Ribs on Pellet Smoker

[smokyvalleybbq]

Anyone else get charred burnt ribs on their pellet grill? No matter how low of heat or how I do them, they burn on the crust because of the heat being right below. Pit boss pellet grill, closed baffle.

 

[smokngun]

What temps are you smoking at? Which model of smoker? What rub are you using? Have you double checked your smoker temps? Reason I ask is because obviously high temps will cause this. Rubs with high sugar content will burn quicker. I had A Pit boss it was very inconsistent with temps, I checked my temps with a calibrated thermometer and mine would be set at 250 and run anywhere between 360 to 200.

 

[WaterRat]

A few things I can think of: get a grate temp probe to make sure it’s what the smoker says it is; make sure the smoker is pre-heated well so the unit isn’t trying to adjust; dont use rub on the bottom, just S&P or at least low sugar; turbinado sugar has a higher burn temp than regular sugar. On my old dying PitBoss I rotate my rib racks every hour or so for more even cooking. Lastly either mop the heck out of them after the bark is set or wrap em. Hope some of this helps. Good luck.

 

[sandyut]

Sounds strange. I run them at 250 till IT is 195-200. Which is almost always about 6 hours. Never had char or burnt areas.

not super familiar with the Pit Boss. What does “closed baffle” mean? My pellet grill has no baffle. Just thermostat.

 

[TNJAKE]

Sounds strange. I run them at 250 till IT is 195-200. Which is almost always about 6 hours. Never had char or burnt areas.

not super familiar with the Pit Boss. What does “closed baffle” mean? My pellet grill has no baffle. Just thermostat.

By baffle he’s probably referring to the slide that opens and shuts for flame searing

 

[schlotz]

Anyone else get charred burnt ribs on their pellet grill? No matter how low of heat or how I do them, they burn on the crust because of the heat being right below. Pit boss pellet grill, closed baffle.

Welcome to SMF! As mentioned above two things need to be checked. 1st, get a calibrated reporting thermometer with at least two probes, one being for the grate, and verify the grate temp vs setting on the smoker. I use one from ThermoWorks. 2nd, rubs containing sugar can create char since the sugar burns easily.

 

[JLinza]

Not sure exactly how you're setting up but, could it be flaring up from fat drippings? Moving it to the top rack and adding a water pan could help also. Again Not sure of your pit and not super familiar with pellets either. But all of the above posts are good advice also.

 

[smokyvalleybbq]

Thanks everyone for the advice. When I cooked on the offset they'd come out immaculate, but the pellet grill has the burner directly underneath so I cooks differently. All we want is two slabs of ribs so when I use the easier method they're charred to heck lol. Some brown sugar yes, I might need to leave that out. And I'll have to check the temp, I guess those things might be higher even though it's on 225 to 230 the whole time. Never really considered that.

 

[schlotz]

Not saying your smoker is one, but in general built-in therms are notorious for being inaccurate. Always use a calibrated unit so you know exactly what your grate temp is.

 

[SmokinAl]

Try turbinado sugar, it won’t burn like brown sugar does. Walmart sells it.
Al

 

[BigW.]

All good info above. I try and avoid cooking in the direct center of my pellet. I will put butts on the right side near the stack. I have a second rack that I can put in to also get things a bit higher off the 1st rack. Cut the ribs in half and place on right and left sides of grill? Get a rib rack and place towards the front or back? Just a few possibilities...to avoid the hot center.

 

[smokyvalleybbq]

You guys weren't mistaking. I have an older style of pit boss where the dial has smoke,, 200, 225, 250, 300 etc. I had it on 200 and my thermometer read 273. So when I cooked at 225 it was running over 300. Lol

 

[schlotz]

Yup, never trust a bull-in thermometer.

 

[WaterRat]

You guys weren't mistaking. I have an older style of pit boss where the dial has smoke,, 200, 225, 250, 300 etc. I had it on 200 and my thermometer read 273. So when I cooked at 225 it was running over 300. Lol

Yeah, those controllers suck… I‘Ve replaced mine several times, last time with a slightly updated unit made for a traeger…doesnt fit properly but it works…