Baby backs in packages of three ?


 
Wow, I just saw how you have hung the grill grate on the side of the kettle while getting it ready, I Never would have though of that, it always going to the side.

I'd like to tell you that I discovered that completely on my own .......... but I was doing the unthinkable, actually reading the Owners Manual that came with my new Master Touch Kettle, and found it there. The handle is bent to serve as a hook. I've had Kettle's since 1989 and never knew this.

But don't try it with the GBS center piece in place o_O
 
I'd like to tell you that I discovered that completely on my own .......... but I was doing the unthinkable, actually reading the Owners Manual that came with my new Master Touch Kettle, and found it there. The handle is bent to serve as a hook. I've had Kettle's since 1989 and never knew this.

But don't try it with the GBS center piece in place o_O
Yeah, I totally would have tried it with the center piece in place.
 
Since it’s only the wife and me, I usually smoke up all 3 racks, have one rack for dinner, cut the other two in half and put in foodsaver bags (with Chris’s paper towel advice). When ready to eat, pull out of the freezer and drop in a pan of simmering water for 15 min.

This is exactly what I do and the ribs come out shockingly good.
 
Yesterday, I smoked sausage on my MT Kettle with the same set up as the ribs, basket on both sides, meat in the middle, using what Weber calls the P-vent setting. But I used 16 KBB briquettes, 8 on each side. The Kettle ran about 256* for a bit over an hour . This tells me that if I were to smoke a rack of baby backs, I would need to add coals every hour. I'm not sure how many to add.

Just trying to figure out how to use this P-vent.

So, why reduce air flow, why not just use Minion Method or a snake ? Because I think there's dirty charcoal smoke from both of those methods. Until charcoal is ashed over, it emits some bad smoke. Its cleaner to only used ashed over coals. How much better does that make the food ? IDK, all individual taste.

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So, why reduce air flow, why not just use Minion Method or a snake ? Because I think there's dirty charcoal smoke from both of those methods. Until charcoal is ashed over, it emits some bad smoke. Its cleaner to only used ashed over coals. How much better does that make the food ? IDK, all individual taste.
Lynn,
I am not disagreeing with any of the above thoughts, just wondering how you use your WSM 18 do you do a minion method on that cooker? Do you think it is different being in a kettle and closer to the fire?
 
Lynn,
I am not disagreeing with any of the above thoughts, just wondering how you use your WSM 18 do you do a minion method on that cooker? Do you think it is different being in a kettle and closer to the fire?

When I did long cooks on the WSM, I used the minion method. I would still do that. But I don't use the WSM much any more, just high heat yardbird and pork steak is the only time I fire it up. I do pork butt and brisket on the stick burner. Those are cooks I don't do very often and are well suited for the offset.

I'm smoking these ribs on the Kettle because its less trouble than the WSM. Don't have to clean the cooking grates and water bowl. WSM would probably be better though, I'd have more control of temps.

I've never done a snake or minion on the Kettle. Using this P-vent feature, is the first time I've cut the air flow on a Kettle. Just trying to learn why Weber added this and how to use it. I suspect I also need to close the top vent, which is also something I've never done on any smoker.

If cooking with ashed over charcoal, cutting the air flow would make it last longer and lower the cooking temps. But it would also cause wood to smolder more. Its a trade off.
 
T-Roy Cooks does baby backs on the Kettle in his latest vid. To be real honest, these ribs don't look good to me. They're waaayy tooo dark. He even says as much when he picked up the lid the first time. But at the end, he says these were the best baby backs he's ever cooked.

IDK how much charcoal he uses. But on my Kettle, if I used that much charcoal, it would run upward of 350*, not the 265 he's getting. I've done high heat baby back cooks on my Kettle with all the coals to one side, as T-Roy did, and I've done them with baskets on both sides. Getting ribs very dark in color is the norm for me.

 
I actually tried a version of the Australia low and slow system. Was back in the late 90's, maybe 97 or 98. I was trying to smoke a brisket on a Kettle.

I put bricks on the charcoal grate , added coals, then used a pizza stone for a deflector plate. The fire got too hot for the pizza stone , or mabye the cook lasted too long, and the pizza stone broke into pieces.
 
A bit of internet searching turns up that Weber Australia has a complete system for smoking on the Kettle, a char ring and a diffuser plate, coupled with the P-vent = low and slow

https://www.weber.com/AU/en/blog/ne...ed-low-and-slow-barbecuing/weber-1549666.html
Lynn,
Did you see the below post from Kyle, it looks like the diffuser plate is included in this new awesome version of the Master Touch.
Maybe Weber will start to sell the diffuser plate by itself here in the states soon.
 

 

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