3-2-1 method for spare ribs ended up with dry ribs. What to do?

[windycitysmoker77]

Hi all,

new to smoking and first time posting here. I was gifted a portable masterbuilt electric smoker and I tried using the 3-2-1 method and they seemed to get dry at the end of it all. The meat fell off the bone with I'm hearing is a personal preference but I noticed the meat was a tad dry. Here's what I did.

Smoked for 3 hours at 225-ish.
Wrapped in foil for 2 hours with some beer in the foil wrap
Back on the smoker for an hour with wet BBQ sauce brushed on.

Should I have done less time? 2-2-1 or some variation of it?

Thanks for any help

 

[chilerelleno]

FOtB equals overcooked, equals dry due to too much fat being rendered out.
Or it could've been that these ribs just didn't have a high enough fat content and hence were dry.

I don't wrap my ribs.
I go by the Pop, Bend and Crack test.
Normally have a nice Light Tug Bite with clean bone.

 

[JckDanls 07]

The 3 -2 -1 is just a guideline... most people have found the 2 hours wrapped is WAYYY to long... especially if you happen to be running a lil hotter... next time start checking your ribs at the 1 hour mark when wrapped.. Looking for the pull back on the bones ... I found 1.5 hrs was enough for me WHEN I wrapped.... I have since give up the 3-2-1 method and just go nekkid the whole way...

 

[windycitysmoker77]

FOtB equals overcooked, equals dry due to too much fat being rendered out.
Or it could've been that these ribs just didn't have a high enough fat content and hence were dry.

I don't wrap my ribs.
I go by the Pop, Bend and Crack test.
Normally have a nice Light Tug Bite with clean bone.

So whats your method? Just cook at around 225 for how long?

 

[windycitysmoker77]

The 3 -2 -1 is just a guideline... most people have found the 2 hours wrapped is WAYYY to long... especially if you happen to be running a lil hotter... next time start checking your ribs at the 1 hour mark when wrapped.. Looking for the pull back on the bones ... I found 1.5 hrs was enough for me WHEN I wrapped.... I have since give up the 3-2-1 method and just go nekkid the whole way...

Do think 2-1-1 would be fine or not enough time in the smoker?

 

[bregent]

Do think 2-1-1 would be fine or not enough time in the smoker?

Maybe, maybe not. It depends on several things, mostly your pit temp and how meaty they are. Bottom line is, don't cook by time. Ribs are done when they are done. If you want them FOTB, then cook till they just get to that point - and no further.
I don't particularly like FOTB - I like a rib where the meat bites cleanly off the bone. Like many others, I don't foil. Keeping them unwrapped allows you to better see how they are progressing. I cook STL spares unwrapped at 275F and they take about 3 1/2 hours. Done when they pass the bend test.

 

[siege]

The alcohol in your beer may have an effect on the fat in the ribs.I had tried some apple cider vinegar and the ribs were nicely flavored, but a little dry. I stick to apple juice when I foil now.
I cook by temperature, not time. There is plenty of meat on baby backs to put in a remote thermometer probe, and watch their progress without opening the smoker.
Besides, why waste perfectly good beer ?

 

[ExclusiveBBQ]

I'm certainly no pro, but I found (like many others) that 2 hours wrapped was bit too much for spare ribs. I only wrapped them for 2 hours before checking and then resting - they didn't need that last 1 hour unwrapped as I wasn't saucing them.

 

[chilerelleno]

So whats your method? Just cook at around 225 for how long?

Its an average time, about 6 to 6.5 hours.
But I use the Pop, Bend and Crack test to ascertain doneness.

 

[crazymoon]

WCS77, I foil but add nothing to the ribs, are you sure your ribs weren't baby back ribs as they cook using a 2-2-1 method? Folks have made some great suggestions here and the 3-2-1 is a guidline,also check your smoker temps as they may be running hotter than registering. I'm sure you will get the bugs worked out and have awesome ribs !

 

[windycitysmoker77]

WCS77, I foil but add nothing to the ribs, are you sure your ribs weren't baby back ribs as they cook using a 2-2-1 method? Folks have made some great suggestions here and the 3-2-1 is a guidline,also check your smoker temps as they may be running hotter than registering. I'm sure you will get the bugs worked out and have awesome ribs !

They were definitely spare ribs. I did only rely on the smoker thermometer and I know those can be off. Next time I'll use my thermopro one to double check it.

Thanks for all the tips guys. Trying it again this Friday.

 

[jmevox]

I make sure I spritz my ribs with 50/50 apple juice/water every 30 minutes before wrappig