Newbie again: What are all these things to put on ribs??? Rub, Marinade, Mop, Glaze, "Foil Juice,"

What the foxtrot are all these things???

OK so Rub seems straightforward:  It's dry (or is it?) but you put it on the ribs a few hours before putting them in the smoker.

It can be dry or wet rub

Or maybe you do a marinade instead of a rub... I suppose...?

Yes, you can marinade instead of rub.

Do you put mop sauce on intermittently throughout smoking?

Yes, mop, spritz, baste, brush, however you want to apply it.

Does @Chef JimmyJ
's "foil juice" ('robbed ribs' post #3) essentially amount to a mop?

Not in my book, it is the juices in the foil after crutching a piece meat.

Does a glaze go on at the end?

Yes, just enough time for it to set.

Do I correctly understand that you get a bark from the dry rub?

From either dry or wet rub.

Thanks for the ninetieth time people!

- Andrew/WP8

c farmer said:

All these questions are personal preference.

I dry rub, no mop or wrap or anything

Put on the smoker and coo till probe tender. 

It can be that easy.

Click to expand...

This ^^^, all these are personal preferences.
I rub wet or dry, sometimes I mop, prefer no to crutch.
I like my meat to stick to the bone a bit, not fall off.

Crutch is wrapping the meat in either foil or butcher paper.

Nevermind

Some folks like to mop but each time you open the smoker and mop a cool liquid on, you add 20-30 minutes to the cook time. So take a rack of spare ribs, 5-6 hour cook, mop every hour and you are adding 2.5 hours. Many here foil their ribs to get very tender or fall of the bone ribs. You typically add a liquid or other flavors in the foil to enhance both flavor and tenderization. I came up with my Foiling Juice to add the sweetness my family likes and flavor. This follows the 3-2-1 method of smoking ribs...JJ

Smoked Ribs as easy as 3-2-1

A full rack of Spare Ribs will take about 6 hours at 225*F...The 3-2-1 smoked rib recipe is a good way to smoke ribs and tends to turn out perfect ribs every time whether you are using the meatier Full rack spare rib or the Saint Louis cut. Baby Back ribs use a 2-2-1 method. The ribs are smoked at 225 - 250 degrees for best results...
The 3 stands for the 3 hours that you initially smoke the ribs with nothing but your favorite rub on them and some smoke with your favorite hardwood such as hickory, apple, pecan, etc. After the 3 hours you remove the ribs and quickly double wrap them in heavy duty foil.. just before you seal them up add some Foiling Juice or Apple Juice and close the foil leaving some room around the ribs for the steam to be able to flow around the meat and the juice to braise the meat which Flavors/Tenderizes it.
The ribs cook in the smoker wrapped for 2 hours undisturbed. There is no need for Smoke at this point... After 2 hours remove the ribs from the smoker, unwrap, saving any juices in the foil, and place back into the smoker for the final 1 hour, with smoke if you wish.This firms them up, creates a nice Bark and finishes the cooking process. You can add a glaze or sauce at this point if you like. The meat will be pretty close to fall off the bone and be extremely juicy, tender and flavorful...JJ

Foiling Juice / Sweet Pulled Pork Finishing Sauce

Foiling Juice

For each Rack of Ribs Combine:

1T Pork Rub, yours
1/2 Stick Butter
1/2C Cane Syrup... Dark Corn Syrup...or Honey
1/4C Apple Cider...or Juice
1T Molasses

Optional: 2T Apple Cider Vinegar. Add 2T Mustard and 1/4C Ketchup to make it more of a KC Glaze.

Simmer until a syrupy consistency.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes, pour over foiled Ribs and
run your 2 hour phase of 3-2-1. For the last phase return
the ribs to the smoker BUT reserve any Juice remaining
in the Foil. Simmer the Juice over med/low heat to reduce to a saucy thickness. Glaze the Ribs for presentation or service.