First attempt Baby Backs on 18.5 2-2-1 Method

[CraigN]

Smoked baby backs for the first time on my 18.5. I used the 2-2-1 method. I fought temperature spikes the whole time as we had 20 mph winds and I live in the wide open. It never got above 265 but temps would swing every 25 mins. I did not user water, used a 14 inch clay saucer in pan.

We like fall off the bone ribs and slab 1 was perfect and the other you had to work to get them off the bone. The 2nd slab wasn't horrible but meat was sticking to the bone and you had to pick it off. What part of the 2-2-1 makes them tender? Is it the foiling stage? Can you ever over foil?

Rubbed:


After 1st 2 hours:


After foil (total 4 hours)


Done

 

[Dave Russell]

Cooking makes them tender, but foiling makes them a little more tender....easily TOO tender. 321 type formulas are just a temp/time framework to tweak as needed. Ribs slabs vary in weight, and as with your cook, temps can, too. I wouldn't pull out of the foil till there's a decent amount of pullback and they're almost done.

 

[Mark R (LR)]

For the St Louis spares that I've done in the past, cooking around 250, I've ended up with more of a 3-1-1 routine. And yes, you can easily foil for too long. The first time I tried 3-2-1, bones had already fallen off when I opened the foil, and the meat just looked boiled. If I go much past an hour in foil, I'll usually lose a bone or two as I take them out of the foil. I prefer St Louis spares so almost never do baby backs, but I understand that BB's typically take a little less time than SLS's.

 

[Rick Body]

Yea, I'm with Dave and Mark. I do baby backs at 265-275 and can not go over 1hour in foil. Usuall I do 1.5 open, 30-45 in foil, then back on without foil for around an hour. When I started out I did 3-2-1 like St. Louis and they were WAY over done, like mush. I have since worked it down to as above.

I did however, do some bb's for the first time the other day without foil and I think they were the best I have ever done. They took much longer but they had better smokey flavor and a good consistency (I do not like them fall off the bone)

Your temp spikes up and down with the wind probably cause the most problems. You should work on a wind break for future windy cooks, you will appreciate it.

Oh and welcome to the forum!

 

[Joe Lake]

I cook for almost 6 hours total most times but I do not like to foil.

 

[Dave Russell]

I cook for almost 6 hours total most times but I do not like to foil.

Me, too. I use water in the pan for ribs, though. I find that foiling makes more of a difference on offsets and other smokers with less humidity and more air movement.

 

[ChuckO]

And yes, you can easily foil for too long

Agreed. Instead of doing the 3-2-1, I've been doing the 3-1-2 (however sometimes the 2 is < 2)