first cook sunday


 
K

KrisDecker

TVWBB Member
I have some friends coming over for some barbecue :)

Test firing my new 18.5" WSM tomorrow. For sunday, I got some baby back ribs (three racks). I was thinking about making that and possibly some chicken (either thighs or whole chicken).

I tried doing 3-2-1 ribs on my old, cheap offset. The ribs fell apart after the 2. So I think this time I might try 3-1-1.

My question: how do I fit three racks on the 18.5"? I have one metal rib holder which holds 4 racks, but I think they may be too long. Do I cut them down pre-cook? I think I read something about 'bending' the racks... have to find that post...

Also, if I am doing 3-1-1, should I cook them on the bottom rack with teh chicken on top? I plan on cooking 225-250, but i know chicken can go higher..

Any tips appreciated!
 
three racks on one level

rolledribs-1024.jpg


If you're going to wrap it'll be easier to have the racks on top/chicken on the bottom . AND do the ribs 2-2-1.
 
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Thanks for the replies! I like that skewer method, as it appears to keep the racks away from the edges a little better

For the chicken: I know the skin will be chewy if I cook all the way to 165 at 225-250

If I wanted to use my gas grill to crisp them up, what temp do I pull them? Sauce them before putting them on the grill?

thanks again everyone!
 
They're only going to be on the grill for 2-3 minutes till they char a bit/crisp up. Light sauce for maybe a minute as the last thing you do. Pull off the smoker when they're done (ready to eat at that point). The grill is not meant to further cook them, only to dry out the skin so it gets crispy.
 
corn oil would be better (higher smoke point) but try this: on the smoked UNSAUCED chicken, put the oil on one side only. put that oiled side on a hot, clean grill. Don't put oil on the grill.

1)Put a somewhat thin layer of sauce on the top/sides ONLY. Let that thicken up then flip them over (no more oil) and then sauce the rest of it.

By carmelizing the top first, there will be a hardened layer sitting on the grill thereby lessening the chance of sticking.

2)You might try an experiment though and see what works best: lightly oil both sides without saucing and see how they grill up. After it's 90% crisped, then put sauce on one side and grill again per (1) and compare methods. Just watch your time carefully as the sauce has sugar in it and will burn quite quickly. Don't put it on and walk away.

What you're trying to do is dry the skin out so it won't stick. Ever tried lifting a steak that's just been put on a hot grill? Sticks something awful right? But wait 2 minutes and it lifts cleanly. The moisture on the skin/meat has dried and releases from the grill. Same thing you're trying to do with the chicken: let that skin dry a bit before lifting.
 
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KrisDecker said:
Do I hit them with olive oil? They got stuck to grate on the gasser when I tried this last time
Click to expand...

A very thin coat of olive oil will help the rub stick. When you coil them, place them on the grate with the cut-off bones facing up. You shouldn't have a sticking problem in the WSM. The lid temp gauge is notoriously inaccurate, so if you have a thermometer probe to place at grate-level, that would be helpful. Don't cook above 275.

Since this is your first WSM cook, keep it simple. A light dusting of rub, coil them up, put them on and they should be done in about 4 hours. Wrap them in foil when you take them off and let them rest about 30 minutes. Enjoy.
 
Ugh. This cook was moderate bust. I was too nervous with the smoke. I need more than 6 chunks I think. Also was a bit dry. Maybe a Perdue roaster was not good for smoking. I did a farm fresh one and brined it, smoked it on my old offset and it was amazing. This was "meh"

Have to start tweaking some parameters
 
6 chunks? 1 chicken? Whoa, way too much wood. I never use more than 2 plus a pouch of chips. And thats 7lb of ribs.

Dry? How long/what temp?
 
This was on a chicken test cook. 10lb Perdue oven toaster (frankenchicken, I call it).

Was doing 225-250 until the end. Hit 280 at end

Did about 2.5 hrs
 
On my old (cheap) offset, I didnt know what I was doing, so I kept throwing in wood and cooked the chicken 225-250. Had a major smoke ring.

This chicken had very little smoke ring, and the breast was really dry. The more I think about it, the more I wonder if it was the brine that I did on that other chicken that kept it moist. This purdue oven roaster had very little on the label. Didnt say it was even a chicken! So I couldnt tell if it was already brined or not.

Well, today is a new day. Time to try ribs. I'm inclined to take that advice about doing 2-2-1 instead of 3-2-1...

Thanks so much for all the tips! :)
 
hope it all works out! Post your pre- and post-cook rib pics in The Gallery for all to enjoy Kris.

p.s. the brine would definitely help out the moist aspect but it also changes the taste (I've only brined turkey and it does turn out "hammy" flavoured).

BTW, it's not the hickory/apple/whatever wood you use that creates the smoke ring, it's a chemical reaction in the meat itself. The smoke wood imparts flavour to your meat but doesn't contribute to the "ring". For your ribs, use no more than 3 fist-sized chunks of whatever wood you're using. Or two chunks and a foil packet of chips. Don't put the chips straight onto the coals. They'll burn too quickly to do any good. Also, don't soak the wood. Waste of time.
 
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Thanks again for your help, Len!

Ribs came out 'ok'. Good flavor, but I dont think they were quite done after the 2-.75-1. I think I might try 3-1-1 next time... then maybe go back to 3-2-1 if that too doesnt work. This was the inverse of my experience with the old cheap offset. Instead of falling apart after the '2' on the 3-2-1, this time they were tough after the '1' on my 2-.75-1

I didnt get any after pics. I'll see if I can post the before/during pics.

The only other difference was that I used the skewers as suggested earlier in this thread, but I dont think that would have made a big difference... Unless they were too close together?
 
close together only means that where they touch, no bark would form. No other effect. Re: the times-->thats why you should keep a log of what you did, temps, times, even the weather, etc and how they turned out. That way, the next cook you can change something that didn't work the previous time.

2-.75-1 do you mean 2 hours then 45 minutes then 1 hour?? -->2-2-1 is 2 hr-2hr-1hr.
 
yes. exactly. I loused this up because 2 hours covered was waaaay too long on my old offset, so I went for 45 mins wrapped. I'll try straight 2-2-1 next time. If more of the same, then its 3-2-1 :)
 
they will be perfect at 2-2-1. The meat will be tender and leave the bone clean but it won't fall off just by touching it.

the first 2 hr is the main cook and starts the bark . the second 2 hr continues the cook in a steam environment to tenderize it. the 1 continues the cook but firms up the bark that got soft in the steam portion.

Now, if you were doing spares, you would go 3-2-1 as they are not as lean as b.b.
 
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