Looking for some input on baby backs on a pellet grill.

[smokinsuds]

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• smokinsuds
• Sep 26, 2016

I'm trying to avoid pulling out the big beast and just use my new pellet grill for an upcoming baby back rib smoke but I'm having a hard time turning my back on the tried and true outcome of the ribs done on the Cedar smoker. I'd just use it, but here in Washington, it's very wet this time of year and would rather cook on the covered porch lol. Assuming I follow the 2-2-1 method, and wrap in foil other juices for 2nd step, can you still pull off the fall off the bone perfection on a pellet grill? Just looking for some input from people that have tried both methods (electric/pellet vs propane/chips) and any variations in cooking. thanks in advance for any info you can share. Got a Halloween party on Saturday so I'll be having to decide pretty soon.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Sure you can. As long as you monitor your pit temps.

 

[disco]

A pellet grill does ribs wonderfully. I do all my ribs on mine. It does a 2-2-1 (what I use for fall off the bone back ribs) or 3-2-1 (what I use for large side ribs) perfectly. It does have a little less smoke so you might want to consider using an A-Maze-N tube smoker in the pellet smoker if you like heavier smoke.

I don't do a lot of foiled ribs any more as She Who Must Be Obeyed doesn't like fall off the bone. Instead, I cook my ribs to an internal temperature of 190 F and then brush with sauce and do another 30 minutes to get bite through as opposed to fall off the bone.

In short, go ahead and use the pellet smoker (I cook about 230 F) and do whatever 2-2-1, 3-2-1 or not foiled you like. It will turn out great.

Disco

 

[schlotz]

Your MAK will make wonderful ribs regardless of method used. Like Disco, I do not wrap.  For baby backs, it's on SMOKE for the first 1.5 hours then bump it up to 225°.  I do spritz with apple juice every hour starting after 2 hours. Usually start testing for the bend/break at 4 1/2hrs and once it does they are sauced and left to set another 30 min then pulled.  We recently have added an Amazen Tube Smoker to provide additional smoke. If you haven't, it's a good idea to verify what you grate temps are.  I've found my MAK 2 Star grate temps to be almost 25° higher than what's reported to the Pellet Boss controller from the built-in probe located in the back left corner.  When I do St. Louis style, they are a bit thinner so the bump up is lowered by 10°.

In the distant past FOTB flavor seemed to suffer, and the thinking was that over cooking was the culprit.  So for many years now we prefer our ribs with a very easy clean bite through and the method above accomplishes that.  YMMV, but remember the only pallet you must satisfy is yours, and or/well 'she who must be obeyed' 

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Good Luck, and have fun!!!

Matt

 

[smokinsuds]

Well I guess I'm having to smoke up a couple fillets of salmon too so big Bertha it is... unfortunately my propane burners are giving me some issues. When I crank them up, the flame lifts like it's getting too much oxygen? Or not enough? Idk but it's getting frustrating. Testing them to see if I can even get her up to 225.

 

[smokinsuds]

What I meant was the springer fillets will be utilizing the Mak so I'll be doing the ribs on the Cedar smoker. here's a pic of my flame issue. it worked perfect then one day I started having these issues. bought a new burner and new hose and new propane tank thinking it must be one of the 3 but still an issue. 

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• smokinsuds
• Oct 28, 2016