How often do you check your ribs?


 
S

Steve P. (Timmee)

TVWBB Member
After my second rack of baby back ribs, I've started wondering if I've been checking the ribs too often. The first rack of ribs I did, I checked them every 20 minutes, and at the end, my ribs had no bark, and almost no pullback. The rack of ribs I did tonight, I checked every half hour, and saw a little bit more pullback, but still not much bark.

Am I just impatient, or is there something else I'm doing wrong? Here's a couple of pics of what I'm talking about.

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From the moment you put them on you check every 30 mins?

That's too much. You should really only check if you have to do something to them, i.e. foil, check for doneness, etc.

I'm unsure of exactly how it will effect your bark formation, and I'd venture to guess it won't have any effect on "pullback"(I've found this changes from cook to cook, sometimes more/less). Likewise, I think your bark is a function of what you put on the ribs to start.
That said, checking the ribs every 30 minutes doesn't serve any purpose, and you're doing yourself a disservice.
 
I don't touch my smoker for the first three hours. Then I open the lid, and flip them as fast as possible, and close her back up again.
I know that it can be hard to wait, but it is worth it!
 
I don't even bother opening the lid for at least 3 hours. There's really no point unless you're working with much higher temps. As Mike eluded to, what you put on your ribs (rub) prior to the smoke will effect the outcome of your bark.
 
The rub I've been using is a cinnamon chipotle rub that I picked up at a local store. Is it possible there's not enough sugar in there to form a proper bark?
 
Originally posted by Steve P. (Timmee):
The rub I've been using is a cinnamon chipotle rub that I picked up at a local store. Is it possible there's not enough sugar in there to form a proper bark?
Click to expand...

Not sure what kind of bark you're looking for, but it's not the same as a brisket or pork shoulder. What's the texture like? When you bite does it come off the bone fairly easy? I'm wondering if they're underdone.
 
Originally posted by Richard Marquez:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve P. (Timmee):
The rub I've been using is a cinnamon chipotle rub that I picked up at a local store. Is it possible there's not enough sugar in there to form a proper bark?
Click to expand...

Not sure what kind of bark you're looking for, but it's not the same as a brisket or pork shoulder. What's the texture like? When you bite does it come off the bone fairly easy? I'm wondering if they're underdone. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The ribs weren't "fall off the bone" done, but they also didn't seem to be underdone. I did use a temp probe, and the internal temp was at 168 degrees when I pulled them (the probe went into the meat pretty easily, too).
 
I'll check to see if I need to rearrange any of the half slabs in my rib rack at about the three hr. mark, but I'll probably not check them again for another hour or so. That's smoking at about 250*.
 
Originally posted by Dave Russell:
I'll check to see if I need to rearrange any of the half slabs in my rib rack at about the three hr. mark, but I'll probably not check them again for another hour or so. That's smoking at about 250*.
Click to expand...

I usually cook half slabs in a rack, too, and if I feel the need to peek I use a small LED flashlight
LD10_R5_icon.jpg

and just look through the vent on the lid. I can see enough to judge how they're cooking (or, at least to satisfy my curiosity) without removing the lid and losing heat.
 
Originally posted by Larry D.:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dave Russell:
I'll check to see if I need to rearrange any of the half slabs in my rib rack at about the three hr. mark, but I'll probably not check them again for another hour or so. That's smoking at about 250*.
Click to expand...

I usually cook half slabs in a rack, too, and if I feel the need to peek I use a small LED flashlight
LD10_R5_icon.jpg

and just look through the vent on the lid. I can see enough to judge how they're cooking (or, at least to satisfy my curiosity) without removing the lid and losing heat. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks, Larry. I'll have to try that.
 
Cooking spares at 240, I plan on 7 hours cook time. For the first 5 hours, my only job is to check the lid temp . At 5 hours, open, mop flip, rotate, and back on for another hour. At 6 hours open, mop, flip and evaluate for how long to continue to finish.
 
The plated pic of the ribs looks perfect. You won't really get a bark on ribs unless you use copious amounts of rub and cook them way beyond done. I like my ribs so you have to tug the meat from the bone with your teeth and usually have very little pull back on the bone. The longer you cook them the more pull back you'll get on the bone.

As for how often I check if I'm cooking at 300-325 I'll check at the 3 hr mark. If I'm doing 225-250 I check at 4 1/2 to 5 hrs mark. I don't normally mop or flip or sauce my ribs.
 
I had this problem for a while with everything...I was just too eager and kept looking. You just have to have faith that the first several hours of any cook will not require a peak (even tho it's fun to show people how good the food looks).

Relax, sit back, enjoy the smells, and only check periodically, or as previous stated by Mike M, just open when you need to flip, mop/sauce, foil, etc.
 
As others have said, I don't look until after 3 hrs. Then, I will foil the ribs with a little apple juice and put them back into my WSM. After another 2 hours, I will begin to check for doneness with a toothpick or the probe from my thermometer. I can't remember ever checking rib temps, and I wouldn't know what temp to look for, only if they are tender in between the bones. If the toothpick inserts easily as into melted butter, then they are done.

I try to have something else to do during the first three hours of rib cooks so I am not tempted to peek.

Again, if you're lookin' you ain't cookin'.
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Like the others have said, I don't check until I foil. I cook at 245 and foil at 2 hours in...then unfoil at after another hour..the last hour they are unfoiled and then I baste with sauce at the 30 minute left mark and 15 minutes left. I usually get a nice little bark..I also use brown sugar in the mixture when I foil.
 
Steve,

I also use a flashlight to peer through the top vents, so I can leave the lid on. Like many others, I don't check for about 3 or 3 1/2 hourse, cooking around 230ish. Lifting the lid cools down the meat, heats up the fire, and impairs the slow, steady rise in temp you want.

I also don't baste, mop, spritz, or flip. I only life the lid to check for done.

Were the bones clean after dinner? If you had a lot of meat stuck to them, that didn't want to come off, they were undercooked.
 
I read somewhere about checking "at the halves":

If your projected cook time is 6-hours:

First Check at (ballpark) 3-hours (half of 6)
Next Check at 1-1/2 hours later (half of 3)
Next Check at 45-minutes (half of 90 minutes)
About every half-hour after that... (you get the idea)

At any point, if things look like they are going too fast or taking too long, I alter the check-up times accordingly.

Using this method keeps you from losing heat and adding cooking time too early in the cook, but lets you check more frequently, as things are getting closer and closer to "done" / avoid over-done or under-done.

although, once the smoke dwindles, I DO like the idea of peering in the vent-holes with a flashlight. (Never thought of that, but it sounds like a good idea...)
 
I cook ribs in 2 or 3 hours total, start to finish - but, regardless, looking isn't going to tell you anything. (What are you looking for?)

Feel, not temp, tells you when the ribs are tender.

Bark is a product of rub ingredients, the ingredients' texture, amount of application, and cooktemp. I do not care for rubs with much sugar (for ribs I make them at 10-12% sugar by volume - or less, which is much less than typical rubs, most of which are 40-65% sugar) and have no problem with bark formation. My guess is the rub you are using is too fine, too lightly applied, or both.
 
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