First smoke tommorrow... BRITU


 
C

Chad Dickinson

TVWBB Member
Question is....

If I cook them for the entire duration at 200-225, how much longer can I plan on the cook taking, (the recipe says after 3 hours to bring temp up to 250-275 for 2 hours) and should I even bother?

I was thinking of firing up the cooker at about 8am, putting the ribs on at 9am, and pulling them off about 8-10 hours later. (doneness obviously the determining factor)

What do you pros think?
Thanks!
Chad
 
Chad--

I'd shoot for a 222-225 grate temp (235-240 lid). If you're doing b-backs, I'd be surprised if your cook took a whole lot more than 6 hours (if that), if you decide not to bump up the temp.
 
IMHO, one of the greatest assets of the WSM is the ability to "set it and forget it". I've never raised the temp on any of my cooks. Less (work, maintenance, fiddling) is sometimes more (fun, relaxing, enjoyable). Q-on!

AR
 
I'll third it. Get your temp dialed in at 225 - 235 and let it ride for the entire cook. Remember to start closing vents down when the temp is on the way up. Don't wait till your at 225 to close the vents some, too late at that point. Let us know how it turns out. And no peeking. Everytime you open the lid that's going to give you a temp change.
icon_wink.gif
 
I agree with Art and Bryan !

And 1/2 or 1/4 the salt in BRITU Rub as well if you don't like things that are salty!
 
Well, things started off great, but now I'm a bit concerned.

I put the ribs in and the grate temp was 251. 20 minutes later I was down to 208, so I opened vents 1/3.... 20 mins later I was up to 246. I closed the vents. 15 mins later, I was backdown to 206, and opened the vents about 1/4. 15 mins later, down to 204, so I opened vents 1/3.

Am I chasing the temps too much?

I'll check back with a report in about a half hour.

Thanks!
Chad
 
Not sure but it sounds to me you put the ribs on once the WSM got to 251. The cold meat knocks the temp down pretty good. I always use the MM so as soon as i add the well lit 12 - 20 briqs i put the middle section on place meat in WSM and put the lid on. This way you don't get the huge temp drop when adding the cold meat. Everything comes up to temp together. Now if you didn't do it that way Hmmmmmmm?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Chad Dickinson:
I put the ribs in and the grate temp was 251. 20 minutes later I was down to 208, so I opened vents 1/3.... 20 mins later I was up to 246.Am I chasing the temps too much? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yep.

I use the MM like Bryan so as to have a more gradual rise. But--adding the cold(er) meat (plus opening the lid) caused the drop. You were right to wait as you did to see where it settled. You opened--fine. When it hit 246--there's where you should wait again. That's a good temp right there. If it hadn't gone up to 246--let's say it rose only to 220, you could open the vents slightly to bump it up a little. Had it kept climbing toward 260, you could close them slightly. A lot of it is anticipating temp movement and acting accordingly beforehand. After a few cooks you get used to it and you'll barely think about it. Kind of like learning to drive a stick-shift.
 
2 hours 15 mins into the cook... Temp has settled nicely at 235.

Should I anticipate the temp lowering again when I add the beans to the bottom grate with approx 2 hrs left in the cook? (soon)

Thanks guys...
Chad
 
Usually, at this stage, yes. Note, though, that sometimes--particularly when you have a bunch of unlit smokewood--the influx of air causes a spike. Doesn't always happen; doesn't always happen that you get a big drop either--lots of variables at play. Add your beans, re-cover the cooker, and watch what happens like you did before.
 
5 hours in... temp was down to 203.... Opened vents halfway.

Tried to see how easily ribs separated from bones... Not too easily. I must need to cook them longer?

Gonna open the vents up a bit more and see if I can get temp back up to 240-250... I'd like to finish these up within the hour.

This may be somewhat important... The meat market where I get my ribs messed up a bit and cut these ribs with about 1.5 inches meat left on one side, so they are very thick. That may be impacting the slowness of their cooking.

Oh well, I guess as a first timer, I'd rather be a bit low than too high.

Chad
 
Did the temp drift down there or was it impacted by a lid opening or the like? Just wondering. 5 hours isn't off if you're not foiling, which you're not, right?

I use a toothpick or probe between the bones to check doneness, but tearing is fine. If it's very resistent to tearing they're not ready.
 
I had to leave for 1.5 hours, and couldn't monitor. It tells me I'm not ready for an all night butt smoke, as I can't even hold temp for 1.5 hours unmonitored....

I haven't been peeking... just checking every 30-45 mins now to check for doneness.

With vents fully open, temp just above the ribs is 250, and I think they'll be done very soon... 30-45 mins maybe.

Thanks for all the advice here....But one more thing.

As this is my first time with a WSM, I don't know what normal operating temp is.

With vents fully open, in the evening sun, on the calm-wind side of the house, the temp there is 248. Is that normal, 7 hours after lighting, with vents full open?

Oh yeah! I'm not foiling.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">It tells me I'm not ready for an all night butt smoke, as I can't even hold temp for 1.5 hours unmonitored.... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Nope, not true. There's a different dynamic for an overnighter. You would have used the Minion Method to start which means you would have had a large quantity of unlit coals topped by small quantity of lit. You also would have controlled temps on the way up (thereby conserving fuel). This combination of factors is what gives your cook the necessary longevity. It's different, not hard.

When you use less fuel and light it all at once the dynamics are different. The downward spiral you experienced was more likely caused by the changes in your fuel quantity as it had been going a while.

From your posts it seems like you did really well to me. Now, how were the ribs?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I don't know what normal operating temp is. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Most of us do most low-and-slows at a lid temp of 235-255 I'd say.
 
Well, simply put... they were OUTSTANDING. Maybe not the best in the universe, but one of the top 3 or 4 rib sessions I've had, that's for sure.

I got the rub just right... not too salty.

I would like to come up with an original BBQ sauce though... I do like KC Masterpiece, but I like to be original, and make my own stuff. Have to research til I find a recipe to my liking.

I would post pics, but don't know how. (I don't think I have permission from web admin either)

Thanks for all of your help K. and others.

Chad
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Chad Dickinson:
Well, simply put... they were OUTSTANDING. Maybe not the best in the universe, but one of the top 3 or 4 rib sessions I've had, that's for sure.

I got the rub just right... not too salty.

I would like to come up with an original BBQ sauce though... I do like KC Masterpiece, but I like to be original, and make my own stuff. Have to research til I find a recipe to my liking.

I would post pics, but don't know how. (I don't think I have permission from web admin either)

Thanks for all of your help K. and others.

Chad </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

So what was your rub?
 
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