3-2-1 Method


 
W

William Lane

New member
Hey everyone, I'm new to the forum, but have been cooking with my WSM for a couple years now. Anyway, I've never tried using the foil method of cooking ribs and just wanted to get everyone's opinion on it. From what I have read, it definitely helps keep the ribs moist through the cooking process. Do most of you use the 3-2-1 method? Let me know what you think.
 
A lot of people shorten the time in foil to an hour I think. That being said, I just did some super thick (2") babybacks Friday and to make sure they got tender I went 3-2-1 @ ~260 and they were the best ribs I've ever done. I personally have never had much luck without using foil. So, I would say depending on what kind of ribs, what temp you cook at, and how you like your finished product all determine how long you should foil. Just do smaller amounts (1-2 racks) until you figure out what is working best for you.
 
Some people say yes, some people say no. Try it and see for yourself!

Personally I didn't do it until Harry from Slap yo Daddy BBQ answered did a Q&A session on this site and he's a fan of foiling. I tried it then found he was right!

http://www.slapyodaddybbq.com/
 
If you are itching to try foiling, go for one hour and see how you like them. I tried two hours once and found that was too long in foil for my taste. See what you think.
 
I rarely do foil, but I'd skip the apple juice or similiar liquids added to the foil. The foil itself will trap enough moisture for steaming the ribs. The liquid won't do anything to help the bark and robs flavor and texture. Just add B.S. and honey, maybe some butter or Parkay. Also, don't go strictly by 3-2-1. When they look how you want 'em to look, wrap 'em up, but don't forget about 'em! After removing from foil, they don't need an hour more. Take out of the foil when tender, and only leave on pit long enough for glaze to set...Oh yeah, and get ready for those temp spikes when you go to start all that wrapping and checking, too. (Try just one rack the first time.) Contrary to popular opinion 'round here, a full water pan will help in this dept. Good luck with it!
 
Thanks for all the inputs guys. The only ribs I smoke are baby backs and have had pretty good success without using foil, but every once in a while I end up with some that are not as moist as I would like. It looked like using foil might help with that. I try to stay around 225 when cooking. The next time I do some ribs, I'll try it out. Thanks again.
 
I like to over foil my spares to really get the fat to cook away. I use more of a 1.5-3-1 method with high heat and love the outcome. Yes thats right, 3 hrs in foil.
Baby backs are totally different, I don't even foil them sometimes.
 
I have never foiled anything . IMO there no reason to it messes up the bark and you never get it back to what it was befor foiling IMO ymmv .

Besides the texture I get IMHO is perfect .
 
Out of curiosity, if I were using rib racks I imagine it would be near impossible to put it back on the rack after it's been foiled. I imagine the ribs would start breaking apart. Do most 3-2-1ers just put them straight on the grill?
 
Stogies Rib Recipe This is what I use to cook ribs if I want to foil them. You maintain a low temp (225) and follow the timeline, and the ribs will turn out great. I just did these at an amatuer comp locally and came home 2nd out of 8 teams.
 
I use racks before foiling and put the ribs directly on the grill after foiling. For me, foiling gets them to pull off the bones a little easier. My wife and some other friends love ribs that almost fall apart. Personally, I would prefer the bark and flavor without foil.
 
when first doing ribs i did the foil thing. was a pain for me. so tried not doing foil and it turned out just fine for me so i no longer foil. i do rotate the ribs though i doubt its really necessary.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Paul Lai:
I'm in the 300+F w/o foil camp </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Please elaborate.

If not mistaken, I tried spares once at a higher temp and found that they got a little dark and too crusty (stiff and dry) on the outside before they became tender. I've never tried it with loinbacks or babybacks, though.
 
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