First cook, WSM 18.5

[MarkM FL]

I purchased the WSM 18.5" last week after having a Char-Chriller Duo w/ side smoke box for about 4 years and struggling to hold temps and a number of mods.

Today is my first cook, doing two racks of baby back ribs. I've decided to try without water in the water pan, just lined with foil. Using Kingsford Blue and apple wood, and the minion method. I put the ribs on at about 230 degrees or so and it spiked about 300, so closed the vents down and back down to about 250 at a hour in right now.

Here are some pictures of the two mods I did (wheels, and charcoal grate handles/ties) as well as the start of the first cook.

 

[Bruno]

Keep the pics coming, looking forward to seeing how this goes.
How did those ribs fit?

 

[MarkM FL]

Keep the pics coming, looking forward to seeing how this goes.
How did those ribs fit on the grill?

I had to squish them together a bit, right to the edge. I'm doing 3-2-1, and just wrapped them in foil. I'll take more pictures after the wrap and at the end. Still holding 230-250 degrees, fingers are crossed!

 

[ChuckO]

You're going to love ribs off your WSM, the WSM makes amazing ribs. Yours look good in their mustard bath and rub

 

[MarkM FL]

You're going to love ribs off your WSM, the WSM makes amazing ribs. Yours look good in their mustard bath and rub

Thanks! I un-wrapped after 2 hours (5 total), and they were falling off the bone already. I left them un-wrapped for about 10 mins, then sauced them. The WSM held heat a lot better than my older grill. I think the 3-2-1 method might be to long for baby backs. How does everyone do them? I held temp about 250 with a couple spikes to 300 during the 5 hours.

Going to try them now, will post final pictures in a bit.

 

[ChuckO]

I think the 3-2-1 method might be to long for baby backs.

I think so too. I used to do the 3,2,1 and I modified it to 3,1,1 and that worked pretty good. I also quit using foil and used parchment paper or butcher paper for a time and now I don't wrap at all. I simply hold 225 degrees and let them go from start to finish unwrapped. There are several folks who do high heat unwrapped (300+) but I've not done that. I'm currently trying to master long rib cooks on the kettle, and so far everytime, I've pulled them too soon (ran out of time) I can see doing baby backs for 6 hours on the kettle (at 225) last night I went 5.25 and clearly could have gone longer

 

[MarkM FL]

They were good, sweet but good. I used the Smokin' Hogz Dry Run from the book "Secrets to Smoking on the Weber Smokey Mountain" and then added honey, butter, and brown sugar in the foil. They were sweet and sticky (not to mention inside the weber too). Here are the final pictures. Any tips would be great.

 

[Bruno]

Looks great, nice first cook. Looking forward to getting started myself.

 

[DaveMc]

Outstanding, getting ready to fire up my new one myself

 

[Tony R]

Nice work!

 

[Bob Bass]

Good looking Ribs. Nice first cook.
But... just wondering why you aren't using a hometown favorite rub & sauce... Swamp Boys

 

[S.Six]

At around 250° 3-2-1 is definitely too long for baby backs in my opinion. I've done 275° 2hrs-then foil for 45mins (1hr if you want them falling apart )-then sauce and 15mins more. Worked out very well.

 

[Ray K]

Mark, I know and feel your pain with the Char-Griller Duo unit. It was the biggest disappointment I ever bought. Lived in SE Michigan before moving to Nevada. Constant fight to keep temp, clogged side box ash holder on a 5(+) hour smoke, the slightest wind and the unit cooled down something bad.

Giving that hunk of junk away was a blessing!

My 18.5 WSM comes later this week. I didn't make the same STUPID mistake again!

 

[DCloin]

Look good. Thanks for taking the time to post. I'm still wishing I had a WSM. For now I'll have to smoke on my performer or gas smoker. I haven't used. Gas smoker since last summer.