Back ribs are on...but having temp trouble

[bgaviator]

I just put the baby backs on 30 mins ago. Using a Kamado Joe and my PartyQ fan controller. I had the controller set for 230° and I let the device ramp up the temp. However today it has overshot and I can’t get it to come back down despite having the top vent closed to about only 1/4 open. The temps have now been hovering in the 275-280 range. If I can’t get the temp to come back down, what adjustments should I maybe make to the cooking time? I was going to initially do a 2-1.5-1 cook.

secondary question if any of you have experience with these PartQs is why would it overshoot by this much? Sometimes this device is spot on, but then I get cooks like this where it doesn’t seem to work at all. Is it the wood catching? Am I placing my smoking wood maybe in the wrong places to where too much is catching at once and making the temps rise?

 

[bgaviator]

My nephew suggested I maybe put a pan of water below the grate. I’ve never done this with the Kamado as I thought they were supposed to stay plenty moist by design...but would doing this help create an additional heat shield and maybe help the PartyQ keep temps down on a hot day like today?

 

[forktender]

View attachment 407158 I just put the baby backs on 30 mins ago. Using a Kamado Joe and my PartyQ fan controller. I had the controller set for 230° and I let the device ramp up the temp. However today it has overshot and I can’t get it to come back down despite having the top vent closed to about only 1/4 open. The temps have now been hovering in the 275-280 range. If I can’t get the temp to come back down, what adjustments should I maybe make to the cooking time? I was going to initially do a 2-1.5-1 cook.
Air is leaking by somewhere.
I use a partyQ and my temp will run high it the temp probs gets black and dirty. I just take a piece of stainless steel wool and scrub it up good until it shines and restart it.
I will also have problems when I open to spritz. So I unplug the probe and reboot the power then plug the prob back in, which seems to fix it.

secondary question if any of you have experience with these PartQs is why would it overshoot by this much? Sometimes this device is spot on, but then I get cooks like this where it doesn’t seem to work at all. Is it the wood catching? Am I placing my smoking wood maybe in the wrong places to where too much is catching at once and making the temps rise?

 

[bgaviator]

Ya know I’ve never actually cleaned my temp probe...I wasn’t sure if you should or not. Didn’t know that could possible be affecting the temp readings

 

[bgaviator]

Well the temps have dropped 20 degrees finally. That only took 50 minutes into the cook! Ha ha.
Would you guys adjust the cooking times at all or just stick with my original 2-1.5-1 plan?

 

[forktender]

Shorten the first numbers by 15 to 30 minutes and you'll be fine.

 

[bgaviator]

Awesome thanks

 

[forktender]

During you middle section start checking them with a prob through the foil. When they feel nice unwrap them, so they don't get to soft on you, unless you like them fall off the bone.

 

[bgaviator]

Yeah that’s why I started doing 1.5 for the wrap phase instead of 2. It seemed every time I did 2 hours wrapped they were so fall apart tender that I could barely pick up the rack to move them back to the grate for the last phase. So I’ve been experimenting shortening that time.

During you middle section start checking them with a prob through the foil. When they feel nice unwrap them, so they don't get to soft on you, unless you like them fall off the bone.

 

[bgaviator]

Wrap phase!

 

[forktender]

I do them at 2-1 -1 now at 275 yo 280* all the time now.

 

[bgaviator]

So now I’m going to have another issue. I didn’t quite time things right and my ribs are going to be done about 1-1.5 hours before our normal dinner time.
I have an oven that can go down to 170°. Should I just put the rack on a sheet pan and loosely cover with foil and hold at 170°? I also have an Igloo Playmate cooler. I’ve heard of people wrapping the ribs in foil and holding in a cooler with towels. Would that be a better way to go? The cooler is not long enough to hold the rack without cutting in half first. But if I cut the rack in half and wrapped each half in foil and put them in the cooler, would that be ideal over the oven at 170°?

 

[eddiememphis]

Why not open the lid for a few minutes to let some heat out?

 

[bgaviator]

The temps finally cooled back to 230° where I had the PartyQ set. Just took quite awhile

Why not open the lid for a few minutes to let some heat out?

 

[kelbro]

Cut them in half, stack and wrap with foil. Wrap that with towels and into the cooler. They will stay hot but they will then be 'fall off the bone' tender.

 

[bgaviator]

And we’re done...

 

[kelbro]

Fine looking ribs!

 

[Hawging It]

Looks tasty!

 

[bgaviator]

Ribs were delicious. Not mushy. Perfect consistency. I was worried cause my first two bones didn’t have much smoke flavor for some reason, but the rest was perfect.
I do have a question about smoke rings though. My ribs never get a smoke ring it seems. Is this something common with Kamado cookers or is this more to do with the fact I wrap the ribs and they’re not exposed to the smoke the entire cook?

 

[gmc2003]

Those ribs look very eatable to me. Nice Job...Don't worry about the smoke ring it's basically just for decoration purpose. If you want a distinctive ring. Then you'll have to lower your temps some. Also if you run into this problem again you can use the bend test to see when the ribs are done. As long as it doesn't have a huge hunk of loin meat on the top.

Point for sure
Chris