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Currently smoking baby back ribs....gas vs. electric need advice asap

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the gas tends to get higher (250-275) and is difficult to keep lower even with a larger water pan then the electric...electric is set at 250, verified with a second thermometer.

Water pans are in BOTH smokers and have plenty of water in them
 
think if you jack up your temp on the electric they might match, but im an amateur so im just guessing, plus flames cook way different than an element.
 
i figured its going to turn into a gas vs. electric issue. I am going to let the electric ribs (lol) sit a little longer and see if they lift off of the bone a little more. The gas ribs have been wrapped with apple juice and a few slices of butter (yum).
 
Question, when you say that the first ribs are wrapped with apple juice and a few slices of butter, does that mean they are still cooking ?   Or did you do that while resting the ribs ?
 
I usually do the 3-2-1 method, but usually do more of a 2-2-1 since these were baby backs. I had just wrapped them and threw them back in for 2 hours. Those ribs came out great. Nice and tender, falling off the bone with an amazing flavor. The ribs that were smoked in my MES went for the full 3 hours, a 2 hour wrap and a 1 hour unwrapped glazed smoke. Meat was still tough and needed a good tug to remove from the bone... Both temps never went lower than 225 and higher than 250(MES) - 275(gas).
 
Your mes temp is off if you had them in for a full 3-2-1 and they were not falling off the bone. Or I suppose it's possible you had a unusually tough rack of ribs.

I have an mes 40 and using the 2-2-1/3-2-1 method I've never had issues getting tender ribs. Not one time.

With that said I also own a SFB smoker and I prefer my ribs on that all day long. Great smoke ring (can't get that on a mes) and better flavor IMHO.

I know you said you had a second thermo in your mes, but have you given that 2nd thermo the boil test? I'd check into that and if it checks out of assume tough piece of meat. Try another rack on the mes and I bet you have better results (at least as far as being tender).

Only side notes I can think of is I never fill my water pan in my mes. And I use an amazn pellet smoker in my mes instead of wood chips. Those variables could change things.
 
hillbillyrkstr said:
Your mes temp is off if you had them in for a full 3-2-1 and they were not falling off the bone. Or I suppose it's possible you had a unusually tough rack of ribs.

I have an mes 40 and using the 2-2-1/3-2-1 method I've never had issues getting tender ribs. Not one time.

With that said I also own a SFB smoker and I prefer my ribs on that all day long. Great smoke ring (can't get that on a mes) and better flavor IMHO.

I know you said you had a second thermo in your mes, but have you given that 2nd thermo the boil test? I'd check into that and if it checks out of assume tough piece of meat. Try another rack on the mes and I bet you have better results (at least as far as being tender).

Only side notes I can think of is I never fill my water pan in my mes. And I use an amazn pellet smoker in my mes instead of wood chips. Those variables could change things.
Click to expand...
This I find is common with the MES 40 and ribs. I have done them many times. The actual temp of the MES is about 30 deg difference from factory Therm vs. Mav 732 Therm. 

If I do not watch close I tend to under cook them first 3 hrs. If I watch close and keep temp by the Mav therm then ribs come out great.
 
Ptcruiserguy, I agree 100%. My mes temp is always off compared to my igrill external thermo and I boil tested it (was only off a degree). Common mes problem.
 
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