Help with Ribs Please

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Hey Greg,

Sounds like you and I are going to both be smoking ribs on Saturday.  I bought a new 30" MES and a ProQ charcoal smoker the week before July 4.  I used the MES on the 4th to cook an awesome Boston Butt.  Tonight, I'm going to season the ProQ and then smoke in it tomorrow.  I'm going to use our fellow Georgian, Alton Brown's, method converted to the smoker...or I may just go with the 3-2-1 method.  Here is his method with the video straight from his TV show:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/who-loves-ya-baby-back-recipe/index.html
 
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I decided to go with Spare Ribs on Sunday. I'm gonna do the 3-2-1 method but I may tweek it a little. I have watched two videos on "how to trim to a St Luis Cut. Man, I was doing it all wrong..not even close, which is probably why my ribs were so bad because they could not cook evenly. Oh well, I'm new to all this. :-)  I'll let you know if they were edible on Monday. :-)

I got my fingers crossed. I'm smoking two Chickens on Saturday. I was gonna do a Turkey breast but decided to go with chickens instead. In fact, I put them in the Brine this morning before work so I have to wash em and rub em when I get home.
 
Another thing I do, that some people skip, is when I pull the ribs double wrap in foil and put them in a dry cooler lined with old towels, and then pile more old towels on top. I let them rest in the cooler for 1 hr. just to give the juices a little time to work back into the meat around the bone. Plus I usually use that hour to finish up and side dishes and what not. Once I am ready to serve I pull them out, cut them up and everybody digs in and demolishes them... lol.
 
You had trouble with the membrane on the ribs. My son "chef by trade" show me how to remove it. You take spoon and put the handle under the membrane and meat on bone side. You work it around so that you have a corner of the membrane, then take a paper towel and start pulling. It worked great for me, I am 3/3.

Good luck,

Shamong9
 
I am having the same issues.  my first set of ribs were great, my second, third, and fourth not so great.  I have a chargriller w/sfb w/modifications listed on this website except for the tuning plates.  (thats next), (modifications were after the first set of ribs).  Oh and the meat hasnt pulled far from the bone as the first que.  as for details, not to sure that was back in december.

When I first started I didnt know what the 2-2-1 method was.  and iam just now reading it.  would i have to use this method to get fall of the bone ribs?

temp: 200

time: 41/2-5hrs

coal: royal oak/peach wood

Prep: marinated over night, rub, spritz every hr, bbq sauce 1 hr till done and again 30 minutes before done.
 
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....Big snip....So far the best luck with the ribs have been smoking at 225 degrees for a maximum of 3 hours uncovered in a rib rack, place in a steamer pan and foil for 1 hour 40 minutes then uncover and smoke another 40-45 minutes.
I was getting a bit annoyed at how much juice was lost after unfoiling, so I decided to leave the ribs in the pan for the final part of the cook and as you can see from the above photo, there's no loss of juices
I just mix the juices and barbecue sauce as its brushed on the ribs.

The ribs are cut down, brushed real good with BBQ Sauce and served in a steamer pan and will go a good part of the day without drying out.
Interesting....this is pretty much what my times/temp have evolved into, so far, for pork spares.   Never used a pan though....I'm using a WSM 18.5.  And, for the last uncovered 40-45 mins, I just put 'em on the grate.  Gonna' try leaving them in the foil "boats" I use..  I've also been going a little less for the last "1"....more like a half hour....been coming out a little dry....still tweaking my method.

Here's a link to the write up I use (with photos) on how to trim up the ribs:  http://forums.cooking.com/showthread.php?t=7266

I don't throw out much but, certainly the breastbone and cartilage and stuff through the middle.  I smoke the skirt and ends for snacks while I'm waiting for the ribs to get done.

Good luck.
 
I am having the same issues.  my first set of ribs were great, my second, third, and fourth not so great.  I have a chargriller w/sfb w/modifications listed on this website except for the tuning plates.  (thats next), (modifications were after the first set of ribs).  Oh and the meat hasnt pulled far from the bone as the first que.  as for details, not to sure that was back in december.

When I first started I didnt know what the 2-2-1 method was.  and iam just now reading it.  would i have to use this method to get fall of the bone ribs?

temp: 200

time: 41/2-5hrs

coal: royal oak/peach wood

Prep: marinated over night, rub, spritz every hr, bbq sauce 1 hr till done and again 30 minutes before done.
I've used 2-2-1 for baby backs, and 3-2-1 for spares.

Not sure what style ribs you are questioning about.  I assume spares because that's what the original post was questioning.  I say try 3-2-1 with the spares.  Has worked for me.  More like 2.5-3, 2, 20-30 mins....depending on how the smoker temp fluctuates.
 
 
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Smoked two racks of St Louis ribs today.  They turned out great.  Actually, these were the first ribs I've been proud of...finally!  I've never had a problem with Boston Butt, but my ribs have never really been very good.  Today, I had to work out the temp control in the new smoker, but once I got it worked out, it was no problem.   I was able to keep the temp in the 230-250 range with a couple of excursions into the 260s.

I rubbed them last night, wrapped them in foil and refrigerated overnight.  I started them at 1pm and smoked them for 3-hrs.  Then, I wrapped each rack in heavy duty foil and poured in 1 cup of apple juice and put them back on for 40-min.  Then another hour on the grate with no foil.  I used Kingsford Competition briquettes (Minion method) and about 4 hickory chunks that were between golf ball and billiard ball size.
 
Shame, shame, I think someone said the bad word. ^^^^^ 
eek.gif
 
Ahhh, The sweet smell of success! I smoked my 3rd rack of ribs yesterday, the first two being a complete failure. I started out buying a rack of spare ribs. I cut the ribs to a St. Louis cut and then cut them in half(a whole rack won't fit on my Smoking Mountain). I then dry rubbed them and let them sit is the frig, loosely covered, for about 12 hours. I used the 3-2-1 method with Hickory chunks. I was so excited since they were edible. I used a rub I found online and the ribs were a little spicy(which I like). I can't wait to smoke again. thanks for all your help!

I also smoked two beer can chickens this weekend in Mesquite. Tasty as always!!
 
Did I read on here somewhere that if you boil ribs the terrorists win?
LOL... good one!

 
I am having the same issues.  my first set of ribs were great, my second, third, and fourth not so great.  I have a chargriller w/sfb w/modifications listed on this website except for the tuning plates.  (thats next), (modifications were after the first set of ribs).  Oh and the meat hasnt pulled far from the bone as the first que.  as for details, not to sure that was back in december.

When I first started I didnt know what the 2-2-1 method was.  and iam just now reading it.  would i have to use this method to get fall of the bone ribs?

temp: 200

time: 41/2-5hrs

coal: royal oak/peach wood

Prep: marinated over night, rub, spritz every hr, bbq sauce 1 hr till done and again 30 minutes before done.
2-2-1 & 3-2-1 are great ways to start with ribs, then as you decide what texture you like best you can either cut down the amount of time in the foil or eliminate it all together. You can get very tender ribs with no foil, but you have to keep the temp under 250° - preferably around 225°. I did some St. Louis cut spares last weekend, ran my WSM at 225° for 5 hrs. and they came out perfect, juicy, not fall apart, but just a little tug and the meat comes off of the bone cleanly. If you go the no foil rout just make sure you start to spritz them every hour after the first two hours, and don't rush them. When you can pick up slab just off center to one side, and the other side bends down almost 90° angle they are done.
 
I have had success with the boil method, but do agree not the greatest method. still getting use to smoking. I try all suggestions at least once or twice. 
 
i tried the 3-2-1 on my first set of spares. I didnt get to the 1. when I tried to take the foil off they were already starting to fall off the bone so I just let them rest a bit and served them. plenty juicy and melt in your mouth. I need to tweak my technique a little.
 
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