foil for spares.

And "rub" is a misnomer. You don't actually rub them... sprinkle and at most pat it on. And cover the surface entirely.

Probably not the temps, unless they were too high. What was the grate temp on average? With ribs, you wanna keep it lower than 250 for sure...many do them like around 215°, me included.

 

[travcoman45]

Did ya do the 3-2-1 method or did yall just run em naked the whole time? Ifin yall didn't foil em fer bout 2 hours, that could be the cause of em bein a bit toothy. Nothin wrong with it ifin thats what yall was shootin fer. If ya like em real tender, then smoke fer 3 hours at 225* - 250* then rap in foil with some juice, apple/water will work, then cook fer another 2 hours then unwrap and back on the smoker ta dry them a bit and give ya some nice color. Glaze or sauce and yall got some fine eatin ribs.

After there finished, I like ta put mine in a roaster pan and cover to rest fer a bit. I use a honey/butter glaze, inta the roaster and bout an hour later, add just a bit a sauce with a squirt bottle. Try it yall like it.

 

[smokeysmoke]

First GO WINGS !!!! Thanks for all for you responses. I will try the foil thing for sure next time. And I will just pat the rub in also. I will keep yall posted on my next smoke.

I do have one other question. I have read that some us a Charcoal and wood mix for their smoke. Thoughts?

Mike

 

[richtee]

Hmm you mean you are using only wood?!? Chances are you do not have the firebox capability to do that...well..easily anyway.

 

[seboke]

3-2-1 is the way to go! Might invest in Jeff's rub too. I finally did and smacked myself for waiting as long as I did!

http://www.wyntk.us/food/3-2-1-rib-method.shtml

 

[jverdin]

I think most of us use wood chunks and charcoal... I use a coffee can and about 2 chunks per chimney of charcoal.

Other times I will take my cherry splits and cut them to 8" long by 4" width and hiegth.