Second attempt at spare ribs. w/Q views

Holy SMOKE RING! Nice ribs!

If you look at your overall method, you can find what changed your smoke flavor. Was it too strong this time, not enough, or did the flavor profile change some how?

Let us know if you want to dig through and figure out what to change to get them back to what you had before. Sometimes chamber temps, time or enhancements can make drastic changes in the finished product.

Eric

You're having some issues with temp control with open smoke chamber for meat tending...that's all part of the learning curve. Then with the fire cooling off on this run, maybe the minion method wasn't quite happy?

Anyway, sounds like the smoke wood got a good dose of heat and air and flared-up on you, otherwise there should be some charred smoke wood left...it happens, especially with excess draft from having an open chamber for a few minutes. Sometimes I have to get the chunks close to the coals, then move them back just a bit so they smolder slower. The dirty hickory smoke you speak of could be due in part to unlit charcoal starting to heat up, if using the minion method...mixed charcoal/hickory wood smoke can be the result. If you weren't using the minion method, I'm not sure what the cause could be...lots of variables to consider. I've never had much luck with the minion method myself, so I add hot coals to a smaller fire, instead. It's more tending, but I get a clean smoke for no-foil spare ribs that look like this:



...or with pork butts (this was about half-way through a 16-hr no-foil smoke with salt, pepper & garlic only on a lean-trimmed 8lb):


...and pulled...deep mahogany color throughout the bark...good smoke penetration as well:


If the above looks like a goal you want to achieve, I used very simple prep and smoking methods...sometimes less is more. The only thing unusual that I did was using a wet to a dry smoke chamber, with water in foil over a pea-gravel fill water pan in a vertical smoker, switching to no water after 4 hours with the butt. Bark on the butt was heavy and crisp. With the ribs, I switched from wet to dry after about 2.5 hours, with a total of 6 hours in the smoker, Rub was one of my specialty rubs, and they had a light to tender chew with a moderately firm bark..not crisp. Both were smoked using charcoal fire in the same smoker. No spraying, no mopping, no sauce or glaze...simple, but to the point...it's all about meat and smoke.

Eric

Max-Paul said:

forluvofsmoke,

first I have noticed what I call dirty hickory smoke that just is not pleasing to the nose. And I have smelled hickory smoke that is sweet to my nose and when I smell that smell, I am in heaven. Last time about 3 weeks ago the hickory smell was sweet and knew that the ribs are going to be great. Well there is still the problems with being under done or over done, tough or dry. But as it was they turned out great. Now the overall temp for the cooking stage last time was running about 245, but I cut the cook time down to about 2.5 hrs. The foiling got up to about 300 degrees due to this knuckle head leaving the cover off while foiling. I put about 1/4 cup of apple juice in the foil. Because the  temperature is up to 300 degrees, I cut the foiling time down to 1.25 hrs. I then took the ribs out of the foil and put on BBQ sauce and back in the smoker for 30 min.

Today smoker is running 225 at loading time. 30 min later drops to 183 degrees. I spend 30 min getting it back up to 200 and another 15 to get it to 230 degrees. I never smelled any hickory of any kind. But the chunk of wood is gone. I put another piece on the coals. I never did smell any hickory smoke to speak of. Ribs still come out done and somewhat tasty from the rub. I dont know if it is the quality of the chunks of Hickory or something else. Its so hit and miss.

Click to expand...

When you set up your WSM bury 3 or 4 chunks of the hickory in the charcoal right up against the ring. As the fire burns down and out it will give you a slow steady supply of smoke for 5 or 6 hrs., not enough to be overpowering, but perfect for ribs. Also for a treat after you take them out of the foil, hit them with sauce and toss them on a high heat grill for just a few minutes to caramelize the outside...... fantastic!

Sounds like good things to come!!!  Great Q-view as well.

Keep in mind outdoor weather is going to come into play every time. So you use the same process every time, but adjust according to wind and temps.