first time ribs/last minute Q's

[Guest]

I am pretty nervous, but feel armed and ready..after all, I've read every post in this site on BRITU (twice). After perusing last night again I have just a couple quick questions that should calm my nerves a bit.

first: I'm curling 6 slabs, 3 on top and bottom, when I turn them should I rotate from top to bottom, (turn early or at recommended time)?

second: second time use on smoker (fired up last night for two burgers (wanted to see it in action). After refueling noticed vent temp at 240 (started with only 60 briquets...I guess I thought number didn't matter for temperature as much as for length of time maintaining temperature), and I added a chimney a ways in. My Brinkman water pan was half full of cool/cold tap water. I read last night in an old post that if temp is too cool, and you can't get it to 225, to put hot water in the pan.

finally the question; I am pretty sure I will get the temp I want with cold water, but If I were to put Hot water in the pan, here in so cal (90 degrees), would that make it impossible to get the temperature down to 225 in time or make it easier to get there faster?

 

[Rob B.]

Hi Brian,

I almost always rotate the top and bottom racks, to help even out the temp difference in the foods.

As far as the water temp goes.... It seems I remember a class long ago in science that proved that it took longer for hot tap water to come to a boil than cool tap water. If this is the case, then just use cool and forgetaboudit. /infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif But then again, I was NOT an "A" student, so what do I know? LOL!

 

[Bill Harvey]

Brian... /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Take a deep breath and relax ? the WSM is very forgiving and you?ll do a great job and so will your smoker?. You?ll have the best meat you have ever eaten ? you don?t have to do everything exactly right and your meat will still be great ?. Slow things down a little and enjoy the experience? You only have to remember two things? Low and Slow?

Please let us know how it turns out? I bet it will be great?

Cheers my friend!!!

bugg /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

 

[Keri C]

Brian, it's a breeze, just ignore the manual that came with it, and use this site for your manual. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif I'm lazy about the fire, myself - I ALWAYS use the Minion method in the WSM for short and longs cooks because it's so much easier to gradually come UP to temp (about 15 minutes till meat goes on) rather than run it up hot and try to bring it down (closer to an hour before the meat goes on). When I'm through cooking, I just close off all the vents, and then throw what unburned charcoal is left after the fire dies in a bucket to use when starting the next fire in the big offset. Only time I fire up all the charcoal in the ring at once is when I move the fire to the lower cooking grate and grill steaks or something on the top grate.

I haven't really found where hot or cold water makes that awfully much difference, personally.

Even your mistakes will be better than most BBQ restaurants... prepare for deluges of compliments.

Keri C
Smokin on Tulsa Time

 

[Randy Parr]

Brian,

Great choice on the BRITU! I have never rotated the racks from top to bottom and they come out great...then again, I have never compared the two techniques...
Your gonna be a superstar with your family!

 

[Guest]

I know the recipe doesn't call for basting and I am not one to tamper with success, but after reading several posts that mention spraying Apple Juice and oil after half time I wonder if anyone has done it with the BRITU recipe and like the results....Do the ribs come out a little dry without the basting?

 

[JohnN]

Brian-

If you follow BRITU, you should be just fine (saucing the ribs afterwards). I didn't baste at all, and they were far from dry.

Not that I think basting would hurt you - but it will make temperature control a bit harder for you, and why complicate things? Try it the non-basted way this time, and baste next time if you feel these were too dry.

Good luck!