High Altitude shot at spare ribs and things I've learned...

[SpeedyB]

First post but have spent extensive time researching. Have learned a lot.

I am in Golden, CO (yes about 1/2 mile from the Coors Brewery for your beer-heads) and while it's beautiful, I've had some challenges getting quality smokes @ 6,000 ft elevation. Although I am still fairly novice I wanted to share some things I've learned and get some advice please:

I've learned

1. High elevation affects more then just length of cook time. It is very hard to keep moisture in. I've heard arguments about high-altitude folks needing to mop and baste every 15-30 minutes, even with water pans, and the threat for dry meat is real. I still haven't figure out how to best keep moisture in like they do at sea level
2. Small Traeger units are hard to keep consistent temps on, even with the upgraded Ortech TR-100 control unit (although PID control certainly helps). An upgrade is in the near future; RecTec looks like a suitable stepping stone
3. I can get a great smoke ring on a small Traeger, even without water pans. Hickory and Apple pellet blends have been good.

Help desired

Yesterday I took my first crack at some St Louis ribs. I watched several videos and read several posts prior. Here is the overview of my process and the outcome:

1. 2.8 lb slab
2. I trimmed up the ribs but left the tips on (spares actually I suppose)
3. There was hardly any membrane on the bottom. I tried and tried with a butter knife but could not get much, if any, to come off and could not visibly see it in many places. The butcher stated that many times the membrane is very thin and would just cook off so I ran with it
4. Let sit to room temp then coated with mustard and seasoned with some Killer Hogs rub
5. Made up 2 water pans to sit on top of the grill grate (limited on space) and sat a stainless rack on top of the pans with the ribs - meat up. Inside the pans mixed water, apple juice and apple cider vinegar
6. Went 1 hour fluctuating between 230-285 (40 degree day with strong winds and no smoke stack to protect from winds on the Tailgater) and then an additional 1.5 hrs averaging about 230. Total time of 2.5 hrs smoking
7. Spritzed with water and apple cider vinegar twice at 1:45 and 2:15 hrs
8. Pull at 2.5 hrs and foiled (quickly to avoid much heat loss). Put meat-side down with brown sugar, honey and butter and wrapped fairly tight. Put in oven at 230.
9. At the wrap stage, there was easily already 1/4" of bone showing on most ribs already
10. Baked in oven for 3 more hrs, checking regularly. At the 6 hr total time mark I checked and some parts tested very well with toothpick while others still grabbed, however the meat had shrunk well up the bone and there was easily 1/2"-5/8" exposed on many bones.
11. Sauced and ran another 40 minutes
12. Tested the meat and much of it was fairly tough still. The very top layer tasted as I would have hoped but the lower portion was tough. Not necessarily super dry, but a bit tough and not as moist as I'd hoped.
13. With a bend test, I was maybe at 40 degrees bend - one end bent more than the other but really no breakage in the bark
14. The bones were so exposed on the underside that I could easily pull them off the meat. The shroud around the bones where it meets the meat was very firm and tough on most of the ribs and I had to eat around it.
15. I know to expect 20% longer cook times but at 230-250* average I thought 6.5 hours would suffice

Anyhow, maybe overly detailed but I would request your comments.

Did I foil too long? Why did the meat shrink so much? Would 6.75 hours be inadequate at elevation on a 2.8 lb slab at a 240 degree average?

Next experiment will be two racks together - one just on the smoker with water pans all day and another one at more of a 3-2-2 process.

Pics

 

[HalfSmoked]

Welcome SpeedyB sorry but I can't down your photos but glad to see things have worked out for.

Warren