Smoke time on beef baby back ribs

[PassTheFlux]

hello,

This is my first time smoking beef ribs and am really excited to do it. I am however unsure on the expected timeframe to do it in. I have 11 pounds of them, is it like other meat, as in around an hour or more per pound?

Thanks did all the info!

 

[tallbm]

hello,

This is my first time smoking beef ribs and am really excited to do it. I am however unsure on the expected timeframe to do it in. I have 11 pounds of them, is it like other meat, as in around an hour or more per pound?

Thanks did all the info!

Hi there and welcome!

You mention beef back ribs. I have never done them before because they always just look like bones to me. If they are back ribs then I would guess you just check periodically for tenderness between the rib bones because I don't think you can probe those things.

If these are beef or plate ribs then at a smoker temp of 275F they will go a hair over 1hr a pound if you don't open the smoker. They are done when they are tender all over AND you stab a tooth pic between the bone and the membrane of the meat and it is tender there as well. This does not apply for beef back ribs.

I hope this info helps out some :)

 

[PassTheFlux]

Hey tallbm,

That was my initial thought, however I have seen a few places that have been saying only a few hours may be enough. I am going to smoke them at 275 and just have no experience with the timeframe it will take. With 11 pounds I am scared it will take 12 hours, which makes my start time at 5 am.

 

[tallbm]

Since they have little meat on them I would put a meat probe in between the center most ribs and when the probe hits 200F I would begin checking for tenderness. When the meat is tender AND the ribs are tender between the bone and the membrane to the meat.
Also keep an eye that they don't dry out on you as well.

I think at 275F you will find them at about an hour a pound.

Let us know how it comes out! :)

 

[zwiller]

90m per lb on MES for me for most smokes. Really depends on smoker. MES the slowest and big ole stick burner fastest. Timing takes some experience but you definitely wanna err on the safe side until you some smokes under your belt. That being said, ribs are thin compared to say brisket or butt and that translates into faster cook so like tallbm is saying prolly 60 low and 90 high.

 

[PassTheFlux]

Alright thanks for all the guidance! Will give it 12 hours smoke and 1 hour rest. Hoping that is enough.

Will send pics on Sunday!

 

[tallbm]

Alright thanks for all the guidance! Will give it 12 hours smoke and 1 hour rest. Hoping that is enough.

Will send pics on Sunday!

I would suggest checking the ribs at about the 3 hour mark and then periodically from there until you know how they are going. I would hate for you to show up 12 hours later to charcoal on bones :)

 

[PassTheFlux]

Haha of course I got thermos in there. I have also thought of spritzing it with a water/bourbon mix. What do you guys think of that?

 

[PassTheFlux]

Well that was an experience to say the least. With the new insulation on the smoker I spent the better part of a day just trying to keep my ribs from over cooking. However they came out great for only having around 6-7 hour cook time. The temp hovered around 275-290 most of the time and I used a water bourbon spritz to keep the meat wet, next time I will cook them lower and depending on humidity I may add a water pan. Attached are some pictures, enjoy.

 

[tallbm]

Well that was an experience to say the least. With the new insulation on the smoker I spent the better part of a day just trying to keep my ribs from over cooking. However they came out great for only having around 6-7 hour cook time. The temp hovered around 275-290 most of the time and I used a water bourbon spritz to keep the meat wet, next time I will cook them lower and depending on humidity I may add a water pan. Attached are some pictures, enjoy.

Great job! Those look nothing like the back ribs I see around here.
Here are what beef back ribs look like around here:

You can see why I made the comments about being all bones from this pic lol.

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

Great job! Those look nothing like the back ribs I see around here.
Here are what beef back ribs look like around here:

You can see why I made the comments about being all bones from this pic lol.

That's what we get around here. Cryo packed and said "beef back ribs". Looks like they took them off a starved alley cat and they are $6.99 lb

 

[tallbm]

That's what we get around here. Cryo packed and said "beef back ribs". Looks like they took them off a starved alley cat and they are $6.99 lb

Yeah I don't get it.
If they were $0.99/lb maybe they would be good to buy for soups and stuff but I can't figure out what people are using them for at $6.99/lb when they are like 80% bone.

 

[PassTheFlux]

I was lucky to find them for 3.99 around here and I still felt cheated with how little cams out at the end!

 

[tallbm]

I was lucky to find them for 3.99 around here and I still felt cheated with how little cams out at the end!

Yeah, stick with beef plate ribs or short ribs. Back ribs are just a little skimpy. Live and learn... and eat the results :D