Need Help, 1st lengtht cook, Weber Performer Gold


 
Jake Wilson

Jake Wilson

TVWBB Fan
Okay, I just bought a rack of pork ribs...@ $2/lb., I'm thinking, yeah!, I'm going to try it, that is, cooking them (slicing into individual pieces) up on my 22.5" Weber Gold (Performer)...but I need some help from youse guys that have done low and slow on this grill...

I've never cooked low and slow on this or my other 22" Weber kettle, they've all been fast cooks (less than 20 minutes total time on the grill), so I'm wanting to pick your brains<LOL>

Here's what I need help with-

I'm thinking I want to keep this cook at about 225 degrees....we know the Weber thermometer on top of the lid is of little help, or is it?, since even if it is reading correctly, I need to know the temp at the grill, so I'm thinking of hooking up my Maverick ET-732 thermometer using the pit probe, to measure temp at the grate. I'm asking as I don't know but will I be alright letting the wire portion of the probe, sandwiched between the lid and kettle? If I do, what hurdles am I going to run into? Will it kink the wire? Will placing it between the lid and the bottom portion of the kettle, create too much of an air gap, or no? Is there a better way to use this thermometer? If not, what/how should I measure temp at the cooking grate? Or, just use blind faith and trust the Weber lid thermometer?

The plan is to do like the BBQ Pit Boys and spritz the meat every 30 minutes w/apple juice, maybe go 3 hours then sauce and run with the sauce for another hour

Should I start off with a 1/2 or a whole chimney of Kingsford? I will place the coal on one side and do the cook (place the ribs) on the other side, so as to achieve a two zone cook with indirect heat

So if I go with either or on the chimney of coal, about how much grate opening on top (the lid) should I shoot for?...is it like using the WSM and run the lid wide open and control the air flow with the bottom vents? If not, what are your suggestions for how much the bottom and top vents should run at, starting out? I suppose if I ran the Maverick on the grill, I could figure the vent openings out...

FWIW, just got this Performer Gold a week ago, although I used a 22" Weber, starting in the early 80's, and it went into early Y2K + before self destructing (from old age)...I always did quickie cooks with it, nothing over 20 minutes, if that long, so, any help is appreciated, I've just no experience doing long cooks with Weber charcoal grills...

Those are all of the questions I have right now, TIA
 
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Jake Wilson said:
2 hours after I post this, 27 views and no replies?!?

Perhaps I should post my query on another BBQ forum
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Jake, I looked at your post and wasn't going to reply. I have a performer but don't use it for L&S so I have no experience to offer.
One question I can answer is I ran my Maverick probe wire under the lid for many cooks without any problems, but I did cut a slot in the kettle rim later on just to be on the safe side.

As far as many people looking and not responding, if you look it's quite common to see hundreds of views with very few replays. Lots of people have kettles but I would guess not too many do L&S on them. Also there are many"quests" who are not members who visit the forum so they count as a view put can't post a reply.

I'm sure there are some members who have answers to your questions and will reply when they see your post.
 
Jake - I always do low and slow on 22" kettles and just did one in a Jumbo Joe. Just set up a 2x1 snake with some wood chunks.
 
Run your probe through the top vent. It can be kind of a pain to check the meat if you have a short probe wire but you won't kink your wire and you'll get a better seal on the lid

Top vent should be wide open. Control temp with the bottom.
 
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I cook my missouri Ozark Apple ribs on my otg. It should cook the same as your performer.

I just put a large pile of coal on one side of the grill and light minnion method. Then i sear the ribs on the direct side, then move the ribs to a pan on the inderect side, apply my marinade, apples, and onions.

I go for 300 on the lid thermometer, my vent posistions are, bottom about 1/4 open, top about 1/2 open. Cook time is about three to four hours.
 
Quote Originally Posted by Jake Wilson View Post

2 hours after I post this, 27 views and no replies?!?

Perhaps I should post my query on another BBQ forum


Rich Dahl said:
Jake, I looked at your post and wasn't going to reply. I have a performer but don't use it for L&S so I have no experience to offer.
One question I can answer is I ran my Maverick probe wire under the lid for many cooks without any problems, but I did cut a slot in the kettle rim later on just to be on the safe side.

As far as many people looking and not responding, if you look it's quite common to see hundreds of views with very few replays. Lots of people have kettles but I would guess not too many do L&S on them. Also there are many"quests" who are not members who visit the forum so they count as a view put can't post a reply.

I'm sure there are some members who have answers to your questions and will reply when they see your post.
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~~~So right you are Rich!...guess I was being impatient
 
Nate Frost said:
Jake - I always do low and slow on 22" kettles and just did one in a Jumbo Joe. Just set up a 2x1 snake with some wood chunks.
Click to expand...




~~~Thanks Nate, just what I needed! I looked at your threads with the pics...looks like the snake (2X1) is a row of coal two abreast with one coal on top of each pair, do I have that right?, with some chunk wood for seasoning every so often. And I'll be sure to use at least 10 lit briquettes for my fuse. Good stuff! Thanks again!!
 
Dustin Dorsey said:
Run your probe through the top vent. It can be kind of a pain to check the meat if you have a short probe wire but you won't kink your wire and you'll get a better seal on the lid

Top vent should be wide open. Control temp with the bottom.
Click to expand...





~~~Thanks Dustin, I'll do a dry run with the probe and grill cold, before I start my fire, and you're right, I use the Maverick ET-732, and it has a short probe wire. Does anyone make this size of probe fitting longer than what the stock Maverick probe wires are?...I could use more length here and when I use this thermometer on my WSM cooks

Actually, the more I think about routing the pit probe through the top vent, since I will be removing the lid every 30 minutes to spritz the ribs with apple juice, that could be a pain in the patoot, having to disconnect the pit probe from the sender so often, and isn't it possible for the end of the probe to melt (touching the lid or bottom kettle)...I'm talking about the end that goes into the sender, or is that end piece high temp silicone? I'm asking as I don't know

I'm thinking I might be better off routing the pit probe up through the bottom vent, as I wont bother to close that vent (completely) during the cook
 
Benjamin A said:
I cook my missouri Ozark Apple ribs on my otg. It should cook the same as your performer.

I just put a large pile of coal on one side of the grill and light minnion method. Then i sear the ribs on the direct side, then move the ribs to a pan on the inderect side, apply my marinade, apples, and onions.

I go for 300 on the lid thermometer, my vent posistions are, bottom about 1/4 open, top about 1/2 open. Cook time is about three to four hours.
Click to expand...



~~~I was going to go with a two zone fire like you mentioned, but I am going to give Nate's snake method a try
 
15027490008_96fcdecc6e_b.jpg


I decided to try smoking a slab of ribs with the ribs cut individually first before smoking. FWIW, I initially cut the slab up St. Louie style, then decided to cut the rest of it up and smoke it, for the dogs. Waste not want not, and remember...if you're not hungry, your dogs probably are

15027290479_c6fff34516_b.jpg



I'm rolling with Suzanne's South West Rub for this cook
 
I'll be curious to see how cutting the ribs up before cooking will affect the time and tenderness .
will they cook really quick do you think? And I wonder if they'll dry out?
I will be looking to see how this turns out. Verrrry interesting. ;)
 
Jake Wilson said:
~~~Thanks Nate, just what I needed! I looked at your threads with the pics...looks like the snake (2X1) is a row of coal two abreast with one coal on top of each pair, do I have that right?, with some chunk wood for seasoning every so often. And I'll be sure to use at least 10 lit briquettes for my fuse. Good stuff! Thanks again!!
Click to expand...
Sounds like you got it. Just want to make sure you have the briquettes overlap each other like you see in my set up. Kind of like toppled dominos. Good luck. 10+ lit briquettes to start because there is a big tem drop when you first put on the meat. . Dump them on the start of the snake. Burn your snake counterclockwise. :cool:
 
Maverick makes 6 ft. replacement probes. When I had the 3 ft I think I rigged something up to have the unit hanging from the front handle. I was using the smokenator at the time. I found I lost a lot of heat when checking the meat. So I generally only lifted the lid a little to add fuel or check it and kept the lid parallel to the grill, if that makes sense. Going through the bottom could work.
 
Frank H said:
I'll be curious to see how cutting the ribs up before cooking will affect the time and tenderness .
will they cook really quick do you think? And I wonder if they'll dry out?
I will be looking to see how this turns out. Verrrry interesting. ;)
Click to expand...

Exactly what I'm thinking. I've been cooking ribs for twenty years, but this is a first for me.
 
Frank H said:
I'll be curious to see how cutting the ribs up before cooking will affect the time and tenderness .
will they cook really quick do you think?
Click to expand...



~~~I'd like to think the cook will last approx. 4 hours...at least that is what I'm shooting for, and the target temp is 225 degrees Fahrenheit




Frank H said:
And I wonder if they'll dry out?
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~~~the plan is to spray them with apple juice every 30 minutes, to keep them with a little shine...nice and moist, I hope to




Frank H said:
I will be looking to see how this turns out. Verrrry interesting. ;)
Click to expand...




~~~Yeah, me too as it will be a first for me, cooking ribs cut up before the cook gets started
 
Quote Originally Posted by Jake Wilson View Post

~~~Thanks Nate, just what I needed! I looked at your threads with the pics...looks like the snake (2X1) is a row of coal two abreast with one coal on top of each pair, do I have that right?, with some chunk wood for seasoning every so often. And I'll be sure to use at least 10 lit briquettes for my fuse. Good stuff! Thanks again!!






Nate Frost said:
Sounds like you got it. Just want to make sure you have the briquettes overlap each other like you see in my set up. Kind of like toppled dominos.
Click to expand...




~~~Thanks for mentioning this...I opened the pic in my tablet with the touch screen so I could blow up the photo, to see how they were stacked exactly...I wanna make sure I get this right. Would really suck if the snake stopped burning, then I'd have to light up some more coal in the chimney, wait it out till it got going again...better organization at the start should avoid any pitfalls




Nate Frost said:
Good luck. 10+ lit briquettes to start because there is a big tem drop when you first put on the meat. . Dump them on the start of the snake.
Click to expand...




~~~yes, I was wondering if only 10 lit (covered in white ash) coals would be enough




Nate Frost said:
Burn your snake counterclockwise. :cool:
Click to expand...





~~~I'll be sure to start the coals anti-clockwise, as you state here, but what happens if you start the fire going clockwise? <curious minds>
 
Dustin Dorsey said:
Maverick makes 6 ft. replacement probes. When I had the 3 ft I think I rigged something up to have the unit hanging from the front handle. I was using the smokenator at the time. I found I lost a lot of heat when checking the meat. So I generally only lifted the lid a little to add fuel or check it and kept the lid parallel to the grill, if that makes sense. Going through the bottom could work.
Click to expand...





~~~~Guess I better order the 6' probes...every time I use the stock 3' maverick probe wires, I wish there was extra wire length...I'm not sure why Maverick would send these thermometers out with the short wires, as I'm sure others have the same gripe

I've yet to look into which position the probe wire and sender unit placement is going to work out best. the plan is to start this cook later today so I'll check probe placement right before the cook. the thing I like about going up through the bottom vent is, I won't need to be concerned with removing the lid, and having to fuss with probe wires, but the downside going through the bottom vent would be if I used the lever that closed that vent, in order to rid the bottom of any ash, and forget my probe wire is going up through that system.

I'm thinking my kettle bottom (near the top cooking edge) is a good candidate to drill a hole to retro fit one of Weber's silicone grommets. Sure would make running a pit probe on the grill grate a whole lot easier
 
Quote Originally Posted by Frank H View Post

I'll be curious to see how cutting the ribs up before cooking will affect the time and tenderness .
will they cook really quick do you think? And I wonder if they'll dry out?
I will be looking to see how this turns out. Verrrry interesting.






Benjamin A said:
Exactly what I'm thinking. I've been cooking ribs for twenty years, but this is a first for me.
Click to expand...







~~~~I got the idea to cut the ribs individually before cooking from watching the BBQ Pit Boys Mountain of Ribs Video


the only difference the way I'm doing mine from theirs is, they started out with 4 slabs of ribs...I'm only cooking one slab, cut up, a smaller amount for sure, so I'll need to keep the fire at lower temp, so as not to over cook this meat, since I wont have the mass they cooked, which should cook slower

now what I like about using Nate's snake method lining up the coals on the outside (rim) of the coal grate, I can put my ribs in the center of the grill (unlike the BBQ Pit Boyz video where they run em all on the side), and the advantage I see there doing the cook with the ribs in the middle of the grill, I can put my drip pan in the center of the coals, and neither should interfere with one another (drip pan/snake coals), and keep the kettle bottom clean up to a minimum...just a thought
 
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