Rib Fail

[hooked on smoke]

I'm disappointed in myself. I had this beautiful rack of pork back ribs and my smoking dried them out. I followed the same method I have been doing for the last several cooks. Set the PID for 235, got the pellets, (italian spice was all I had left, time to order more),
going in the Amazen tray loaded into my MES40 GEN1 mailbox attachment. I did use water in the pan as I always do.
Headed into the house to get the dry rub on the ribs.
I have not wrapped my ribs for the last few cooks and have had pretty darn good results.
This time not so much. I spritzed every hour or so after the first 3hrs with Black cherry juices and cider vinegar mix. They were in for about 4-1/2 hours. I normally go by sight and feel but decided to check these with my instant read thermometer. They got up to 148 before I pulled them to rest. Could that be my problem?
Over cooked? Dang it!
They had good flavor but were dry.
Bummer.
Thanks for looking and any advice.

 

[Buckeye02]

I'm disappointed in myself. I had this beautiful rack of pork back ribs and my smoking dried them out. I followed the same method I have been doing for the last several cooks. Set the PID for 235, got the pellets, (italian spice was all I had left, time to order more),
going in the Amazen tray loaded into my MES40 GEN1 mailbox attachment. I did use water in the pan as I always do.
Headed into the house to get the dry rub on the ribs.
I have not wrapped my ribs for the last few cooks and have had pretty darn good results.
This time not so much. I spritzed every hour or so after the first 3hrs with Black cherry juices and cider vinegar mix. They were in for about 4-1/2 hours. I normally go by sight and feel but decided to check these with my instant read thermometer. They got up to 148 before I pulled them to rest. Could that be my problem?
Over cooked? Dang it!
They had good flavor but were dry.
Bummer.
Thanks for looking and any advice.

At 148 they were actually undercooked. 195 seems to be good for a decent bite through for me and 205 for fall off the bone. I never cook by time. Always by temp.

 

[browneyesvictim]

Underdone actually. 148 was way too early to pull them. Go to 195 or so and start checking them. At 205 they will be fall off the bone.
To be at only 148 in 4-1/2 hours at 235' is a little unusual though.

 

[zwiller]

Those ribs looks a lot like the onse we have here. HUGE with lots of meat... Throw 321 out the window! Last run took like 10hours. Totally agree 195F IT.

 

[hooked on smoke]

Thanks for your replies. Pork ribs go that hi? Wow I guess I'm still new. I typically have gone by time, 2-2-1, on my pork ribs and they come out not quite falling off the bone. This was a 1/2 rack so I figured they wouldn't need as long. They were the "thickest" ribs I've done to date. Wow I'm feeling like a dummy.
Lesson learned. Thanks again for schooling me.

 

[SmokyMose]

Like mentioned, 195 is usually the IT right time. Where did you come up with 148?
I would go back to your sight and feel method. That's how I usually do it with ribs, too.

 

[hooked on smoke]

The whiter meat was dry and chalky while the rest of the rib was okay. Oh well I'll nail it next time.

 

[Buckeye02]

The whiter meat was dry and chalky while the rest of the rib was okay. Oh well I'll nail it next time.

I try to avoid the ribs with that much loin meat on them myself. I've never had very good luck with meaty loin ribs

 

[hooked on smoke]

Like mentioned, 195 is usually the IT right time. Where did you come up with 148?
I would go back to your sight and feel method. That's how I usually do it with ribs, too.

I Google pork back ribs internal temp. see below.. Like a bonehead I didn't read all the way through. I saw the "bold" 145 and bingo there you have it.


145°F

According to USDA, ribs are “done” when they are 145°F internal temp, but they may still be tough. If you take them up to 190 to 203°F, the collagens and fats melt at this temp and make the meat more tender and juicy. Then they're ready

 

[Chasdev]

If you still have them, wrap them in foil with some liquid inside and pop them in the oven at 275 for an hour or so and recheck the temp.
They will come out just fine, I've finished more than one slow cooking rib rack in the oven.

 

[Brokenhandle]

Don't be afraid to smoke at higher temps either. I've done spare ribs on my kettle at 300 degrees no wrap, no waterbowl , no spritz and love the way they come out... a nice bite through!

Ryan

 

[Buckeye02]

Don't be afraid to smoke at higher temps either. I've done spare ribs on my kettle at 300 degrees no wrap, no waterbowl , no spritz and love the way they come out... a nice bite through!

View attachment 504642View attachment 504643

Ryan

I also like to cook ribs now on my kettle vs all my other cookers. 275-300 with some hickory chunks using the SNS

 

[Winterrider]

Have you "Verified" your MES PID pit temps with a digital thermometer to make sure its what it is set for?

 

[chopsaw]

The whiter meat was dry and chalky while the rest of the rib was okay.

Yup , well you now know about the temp , but that white meat ( as was mentioned above ) is from the loin . That's the reason I don't cook BB any more .
Next time you do ribs look for some spares and cook to probe tender .

 

[sandyut]

They got up to 148 before I pulled them to rest. Could that be my problem?

that is 100% the issue. I usually take BBs to 195...but thats been said. I never wrap my ribs either. I make mine as simple as possible. rub them down, smokem at 250 till IT 195.

 

[Hamdrew]

I like spares better myself, too, and the much higher fat content means dryness should never be a real issue. I prefer using stuff like the bend test, but going to 195*F is a safe bet. The carry-over will take them to 200*F+; The higher the temp you cook them at, the higher the carry-over spike, meaning cooking at 275*F to 195*F IT will be a little softer than cooking at 225*F.

 

[hooked on smoke]

Thanks to all of you for your input. I will be avoiding those, (what I thought were aweesome looking), thick ribs.
Again, lesson learned.
Happy smoking.

 

[hooked on smoke]

If you still have them, wrap them in foil with some liquid inside and pop them in the oven at 275 for an hour or so and recheck the temp.
They will come out just fine, I've finished more than one slow cooking rib rack in the oven.

I'll give that a try. Thanks.

 

[chopsaw]

Thanks to all of you for your input. I will be avoiding those, (what I thought were aweesome looking), thick ribs.

Might think about a revisit and cooking to a higher temp . You can find BB without all that loin meat . Then you can decide to abort or not .
These don't have that hunk of loin .

 

[jcam222]

Everyone has you covered on the finish temp range. I’ve darn near quit buying babybacks as around here they all seem to have way to much loin left attached. Thrilled to grab some spares at Kroger last week for $1.79 / lbs.