Anyone NOT wrap their ribs?

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delarosa74868

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Sep 17, 2009
153
10
Seminole, Oklahoma
Im experimenting today.  Two slabs of BB's, one Im doing 2-2-1 and the other is strait smoke for 5 hours.  Im wondering if not wrapping will affect the ribs like people say. 
 
Im experimenting today.  Two slabs of BB's, one Im doing 2-2-1 and the other is strait smoke for 5 hours.  Im wondering if not wrapping will affect the ribs like people say. 
What do they say? The only effect I notice when I don't foil is they take longer to cook. I foil mainly to save on fuel.
 
What do they say? The only effect I notice when I don't foil is they take longer to cook. I foil mainly to save on fuel.
People that I have talked to say that the ribs will be tougher and drier. Nobody has mentioned anything about them taking longer to cook.  I think I will go ahead and wrap both slabs today since we have company coming over to eat at 5pm.  
 
I've done no foil ribs for two weekends in a row now and I'm sold on this method.  It's true that it leaves a little more chew to the meat, but then again I'm in the camp where I don't like mushy ribs. 
 
People that I have talked to say that the ribs will be tougher and drier. Nobody has mentioned anything about them taking longer to cook.  I think I will go ahead and wrap both slabs today since we have company coming over to eat at 5pm.  
Only about an hour longer for BBs, depending on size. I cook ribs between 235°-245° on a Chargriller. I suspect that at least some of those tough,dry ribs were cooked at too high a temp for too long a time.
 
I never foil and have never had a complaint...
 
I too am a non-foiler.  The 1st ribs I ever did I foiled, the next bunch were exactly the same way except without foil.  I have never foiled since.  I also like a little tug on the meat.  Have never

had tough or dry ribs.  BB I cook 5- 5.5 hrs and spares 6 to 6.5 hrs  Turn out great everytime.
 
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They are great either way....But I believe the foil will keep the flavor in...I add mop sauce once they are foiled...And of course they will fall off the bone. Ya want to save the flavor, foil...My 2 cents.

Steve
 
It's all a personal choice on how you like your ribs. When i cook ribs for myself and wife,i foil we like them tender. When i make them for my parents or sister no foil they like pull. Try both ways and see what you like!!!
 
I never tried not foiling, but I might, even though I do like mine very close to falling off the bone.

Bear
 
I foiled early on.  Then didn't have the chance to foil during one smoke.  Ribs were great.  I like a little tug.  I think I'm just to lazy to foil, unfoil and put back on the smoker/grill.  No foil anymore!

P.S. sauce on the side.

Do what you like.  And enjoy.
 
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wow, these ribs turned out terrible!  I did a 2-2-1 @235-250.  They were super mushy and slimey .  Im guessing it was because they were fatty ribs.  I smoked last week also, I had some extra people join the list, so I ran to walmart to get an extra slab.  That slab turned out funky too. I didn't think much about it till these bb's today. They came from walmart too. anyone else have any issues with walmart meat?
 
I believe Wal-Mart's ribs are "enhanced" with a brine of sorts by the packer, that may be your problem. I usually buy ribs at Sam's.
 
I get briskets from Walmart, but always get my ribs from Sam's. Never had a bad batch. As for foiling, I used to foil all the time then found that if you smoke them at 210-215 for a little longer they come out better than foiled, IMHO. The trick is to coat the ribs with brown sugar about a half hour before you smoke them. Leave them on the counter so the sugar melts all over the ribs. This is after you have your regular rub on. The brown sugar seems to keep the ribs nice & moist. Learned this from Johnny R. Plus I think I'm just getting lazy in my old age, too much trouble foiling & unfoiling.
 
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