mushy ribs


 
J

Josh-NY

New member
i've tried smoking ribs several times in the WSM and each time, it seems like they come out somewhat mushy and without much firmness or crispness. I don't foil them and tend to cook them longer than the recipes call for because I use the "tear test" and they tend to not be able to be torn for quite a while.

I tend to cook the ribs on the top grate with something else cooking below, usually a brisket. I'd love to figure out how to cook ribs until they are firm and have a certain crispness on the outside. Any suggestions?
 
Temperature? and you don't marinate or anything do ya? anything liquid at all on em? how long do they seem to take. w/ the temp u use. thanks
 
What temp are you cooking at? Getting mushy ribs without foil sounds like you might be over cooking them. You can do a higher heat cook for ribs. Instead of the tear test use the stick test, using a probe or fork to test for doneness. How long and how are you resting your ribs if you do so?
 
thanks for getting back so quick Dan. The temperature generally stays in the 225-230 range. I don't marinate them. Sometimes I baste them with bbq sauce but thats toward the end. Usually it takes 5.5 to 6 hours or so. Should i try to bring the temperature up at the end to firm them?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Josh:
I don't rest the ribs, Bryan. IS that something i should be doing? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I was seeing if you were wrapping them in foil and resting which might lead to mushy ribs if you rest for too long, and get a great deal of carry over cooking/heating. Mushy too me is rolled oats oatmeal, mashed taters, etc. What is mushy to you? On your next cook, cook the ribs in the 250-275 range or you could go as high as 325-350 if Baby Backs and do the probe test for doneness regardless. When a probe or fork goes into the ribs like room temp butter, they are done. Also what kind of ribs you cookin, Baby Backs or Spares? I'm guessing Baby Backs and where and what brand are they?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Josh:
They're baby backs from Costco </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
OK. What do you consider mushy. I need answers to my questions to help you. Say you use tongs to remove the ribs, and if they are mushy then they would fall apart, do they fall aprt when you pick them up or do they stay as one whole rack? I know when I go to pull my Baby Backs off that they can break in half about dead center in the rack if I'm not carefull, does this happen to you? When ribs are done they are soft inside, sounds like this might just be a bark issue, yes or no? My ribs are nice and tender inside but not falling off the bone tender with a nice crisp tooth on the outside/bark.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Josh:
thanks for getting back so quick Dan. The temperature generally stays in the 225-230 range. I don't marinate them. Sometimes I baste them with bbq sauce but thats toward the end. Usually it takes 5.5 to 6 hours or so. Should i try to bring the temperature up at the end to firm them? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Josh, where are you measuring your temp in the dome or at the grate? Have you tested your thermometers to assure they are accurate?

5.5-6 hours is a bit long for loin backs in my opinion. I generally cook them with a dome temp in the 245-260* range in the smoke for 2.5-3 hours, foil for 45 minutes then back on the grill for saucing for another 45 minutes with increased temps. This method gives me very consistent results with tender ribs with a nice bite, NOT falling off the bone.
 
Josh:

Like it has been stated before it sounds like you are over cooking the ribs. One way to tell if the ribs are done is to watch the bones at the end of the rib rack. When the meat starts pulling away from the ends of the bone, the ribs are done. Keep on playing with them you will be it right and have fun doing it.
 
All my ribs have turned out perfect, and my process is similar to Larry's.

usually 230-240 at the grate for 3 hours, then I foil & put back on for 45-60 minutes and bump up the temp to 275 for that last 45. That has give me the most consistent & best results. Trying to use the 3.2.1 method didn't yield the consistent pullback from the bone/tear test that it should have.
 
Bryan, I consider mushy to be something less than firm. The good pieces of meat on the bone tend to be what seems a bit too moist so that when you would bite into it, you don't get that typical feeling of breaking into the meat with good bark on the outside. I use a good rub (the BRITU rub from this website).
I do measure temperature at the dome, though I just bought a thermometer that I can lay on the cooking grate. I'm pretty sure the thermometer that I was using is accurate, if it is off, it couldn't be off by more than 5-10 degrees.
The ribs do tend to stay together when i take them off the grate, but I use the method of putting a skewer through the ribs, so i think that has something to do with them staying together. Maybe it is a bark issue...but i always feel that if anything, I am too generous with the rub.
I am thinking it also could be that i do need to kick up the temperature at the end to firm them up a bit...I know i have made ribs on my gas grill before and have kept the temperature closer to 300 and they were delicious. My problem is always that I am cooking 2 things in the WSM at the same time and I don't want to kick the temps up so that the other food cooks to quickly.

Oh, and thank you all so much for your help. I'm new here but it seems like a great community.
 
That's the info I needed. Josh, 225 temp in the lid only gets you 210-215 on the top grate and 205-210 on the lower grate. Good move on getting the thermo for grate temp readings. I would say that while you are cooking the ribs, the temps are too low to get a good bark to form. You would want about 240-260 in the lid to get a good bark on your ribs. Many cook Baby Backs higher up to 325 grate temp.
 
great, I'm sure thats what it is. Maybe when i have multiple items to cook and i don't want to raise the temperature above 250, i'll switch the ribs over to my weber kettle grill to bring the temp higher there while not disturbing the brisket or pork butt that i'm cooking in the WSM
 
Josh,
Bryan and Larry have given you great advice regarding the temp and timeframe. Those guys really know thier stuff. I think your ribs were getting overcooked with 5.5 to 6 hrs. That is probably my average time for spares. Welcome to the site.

Greg J
 
greg, looking at what they wrote, i totally agree... I think they were cooking too long and at too low of a temperature, so rather then firming up and getting a nice bark, they were getting overly done and soggy
 
sorry josh left and had to go to bed, worked early. My very first thought i'de actually like to ask you, and everybody, was is there such thing as enhanced ribs?? I've never seen them but when I accedently bought my first "enhanced" pork butte it was a nasty ole thing. Hammy+mushy(like u describe ur ribs)salty, and overpowering to my rub and smoke flavors. I can't imagine but was wandering Josh, and everyone. btw i'm a 235-250 temp. kinda guy, only cause it sure works for me, no mush here. many go higher as you can see, and i've done both temp ranges, both are well. I being a bit new seem to have found a certain consistancy w/ foiling also for end part of cook, but there's so many great ways i'm sure. I think I was late w/ the foil cause mine at higher temps had more of a "burned" look, but i'm no expert. i'm just not that technical, no matter what, yours will be better then any commercial (i think is the word) bbq joint, and do what your family likes best. If there not "enhanced" ribs, go w/ all of the above. good luck amigo. -Dan
 
Yes to those nasty enhanced ribs and while we are it Brisket too, as some here have reported, so be on the lookout for them. The label is small and they tend to place them were one doesn't look saying that the meat is enhanced with X% salt solution. AFAIK Costco doesn't sell enhanced meat. The main prob with Josh's ribs was while the thermo in the lid vent said 225 it was way cooler than that on the top grate and if they were on the bottom grate....... I just can't see getting any kind of bark to form with temps that low. 225 grate temp IMO is as low, the min one should cook at. My min low temp is 235 grate, except when making bacon, I do 170-180 for that. Baby Backs, Spares, Butt, Brisket, Chuck Rolls, etc. all do well at 250 grate and higher and you get nice bark on the meat.
 
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