St. Louis and baby back ribs

scarps23 · Mar 11, 2017

Removed membrane and trimmed up a little. Rubbed in olive oil. Used two different seasonings. Trying for a red color at the finish.

3-2-1 method at 225 on mes 30. Apple wood chips with 5 kingsford briquettes in box.

Just ordered amnps and some apple pellets yesterday.

I'm looking for critiques or suggestions to do better. Entering a very small local BBQ competition next weekend. Probably not your regular judges. Local people. They provide the meat. Ribs, wings and pork chops. My friend is cooking wings. I'm on ribs and pork chops. Probably just bring Weber kettle for pork chops and grill.

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tropics · Mar 11, 2017

Looks like a good start

Richie

scarps23 · Mar 11, 2017

Little tight on room. Baby backs are all on top. Had to overlap one. Using no water in water pan since I'll be wrapping in tin foil. 9:30 start time. Really feels like I should be drinking a beer or some whiskey. I'll wait until the tin foil gets wrapped I guess. Haha.

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tropics · Mar 11, 2017

Always glad to help,so I'll have one for ya

Richie

SmokinAl · Mar 11, 2017

Looking good so far!

Al

scarps23 · Mar 11, 2017

It's 5 o'clock somewhere.

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slipaway · Mar 11, 2017

Don't forget that the BB ribs would only use the 2-2-1 timing, whereas the St Louis cut spares would be 3-2-1.

Looks great so far.............

Good luck

scarps23 · Mar 11, 2017

Added butter, honey, and apple juice. Left out brown sugar. Any opinions welcome on the brown sugar. I've used it before and not used. Left it out because I forgot it inside the house.

Babybacks don't seem to be overlooking yet. They looked thick so I thought 3-2-1 would still work instead of 2-2-1. If they fall apart I'll still eat them.

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scarps23 · Mar 11, 2017

Slipaway said:
Don't forget that the BB ribs would only use the 2-2-1 timing, whereas the St Louis cut spares would be 3-2-1.

Looks great so far.............

Good luck

I'm guessing the two smaller ends of bb ribs will be fall apart. Not good for next weekend, but should be fine to eat. Hopefully I'm not off. I don't like wasting food.....especially meat!

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scarps23 · Mar 11, 2017

Question for people. Should I stick with what I know or add the amnps for smoking next weekend? I've read enough about it to think I understand how to use.

My thought are I might be stupid to use it, but like a small kid I want to try the new toy. Kind of like a basketball team that practices man defense all week and then decides to play zone last second.

Thoughts?

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scarps23 · Mar 11, 2017

Learning sharp knife is key. Inside of smoker wasn't hot enough. It was reading at 183. Had to turn up temp and got done about 5. Was shooting for 3:30.

I have new respect for competition guys. I can make things taste good, but making it pretty is a whole lot harder.

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jokensmoken · Mar 12, 2017

A nice sprinkle of paprika with an apple juice or apple cider mop or spritz during the last hour will help you get a much more red color to the outside of your ribs.

scarps23 · Mar 12, 2017

jokensmoken said:
A nice sprinkle of paprika with an apple juice or apple cider mop or spritz during the last hour will help you get a much more red color to the outside of your ribs.

Thanks for the help. You could tell that difference with the two rubs. I'm guessing more paprika in the one I used for bb ribs.

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scarps23 · Mar 13, 2017

I think I figured out my cutting issues for ribs. Read that I should cut bone side up. That should help. I had just sharpened knife so I knew it wasn't the knife.

Have pork chops marinating to grill tomorrow. Want to practice cutting them up to present. I'm assuming they aren't turned in whole.

Also got the amnps today and it fits perfect in my mes 30 on the rails. Planning on trying a trial run with nothing in smoker to burn off any oils.

Then planning on cold smoking some cheese Thursday to enjoy Saturday. I have never smoked cheese before. Want to try it before temps get to hot out.

It sure is fun getting a new toy. Got lots of plans on using it for cold smoking.

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hondabbq · Mar 14, 2017

Don't eat that cheese right away. It needs to sit for a few weeks prior to eating. Right out of the smoker it tastes like an ashtray.

browneyesvictim · Mar 14, 2017

Looks good Scarps. You appear to have a knack for what you are doing and the drive to do it! Keep trying things and experimenting, but most importantly keep a log book of what you have done!

So... did you say you are you putting briquettes in the MES chip tray?

Why would you feel the need to do that?

Now that you have an AMNPS, you will love it! It will give you a more reliable longer and more consistent smoke than using chips in the chip tray. If only smoking for a couple hours or less, then using chips is the way I go. For competition, with ribs I would use the AMNPS and remote therms for sure. Just get confident in what you need to do for getting the AMNPS lit and staying lit in your MES.

Are you going by the temp reading (setting) on the MES or do you have any other thermometer for monitoring actual (calibrated) temps?

scarps23 · Mar 14, 2017

hondabbq said:
Don't eat that cheese right away. It needs to sit for a few weeks prior to eating. Right out of the smoker it tastes like an ashtray.

.....would a couple days be enough or not. Read here it needs time to mellow out or it will taste bitter.

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scarps23 · Mar 14, 2017

Browneyesvictim said:
Looks good Scarps. You appear to have a knack for what you are doing and the drive to do it! Keep trying things and experimenting, but most importantly keep a log book of what you have done!

So... did you say you are you putting briquettes in the MES chip tray?

Why would you feel the need to do that?

Now that you have an AMNPS, you will love it! It will give you a more reliable longer and more consistent smoke than using chips in the chip tray. If only smoking for a couple hours or less, then using chips is the way I go. For competition, with ribs I would use the AMNPS and remote therms for sure. Just get confident in what you need to do for getting the AMNPS lit and staying lit in your MES.

Are you going by the temp reading (setting) on the MES or do you have any other thermometer for monitoring actual (calibrated) temps?

......read somewhere where someone was adding charcoal with chips to mes chip tray. It has worked fine doing it that way for me. Only done a few times. Usually use apple chips. I just really like charcoal. Haha.

I have the amnps doing a dry run tonight and it seems to be working fine. I can see where the constant or consistent smoke with this is so easy.

Good suggestion on the log. I've been meaning to start a log for smoking meat and deer hunting.

I have gone by temp on top of mes always in the past. I've never worried too much about timing of when things are done. I've always told people that meat is done when it is done. Can't do that with competition. I'll have a temp gauge inside the smoker this weekend. Along with the temp probe already inside.

Grilled some pork chops tonight. Turned out average. Definitely not winning any contest with those unless I can turn in the loin only. The loin was fantastic. The rest of pork chop was so so. Might have been the marinade I used. I threw things together....another example of a log that would help in the future.

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