Another Sunday RIbs with Qview

[hbark]

Hadn't used the smoker in a while, it was getting lonely without me:

http://s165.photobucket.com/albums/...2011/?action=view&current=SmokerintheSnow.jpg

Smoked 3 racks of babybacks that I got from Costco (they sell pre-packaged 3 in a pack).  I had them in the freezer since last June.  Thawed them out over a couple of days in the refrig, then used Jeff's rub on all 3 (first time trying that), wrapped 'em up and let 'em sit in the refrig for a day or so).

Rub on, ready to wrap:

http://s165.photobucket.com/albums/u50/hbark001/Ribs Feb 13 2011/?action=view&current=RubOn.jpg

Smoker's all fired up, ready to go. Planned to use the 2-2-1 method, my wife was complaining that past smokes didn't produce the "fall of the bone" thing.  Although seems to me they were pretty damn good:

http://s165.photobucket.com/albums/... 2011/?action=view&current=InFrontofGrill.jpg

After 1 hour, gave them a quick spritz with apple juice:

http://s165.photobucket.com/albums/... 13 2011/?action=view&current=AfteranHour.jpg

After 2 hours, time to foil.  Sprayed em again with apple juice and added another splash or 2 to the foil package. Note how 1 of the racks is smaller than the other 2:

http://s165.photobucket.com/albums/...13 2011/?action=view&current=AbouttoFoil1.jpg

http://s165.photobucket.com/albums/...13 2011/?action=view&current=AbouttoFoil2.jpg

After the 2 hours in foil, took em out.  Brushed the smaller rack with the BBQ sauce I made from some recipe I found on here (usually I don't use sauce or foil), left the 2 bigger racks as-is, smoked for an hour more.  Here's what they looked like after that:

http://s165.photobucket.com/albums/u50/hbark001/Ribs Feb 13 2011/?action=view&current=Done.jpg

Wrapped in foil for maybe 20 minutes, then cut em up and put em on plates:

http://s165.photobucket.com/albums/u50/hbark001/Ribs Feb 13 2011/?action=view&current=OnPlate1.jpg

http://s165.photobucket.com/albums/u50/hbark001/Ribs Feb 13 2011/?action=view&current=OnPlate2.jpg

Now for the not so good news, I really wasn't crazy about them.  Neither was my wife (they definitely weren't fall-off-the-bone which is what she wanted).  Some of those bigger ones just weren't all that tender.  The smaller ones, without the thick hunks of meat on them,  especially the ones I sauced for the last hours, were pretty darn good though.  I wish I knew where I went wrong.  I've made ribs several times before, always came out more tender than there. And I've smoked salmon, turkey, chicken, etc. all with great results.  Anyway, Sunday was really windy and and it was a bit of a struggle to get the temp steady, but I did keep it to around 230 most of the time.  I use a Maverick remote thermometer.  In the past, that thing was almost exactly the same as the door thermometer, this time the Maverick was was 15-20 higher, it was weird.  I had no 3rd thermometer to compare it with, so maybe the overall temp was too low?  Who knows.

As people say -- try and try and try again, right??!!

 

[fpnmf]

Maybe just a poor batch of ribs>>>

 They look like they could of used a little more cook time.

  Craig

 

[Bearcarver]

Looks real good, hbark !!!!

Beautiful plateful of goodness!

I thought I smelled something good, blowing up from SouthEast of here.

Bear

 

[SmokinAl]

The whole racks didn't have much pullback except for the smaller one, so it would seem that they weren't quite done, but the ones that were cut up looked awesome. If the smaller ones were tender it would seem that the thicker ones needed to cook a little longer, but they all looked juicy & tender. If you want fall of the bone ribs, a good way to tell if there done is to grab 2 ribs & pull them apart. If they pull apart easy & the bone wants to come out their done.

 

[rp ribking]

HB, More than likely the meat was not the best, they look good from your pic's sliced up. 

 

[raptor700]

The ribs look great, nice color

Sounds like the temp was too low

You might try the 3-2-1 next time,

They look mighty tasty though

Thanks for sharin' 

 

[les3176]

They look good from here. The two bigger rack do look like they needed some more cook time.Every rack will cook differant because of size,fat,and tissue. If you want fall of the bone tender up your foil time more and lower your finish hour maybe something like 3-2.5-.5 something like that. Thats half the fun is experimenting!!!

 

[tyotrain]

That's the great thing about Q you can eat  the mistakes

they do look tasty

 

[venture]

The 3-2-1 method will usually give you the fall off the bones meat you are looking for.  Too mushy for me, but some folks like it that way.  Keep at it, you will get it figured out!

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[chaze215]

I did 2 racks that I got from Costco a few weeks ago. I used the 2-2-1 method and they were fall off the bone. As a matter of fact, they were VERY tender before I put them into smoke for the last hour. Im thinking that a long time in the freezer didnt help. Just my 2 cents.

 

[johnvh]

 Cant wait to do some ribs in my MES!

 

[hmcm]

It was just a bad batch of ribs!  Keep telling yourself that and buy more.  They'll be better next time!

  They should be fallin off the bonez.  I use costco ribs most of the time and have been FOTB every time with the 2-2-1.  Try, try again!

 

[virginiasmokesignal]

I have to agree with SmokinAl and Les3176, they look a little bit undercooked to me, not a lot just a little, you can increase your foil time and maybe by the time you do your next batch it will be a little warmer and your  temps will be steadier, I have had problems with them not getting to FOTB and it always seemed if I raised the temp about 10 degrees in the smoker and added extra time to the foil cook I could always get them to the FOTB stage, if your going to sauce them I would only use about 45 min. at the most back in the cooker after coming out of the foil and I usually thin my sauce down, may just be me but seems like it makes a little better glaze.  Keep smoking and may ALL your smokes be good ones!

Your SMF Friend,

Barry 

 

[Bearcarver]

I still think they look great, and you got a real nice smoke ring.

Maybe your temp wasn't really at 230˚ long enough.

I don't open the door to spritz any more, especially in the Winter.

I just keep water in the water pan.

Bear

 

[hbark]

Thanks again for your comments and suggestions.  As was said, each time is an experiment!!  I didn't think the bigger racks looked done, should have put them back in longer, but I didn't leave enough extra time available before I needed to serve them.  One of my lessons learned -- allow more time to cook longer if needed, and if done earlier, wrap in foil and towels and put in a cooler until it's time to serve, I guess.  Also I think I need to pick up another thermometer to measure the smoker chamber temperature (so I'll have the door thermometer, the Maverick, and one more).

Also I read on another forum that when it's real windy it may be good to put a wind block around the bottom of the GOSM, to keep a more steady flame. Like cement backer board or something like that.

 

[SmokinAl]

I still think they look great, and you got a real nice smoke ring.

Maybe your temp wasn't really at 230˚ long enough.

I don't open the door to spritz any more, especially in the Winter.

I just keep water in the water pan.

Bear

Hey Bear, Is it true that if you spritz your ribs in the winter, it freezes before it hits the ribs?   

 

[smoke 2 geaux]

It's the funniest thing.  The finest smoked ribs in the world that have a little tug to them are inedible to most females (at least the ones at my house).  Conversely, you can take ribs and boil them in mop water, slap a little sauce on them and if they are falling off the bone, they will rave and tell you that they are the best ribs they have ever had....  I started doing a rack for the cook (the right way) and cooking everybody elses to death so we are all happy...lol

 

[Bearcarver]

Hey Bear, Is it true that if you spritz your ribs in the winter, it freezes before it hits the ribs?   

Sometimes it feels like it could, but that might only happen in Mn, ND, etc.

The coldest I can remember in PA was "-12" (Bear season, Monday before Thanksgiving,1967).

Bear