first attempt at smoking, rub recommendations please

Ok, so this weekend I will do my first smoker. Last week my buddy smoked some ribs and I couldn’t believe what I was missing out on (used to do them on my grill via indirect heat). So, yesterday I bought my WSM 18.5 ’09 off drugstore.com (great price). Well, even though mine doesn’t come till next week, my buddy is letting me be the cook tomorrow on his to try out my technique. Unfortunately, his isn’t the WSM, but it will do for now . I have read almost every page on VWB for tips on smoking and feel I am ready for the cook. However, I can not narrow down on a rub to use. So here is what I have and what I like:
Spare rib cut StLouis style (first time cutting it myself, but the video posted on here was a huge help)
Plenty of spices at hand, will buy more if need be
I tend to prefer a sweeter rib, subtle sweetness though, not overly done. Some ingredients I liked using when doing them before were chili powder, garlic salt, cumin, brown sugar, pepper.

I bought a 18lb bag of Kingsford (blue bag) and we have a bag of hickory and a bag of Mesquite chunks as well. Unfortunately no store around here sold any other kind or I would have loved to try apple like everyone seems to recommend.

I also have the Weber chimney for the coals, and I plan on using the minion method, unless told otherwise.

We are doing 3 racks, 2 spare ribs and one baby back. We each are doing our own rubs and this is why I am here…. Recommendations….

So, please, fill me in haha

-one more thing. His smoker has an open bottom. The coal pan is attached to the smoker at a couple points which leaves a ring around the bottom for air to get in. Should I try to close off some of this with foil to reduce airflow for lower temps? He had an issue last week with temps climbing past 250 and had to constantly spray water on the coals. He used a pie sized dish with beer on the middle rack below the ribs. I was thinking also to try to get a bigger foil pan for more liquid... maybe use water instead?

Hey Matt! what is your technique that you were talking about? that might have to do with it a bit (what kind of rub to use) just curious. Mainly just visualize what you want. If you like literally falling off the bone ribs then the cook may go a bit longer then what you've might have read in some places on the site. If using the pick up w/ tongs till they bend easy, test (whatever you call it) then you may want to cook longer then that to where there quite easily broken. before I continue typing i'll/we'll see what you say about your technique. I usually wouldn't but might say using foil might be a help to you for consistancy. (maybe, I ain't no pro) I know Dave/G and I are on the "put em on 5-6, dont peek and pull when tender" method.

Well I use "technique" loosely. What I meant was start to learn a technique haha. I think I plan to use a full weber chimney of unlit coals, topped with 20 lit coals. 2 chunks of hickory and 2 chunks of mesquite on top with another chunk or two buried in the unlit coals. I am guessing that I will smoke em for somewhere between 5-7 hours.

As for tenderness, I prefer them to pull away from the bone easily when pulled but not so tender that they are barely on the bone in the first place (I hope that makes sense)

I also plan to spray them with apple juice at random times as well and top them with a think layer of sweet BBQ sauce.

well that sounds like it WILL work! All I can say is from my learning "ladder" or whatever you call it is that I would try to somewhat blend the rub, w/ whats in the sauce. When I first started (and I am in some ways back into, now) it was simple. Of course I just followed a few recipies, like a lot of folks im sure. This was a somewhat simple, but really good (I thought) rib. Its leaning tword the vinigary (sp?) sauce side, of course you could adjust to taste. here is just something to read about it.. just shows appearantly that its somewhat popular.
My other favorite thing to do is use the original "Texas BBQ Rub" with a sauce (I serve seperatly) somewhat close to this basic recipie (of course just adjust to what you might or might not like as much, I add some more spice to it and whatnot)
2 Cup Ketchup
2 Cup tomato sauce
1 1/4 cup Brown sugar
1 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup molasses
4 tsp. hickory (or whatever) liquid smoke
2 TBL. Butter
1/2 tsp. garlic pwdr. and onion pwdr.
1/4 tsp. chili pwdr.
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/4 tsp. ground cinnimon
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
Split this in half and that is plenty, if fills one of my bottles easy. I've changed things around so much before I don't even know what im adding and subtracting from it and it depends day to day but i'de say the first 7 ingredients give a heck of a good start, really. From there I ussually cut out and fill in and get as carried away as I like. I don't like garlic pwdr in that much amount in this though... not sure why but I don't really like it in bbq as much as everything else period (don't listen to me ) Chili pwdr. isn't very special either compared to chipolte pwder, or other actuall chilE's (like, real peppers) powders (although cumin on the other hand, in rub can be pretty damn good tasting to me)...dude, it may be kind of silly sounding but you could just chop up some hot pepper chunks for sauce and put em in there too, hell it works i like it, lol. just pull the chunks out when your done (I do that cause I put it in a bottle..dont really want to chew on em either). Bring to boil then simmer about 10 or so minutes. I found it online but its appearantly disapeared so I couldn't link it to you. I don't know if anyone else would like this but if I ever start completely from scratch I always kind of like the start of this one, and go from there as so to not cancel out the flavor of the rub. (hope that made sense). hope im at least a little help. Also I know it may not be super popular to use the texas bbq rub w/ pork but I cant help it, its so good, lol. see what you think. Hopefully I at least didn't lead you to wrongly, theres much more knowledgable folks on here then me, but I know what I like anyway. good luck, report back!
Don't forget to check out the sauce and rub section of forum, lots of good stuff.

So far the smoke is rough.... My buddys smoker has no controllable vents on the bottom, just the ring around the charcoal pit that allows air in and a 2" diameter hole on top.... On top of that, we have 25+mph winds today and it is making temps rough haha. I have to keep adding on fresh coals about every 30 min (I add about 5 at a time) just to try to keep the temp from getting below 200 (many times it goes as low as 175).

Any suggestions? We don't have anything to create a wind break and we have already moved it to minimize the wind, but the wind is EVERYWHERE haha.

p.s. for the rub this time I chose the BRITU but with much less salt

almost three hours in and as long as I shift the coals every 30 min and add a couple on, temps are staying in the 200-225 range

thats sounding better. Dont fear your temps for ribs getting into the 250-280 range, or actually even higher. There shouldn't be any damage or anything like that. They actually can cook at a higher temp, but if they are I would probably use foil (even though I ussually don't bother with it) but it doesn't sound like your cooking in those temperatures (which is fine). Sounds like your ok though. I gotta say though, I don't want you put off by this experience any because w/ a WSM you can be inside making sides and desserts while its outside generally holding within 10-20 degrees of where you want it (except hurricanes, typhoons, etc.). There pretty sweet, esp. when you get the hang of amounts of fuel to use, type, times, etc., it would almost be cheating if it wasn't for propane and electric smokers,

I regret to admit that the ribs did not turn out so well I started them at 11am and took them off at 530pm.... you would think after all that time they would be done.... nope. I think the low temps rocked my world. I had trouble the entire time keeping temps at even 200 (kept dipping to temps in the 180-200 range) For a couple hours in there I kept it between 200 & 220 but that was it. In the end, they were not fall of the bone tender, & they did not have that much of a smokey flavor to them (although, they did have some). The spice and the sauce were great, but the quality of the meat itself was not what I expected after last weeks successful smoke. Of course, nobody would admit it and they all said they were great, but I have a high standard for a smoke I guess haha.
Even though I am sure a good cook can do it on anything, I am going to chalk this one up as because I used my buddy's crummy non well insulated smoker and pray I have better luck next weekend when I should have my new WSM. I leave you tonight with my head hung low, but high hopes for next weekend..........


In summary: used a charbroil OLD smoker (red can type smoker) with about 2-3 chimneys worth of Kingsford coals (blue bag) 8 chunks of Hickory, the last three put on in 1 hour intervals towards the end. Winds were upwards of 25+mph at 65-70F. 3 racks (2 spare, i baby) about 6-7 hours of cooking