St Louis Ribs Pellet Smoke

[Elf@shore]

My 1st BBQ Rib on a pellet grill.
Smoking 2 3 lb ribs.
Seasoned with salt and pepper;: Fridge for almost an hour.
Took out and added oil and and dry rub.
Smoked @ 240 ,using the Grilla Smoke mode.
brushed apple juice every hour.
after 3 hrs I added 4 chicken breasts to the 2nd shelf
I think this is where I made the mistake !
Smoker had to compensate for the new Chicken meat.
Temp was pushed up to 250 an hour after the chicken.
Ribs were on for almost 6 hours, started to get dark and dry, yet not up to temp: mid 180s ?
I tented foil then and added more apple juice.
They were good flavor, dry and could use more cooking to go ? to break down the tissue ?
Maybe I should of wrapped @ 170 ish ?
Also forgot to flip the ribs, Got too focused on the chicken ?
HELP ! What Did I screw up ?
ELF

 

[Brokenhandle]

These were done on my pellet smoker. No wrap. Probably ran about 250 for temp, was too long ago so don't remember. Know there was some cherry pellets used. The chicken you added wasn't your problem, the opening the smoker to spritz every hour was more than likely the cause.

Ryan

 

[Elf@shore]

View attachment 723699

These were done on my pellet smoker. No wrap. Probably ran about 250 for temp, was too long ago so don't remember. Know there was some cherry pellets used. The chicken you added wasn't your problem, the opening the smoker to spritz every hour was more than likely the cause.

Ryan

View attachment 723699

These were done on my pellet smoker. No wrap. Probably ran about 250 for temp, was too long ago so don't remember. Know there was some cherry pellets used. The chicken you added wasn't your problem, the opening the smoker to spritz every hour was more than likely the cause.

Ryan

So? If I left it for 2 hours, checked it and then ?

 

[Elf@shore]

So? If I left it for 2 hours, checked it and then ?

After 2 hrs: I brushed with apple juice and rotated the ribs, due to a small pit.
@3 hrs: again, more apple juice and add the the 4 chicken breasts.

 

[SmokingUPnorth]

I agree with Brokenhandle i try to not open the cooker at all unless I have to. Also have you verified with another thermometer that the smoker temp is actual what it’s reading?

 

[Brokenhandle]

There's no wrong way to smoke anything... just have to find what you prefer. I'm just saying try a higher temp, no wrap, no spritzing, and see if you like them. Was a saying here also... if you're looking you're not cooking.

Ryan

 

[Coreymacc]

I wrap my ribs, its just more fool proof. Seems you have to mop or spritz if unwrapped, but don't quote me. I did some pork shoulder steaks last week unwrapped and the came out kind of leathery. Im just wrapping thinner pork cuts. Roasts no problem, there is enough mass and fat.

My 2 cents
Corey

 

[crazymoon]

E@s, I'm a wrap guy 3-2-1 for St. Louis and 2-2-1 for baby backs at 225ish has always worked for me. No spritz ,no lookie, just open to wrap and unwrap.I leave the bones up when wrapping so the meat side sits in the juices. You'll get it dialed in to your liking.

 

[BBQ_Bama]

It doesn't sound like you were actually smoking at 240, or either you opened the smoker too much and extended the needed cooking time. But if you smoked consistently at 240 for that long and didn't obsessively open the smoker, those things should have been more than done at the six hour mark.

 

[SMOKEOCD]

I’ve gone to 275* far about 4 hours. Bend test to know when they are ready. Sometimes I sauce at the end sometimes I don’t. Used to do 3-2-1 at 225* the texture is a little different comparing the two. I like them both.
Get a spray bottle for your Apple juice you won’t have the grill open so long.

 

[jcam222]

What kind of ribs were they?

 

[1MoreFord]

I see your title says St Louis Ribs but it never hurts to include it in the body of your post too 'cause sometimes there is a disconnect between the title and the substance of the post.

Which Grilla grill? Could make a difference and too much info usually trumps too little.

I've never mopped or spritzed ribs; normally just a glaze at the end.
I don't open the cooker every hour.
Both of those things extend cook time and I've never dried out any ribs by avoiding those two things.
Sometimes internet must do's, secrets, short cuts, and the like merely complicate matters and screw things up.
The acronym KISS exists for a reason.

 

[Elf@shore]

I see your title says St Louis Ribs but it never hurts to include it in the body of your post too 'cause sometimes there is a disconnect between the title and the substance of the post.

Which Grilla grill? Could make a difference and too much info usually trumps too little.

I've never mopped or spritzed ribs; normally just a glaze at the end.
I don't open the cooker every hour.
Both of those things extend cook time and I've never dried out any ribs by avoiding those two things.
Sometimes internet must do's, secrets, short cuts, and the like merely complicate matters and screw things up.
The acronym KISS exists for a reason.

St Louis Ribs !!!!
1st time on a pellet grill.
Grilla Chimp grill : its small but adequate.
I still think adding the 4 chicken breasts (3 Lbs ) did not help ! ?
Not sure what to do next time ?

 

[1MoreFord]

I'm gonna agree with brokenhandle.
The chicken addition didn't cause your problem, except for the extra time the grill was open. Unless you have an inaccurate temp probe or something, the only thing I can think of is you open and mess around with your cook too much.

First thing to do before next time is verify your temperatures with a known good thermometer.

 

[mike243]

I have found that with my pellet smoker opening it doesn't really add much time, the burner kicks on and back to temp in nothing flat, that's not how wood burners work as it can't ramp up or down easily or quickly. It's rare I wrap as it's tough to build smoke flavor without spritzing or a tube. Moist meat helps the smoke stick better.