Griny rub after 6 hours

[weldifier]

I need some advice on rubs.  I have a rub recipe that I like but after 6 hours in the smoker (spare ribs) the rub is still grainy.  I mop every hour or so with a beer based baste but the graininess is still there.  Is this normal or am I missing something?

 

[bruno994]

If you have a coffee grinder or other kitchen appliance that you can load the rub into and grind up smaller, this will really help.  My wife has 2 of the Ninjas', the smaller one I use to grind / chop up my homemade rubs before I use them.  This really helps out a lot.  Other than that, I don't think you're missing anything, just some rubs have a bit more grain than others.

 

[sound1]

I agree, grind the mixture to a finer consistency. Why are you mopping every hour, really slows down your cook when you keep opening the smoker.

 

[weldifier]

Thanks for the advice.  How often should i be mopping?  I don't actually have a smoker.  I am using my trailer grill.  It is 7 ft* 2ft and has lots of room for coals, although it seems to go through the wood and charcoal fast probably because of the open space under the burners.  But i can always crank on the gas to get the heat back up.  Seems to work pretty good for now, but if i don't have to mop every hour then i won't.

 

[smokefever]

Thanks for the advice.  How often should i be mopping?  I don't actually have a smoker.  I am using my trailer grill.  It is 7 ft* 2ft and has lots of room for coals, although it seems to go through the wood and charcoal fast probably because of the open space under the burners.  But i can always crank on the gas to get the heat back up.  Seems to work pretty good for now, but if i don't have to mop every hour then i won't.

Yeah every hour is a bit much. I like to let it go for the first 3 hours and then I will give the meat a quick spritz. One saying you should live by is "If yer lookin, you AINT cookin!" :goodluck:

 

[sound1]

Many around here like the 3-2-1 method for cooking ribs...

Stolen from another thread

The 3-2-1 smoked rib recipe is a good way to smoke ribs and tends to turn out perfect ribs every time whether you are using the meatier spares or the baby backs. The ribs are smoked at 225 - 250 degrees for best results.
The 3 stands for the 3 hours that you initially smoke the ribs with nothing but your favorite rub on them and your favorite hardwood such as hickory, mesquite, apple, pecan, etc. After the 3 hours you remove the ribs and quickly double wrap them in heavy duty foil.. just before you seal them off splash on some apple juice for good measure and close the foil leaving some room around the ribs for the steam to be able to flow around the meat and do it's magic.
The ribs cook in the smoker wrapped for 2 hours undisturbed. After 2 hours remove the ribs from the smoker, unwrap and place back into the smoker for the final 1 hour. You can add a glaze or sauce at this point if you wish. The meat will literally fall off the bone and be extremely juicy, tender and flavorful.

 

[bruno994]

Thanks for the advice.  How often should i be mopping?  I don't actually have a smoker.  I am using my trailer grill.  It is 7 ft* 2ft and has lots of room for coals, although it seems to go through the wood and charcoal fast probably because of the open space under the burners.  But i can always crank on the gas to get the heat back up.  Seems to work pretty good for now, but if i don't have to mop every hour then i won't.

I spritz my ribs every hour on the hour during the 3 hours of the 3-2-1 method to help with bark and moisture (mainly for bark).  My pit recovers very quickly when I open the door, plus I am only opening it just enough to spritz with a common household spray bottle, a mixture of apple juice and brown sugar heated up before use.  If your pit does not recover very well, this will increase your cook time by about 15 minutes per opening.  Your style really depends upon your cooker adn knowing how to run it properly.