Suggestions for grill setup...baby back ribs on a MasterTouch 22.


 
DubfromGA

DubfromGA

TVWBB Fan
Good morning all.


Was going to cook some baby back ribs and may use my MasterTouch22 for it.


Figured I'd run a full side chamber of Kingsford with some wood chunks mixed in there, a pair of slabs off to the other side with top vent positioned over them to get good smoke draw over them.

Didn't know about the recommended vent settings and would appreciate your suggestions.


I may be adding a couple butts, too. If I do this then I'll simply be firing up the WSM and doing it that way instead. Depends on time available tomorrow.
 
I'd throttle down the bottom to about 30% and let it ride. I marked mine at 1/2 and down to 1/4, it really makes the dialing things down easier when you're tired or someone "HAS to help!"
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
I'd throttle down the bottom to about 30% and let it ride. I marked mine at 1/2 and down to 1/4, it really makes the dialing things down easier when you're tired or someone "HAS to help!"
Click to expand...

Marking the vent settings with a Sharpie is a good trick and it works great. You'll also need to close the top vent a bit to fine tune the temp. Low and slow in the kettle isn't that easy to maintain, but it can be done. I mostly cook with charcoal baskets, one on each side. Here are my marks, left to right: 1. Fully closed; 2. Cracked open about 1/8 (good for 300 or so with the top at about 1/2); 3. Half open; 4. Wide open

Kettle vent by Jeff Hasselberger, on Flickr
 
Exactly! Mine are getting a little "dim" I will re mark them when I clean things up next.
I use the "classic" Weber double basket design most of the time too, I've tried a ton of other arrangements but, more often than not, it works for me. I will be using the same design on two kettles on Saturday, then I will maybe use the WSM for something else.
 
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Timothy F. Lewis said:
Mine are getting a little "dim" ...
Click to expand...

Haha! I just redid mine to shoot the photo this morning. If I need to go real low and slow, I'll just use one basket. The double basket is also convenient since one of those throwaway aluminum cake pans fits neatly between them to catch drips from things like chicken wings. I also have an 18.5 WSM for actual smokin'. I'm getting a rib jones myself. Maybe this weekend ...

Jeff
 
Funny thing about the kettles. I've almost always left the bottom full open and then control the temps with the top vent. The only time I move it is to "blade out" remaining dust and sometimes they're stuck. I wear a glove to push most of the ash/drippings, etc into the catcher. With a WSM, bottom vents open a 1/3, top vent 1/3. Rarely do I move those either!

Air flow is air flow. It's often 6 of 1, 1/2 dz the other.

But certainly it's hard to mess with success so stick to what you know!
 
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