Need help with ribs….

[Kuniyosh]

Tried my first set of baby back ribs tonight and cook them for about three hours on a low and slow before they hit 200°F.

I started in the barbecue but the temperature is too high observe around 340°F for the first 30-45 minutes. I’m pretty sure this is what dried them out. They are a little chewy. They’re not tendon falling off the bone like they normally would be and I’m not sure whether I’ve missed this by 10 minutes or by 40 minutes.

After an hour and a half of smoking, I transfer these to the oven for the low and slow.
Low and slowed these for about 1 1/2 hours at 225°F in the oven. I pulled them once they hit a nerve internal temp of 200°F but unfortunately was too late.

I am assuming at this point that it was the starting temperature that ruin the cook as it would’ve cooked the meat too quickly too early. If this is the case, I now know what my settings are on my web are using lump wood charcoal. I had to just about turn the thing off closing all events to get it to say at 225°F. The lump wood charcoal makes such a massive difference in the temperature because you’re not constantly battling with the ash buildup that you were on charcoal briquettes.

Any advice welcome and even though they’re a little dry, the taste is fantastic, which is why it’s such a shame about it. Did a little honey garlic glaze for them dynasties were soft and tender they’ed be out of this world good!

 

[02ebz06]

I've always cooked ribs (Pellet smoker) at 275f and it would take about 4 hours.
Never had any dry ribs.

 

[1MoreFord]

I don't cook ribs to temp. I cook til they probe tender or crack when they are bent in the middle. I suspect your ribs were not cooked enough.

 

[gmc2003]

It sounds like they were under-cooked. I'm having a hard time following your post, but if I understand it correctly. You smoked them 340* for about 45 min. then after you choked down the smoker to 225* by closing all the vents you let them ride for another 1.5 hrs. After the smoker you put them in a 225* oven for another 1.5 hrs. So that's about 3 hrs 45 mins. if I read your post correctly.

The 2-2-1 method for BB ribs is 2hrs in the smoker unwrapped, 2 hrs. in the smoker wrapped, and the final hr in the smoker unwrapped. This is with your smokers temp set to 225* to 250*. Your method fell short by a little over an 1hr. That and I don't recall you mentioning if you wrapped them. I think when you probed the ribs and saw the 200* internal temp of the meat. Your probe was either all the way thru the meat or right near the edge of the meat. Giving you a false reading. I'm also kind of surprised the ribs didn't have an off taste if they were in the smoker while you were choking it down. That's a whole lot of bad smoke they were sitting in.

If I misinterpreted anything in your original post let me know, and the next time you want to smoke up some ribs. Just ask us. We're more then willing to help you out.

I think your using a Weber Kettle. They will work fine with either lump charcoal or briquettes. I use briquettes because I can control the heat easier, and I've never had an ash problem with ribs or anything come to think of it.

Chris

 

[SmokinEdge]

^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^ Chris has you covered.

 

[chopsaw]

I cook til they probe tender

Same here . Gives consistent results for me .

 

[Kuniyosh]

It sounds like they were under-cooked. I'm having a hard time following your post, but if I understand it correctly. You smoked them 340* for about 45 min. then after you choked down the smoker to 225* by closing all the vents you let them ride for another 1.5 hrs. After the smoker you put them in a 225* oven for another 1.5 hrs. So that's about 3 hrs 45 mins. if I read your post correctly.

The 2-2-1 method for BB ribs is 2hrs in the smoker unwrapped, 2 hrs. in the smoker wrapped, and the final hr in the smoker unwrapped. This is with your smokers temp set to 225* to 250*. Your method fell short by a little over an 1hr. That and I don't recall you mentioning if you wrapped them. I think when you probed the ribs and saw the 200* internal temp of the meat. Your probe was either all the way thru the meat or right near the edge of the meat. Giving you a false reading. I'm also kind of surprised the ribs didn't have an off taste if they were in the smoker while you were choking it down. That's a whole lot of bad smoke they were sitting in.

If I misinterpreted anything in your original post let me know, and the next time you want to smoke up some ribs. Just ask us. We're more then willing to help you out.

I think your using a Weber Kettle. They will work fine with either lump charcoal or briquettes. I use briquettes because I can control the heat easier, and I've never had an ash problem with ribs or anything come to think of it.

Chris

Thanks Christ.

I didn’t wrap them. That was the mistake. Also, bad smoke when choking down? I am unsure what you mean. I lay the wood on the cooking grate so it smoulders and does burn. When it was that hot I took the wood out because of the amount of smoke. Had read too much smoke is not good. Is that what you meant?

 

[SmokingUPnorth]

Undercooked! I do baby backs for 5 hours at around 225*. The 3rd and 4th hour wrapped in foil. You know they are done when they oss the bend test and you can see the meat pulling back from the bones.