1st Smoke - What did I do wrong (w/pics)

[Phil L.]

bought 2, three paks of baby backs from sams club.

fired up smoker with one chimney kingsford unlit, followed by one completely red/ashed chimney..

assembled WSM, added warm water to waterpan...

put one four racks, of which i rubbed with recipe i found online, 2 on each grate, then added 5 chunks of wood..

cooked for 3.5 hrs @ 225 measured on top grate... cooked for another half hour with sauce.

there was not that much pull-back from bones, and the meat though cooked, was not fall-off-bones...

should i have foiled?

both pics are at 3.5 hours..

 

[LarryR]

Sounds like you didn't cook them long enough.

 

[Phil L.]

thats the thing though..

the ends were getting pretty charred.. i like the burnt pieces but even as it was, it was a little too burnt already.. not sure how much longer i could have kept it on there..

btw, do you guys see the pics?

i'm seeing a broken picture link icon..?

 

[Bryan S]

At a 225º cooking grate temp, for only 3.5 hrs. you didn't cook em long enough, def undercooked IMO. I cook my BB's at a 250º cooking grate temp for 5 hrs and they come out perfect. I see nothing but red X's where the pics should be. If they were that dark after only a few hrs. sounds like maybe the ends were hanging out in the hot zone for too long, or maybe too much sugar in the rub recipe???

 

[LarryR]

My preference is it cut my ribs in 1/2 and rack them. Keeps the ends from hanging over the outside hot zone.

 

[j biesinger]

certainly brings back memories of my first attempts.

get things hotter (250ish) and you'll have an easier time getting them to tender. Once you know more what you're looking for, you can back down on the heat and decide for yourself whether lower is better.

 

[Lou Tarnay]

I suggest that you check your thermometer. 225 for 3.5 hours should not be charring the end of the ribs. 225 at top grate for 5 hours for babies is about right. Add an hour for spares. Something is rotten in Denmark!

 

[Clay Cope]

I would recommend foiling for fall off the bone ribs. 2 to 3 hours unfoiled, 1 hour foiled, then finish with sauce generally works for some killer ribs.

 

[Craig C]

Hi Phil, I agree with Clay. When you foil, put a little apple juice/brown sugar mix in the foil. 3.5 hrs doesn't sound long enough. 4.5 to 5 hrs between 225 - 250 degrees.