Can my Baby Backs play tricks

jnstrom

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Feb 7, 2009

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• Feb 7, 2009

• #1

All of you smoker vets out there probably know the answer to this question.
Personally Im a bit confused (beer is good!)

I am smokin my baby backs and with a mav prob attached. Everything is going great. Im doing the 2-2-1 method (It is more like 2-1.5-1-.5 or something now) Anyway Im about 1.5 hours into the foil cook and my prob goes off for 170. I went out pulled the ribs out and put in my thermo fork and sure enough 172.

Hmmm I thought I would cook it for another 10-15 minutes unfoiled. Now the probs both say 155. Is it because of the foil??? Should I keep the prob out when foiled.

Any insight would be awesome. You could imagine my astonishment when I looked back at my Mav and it said 155!

 

pignit

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Nov 3, 2008

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• Feb 8, 2009

• #2

I never use the temp probe for ribs. I don't know anybody that does. Hard to get an accurate reading on meat that small. If you are cooking them 3-2-1 at 225 they are gonna be done.

 

northwet smoker

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May 28, 2008

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Olympia, WA

• Feb 8, 2009

• #3

I agree. I tried to use the probe for ribs once when I first started smoking and it didn't work very well. For baby backs 2-2-1 or something close to that will produce fine results. Let us know how they turned out.

 

jaye220

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Sep 1, 2007

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Seattle, WA

• Feb 8, 2009

• #4

Yep..I'll second that. It's very difficult to accurate measure the temperature of ribs. 2-2-1 is pretty good...I actually did 3-1.5-1 last time and that worked well too.

 

ddave

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• Feb 8, 2009

• #5

What they said.^^^^^

Just for clarification -- 3-2-1 (with slight adjustments) for spare ribs and 2-2-1 (with slight adjustments) for baby backs.

Dave

 

richoso1

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Jun 21, 2007

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• Feb 8, 2009

• #6

It doen't seem practical to use a meat probe on ribs, too much cartilage/bone to throw off temp readings. Based on your preferred texture, spares can be done in 5-6 hrs. and BB's in 5 hrs. This is based on the fact that your rack temp is at least 225*. You can easily play with the sequence, 3-2-1, 2-2-1, 2-3, I've tried them all, and still had good ribs.

 

rickw

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• Feb 8, 2009

• #7

I usually go for 2*2*1 for St. Louis style ribs but it always varies. It's a good guide line for my smoker. No temp probe on ribs for me.

 

pignit

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• Feb 8, 2009

• #8

The first time I did BB ribs I cooked them at 250 for 5 hours without taking them out and foiling. Just cooked em straight up for 5 hours and ate em. They were excellent. There are lots of ways to cook your ribs. You just gotta keep smokin em until you get it right.... and then smoke some more to see if you can get it right again... and again......... and again.....

 

mulepackin

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• Feb 8, 2009

• #9

I second (or third) not using the temp probe on ribs. All that bone just conduct heat or cold rendering your readings useless.

 

mossymo

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• Feb 8, 2009

• #10

I do not use a thermometer for ribs, putting a probe unknowingly against bone will give innaccurate meat reading as the bone will be much warmer. Ribs are one of the exceptions to smoking where you go by time and also by twisting a bone or two to see if the bone is breaking away from the meat.

 

carpetride

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Jan 25, 2008

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• Feb 8, 2009

• #11

I cook ribs by sight more than anything (don't use a probe or temp). IF you pick them up by say the third rib and the rest want to bend at 45 degrees and tear they are done.

 

nomorecoop

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Mar 1, 2008

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Central Ohio

• Feb 8, 2009

• #12

I agree with everyone. Looks like you probably hit a bone. Not enough meat to accurately measure temps.

 

jnstrom

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Feb 7, 2009

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• Feb 9, 2009

• #13

Thanks for the info! I will never use a probe for ribs again. Time and Temp will be my guiding force. The ribs were ok but actually a bit over cooked for my likeing. I will be making a but for my BDay (friday the 13th) and I will be sharing it with the crew at the bar!

 

bigbaldbbq

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Feb 4, 2009

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Columbus, Ohio

• Feb 9, 2009

• #14

Yeah the adjustment for baby's is a good think. It could have been the foil steam packet that caused the spike.

Either way you got some ribs!!!!