Never smoked anything in my life...


 
If you like your ribs "fall off the bone" wrapping will achieve that. When I started smoking meat I kept it really simple and didn't wrap. Now, in this century, I do. The beauty of Q is that even your mistakes taste good. Have fun. :wsm:
 
Practice, take notes of what works and what doesn't, practice some more. There are so many variables in smoking, temperature, humidity, wind the charcoal and also the quality of the meat is a big factor. I've been smoking my ribs using a high heat method on my performer for a couple of years now and have it down to where I get excellent ribs almost every time. The last time I used an unknown to me brand of ribs, they were horrid almost uneatable.
Most of all have fun and don't stress on the failures. Also like said above you can't go wrong using guidance from Chris. There are some really good BBQ chefs on here and even they sometimes have things go south.
 
Lew Newby said:
If you like your ribs "fall off the bone" wrapping will achieve that. When I started smoking meat I kept it really simple and didn't wrap. Now, in this century, I do. The beauty of Q is that even your mistakes taste good. Have fun. :wsm:
Click to expand...
Thanks, Lew.
Tomorrow is the big day.
On the topic of wrapping, should I wrap the ribs in plastic after applying the rub and refrigerate over night? The "basic" babyback recipe doesn't call for that, but what are the pros and cons?
 
Rich Dahl said:
Practice, take notes of what works and what doesn't, practice some more. There are so many variables in smoking, temperature, humidity, wind the charcoal and also the quality of the meat is a big factor. I've been smoking my ribs using a high heat method on my performer for a couple of years now and have it down to where I get excellent ribs almost every time. The last time I used an unknown to me brand of ribs, they were horrid almost uneatable.
Most of all have fun and don't stress on the failures. Also like said above you can't go wrong using guidance from Chris. There are some really good BBQ chefs on here and even they sometimes have things go south.
Click to expand...
Thank you. It's good to know that if my initial effort fails I can always blame the ribs. :)
 
Allen Speck said:
Thanks, Lew.
Tomorrow is the big day.
On the topic of wrapping, should I wrap the ribs in plastic after applying the rub and refrigerate over night? The "basic" babyback recipe doesn't call for that, but what are the pros and cons?
Click to expand...
I would not put rub on the ribs overnight. I have seen references to that making the ribs taste "hammy". I usually put the rub on no more than an hour in advance.
 
Allen, fate has destined you to have found your way to this site now:
“Abandon all hope he who enter here!”
It’s a great site, Chris is a kind, generous, affable site owner so, you have a lot of information to absorb.
Have a fine time! Welcome aboard!
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
Allen, fate has destined you to have found your way to this site now:
“Abandon all hope he who enter here!”
It’s a great site, Chris is a kind, generous, affable site owner so, you have a lot of information to absorb.
Have a fine time! Welcome aboard!
Click to expand...
Ha! As a KU alum, this reminds me of:
1589840444683.png
 
The ribs went on about 30 minutes ago and the temperature, as measured by a probe inserted in the grommet, quickly settled in at around 235 F where it has remained, give or take a couple of degrees. The lid thermometer is giving about the same reading. Is that a good temperature or should I open the bottom vents a little more?

As I was typing this the probe temperature went to 239.
 
About an hour into this now, and the probe reads 256. I closed the bottom vents a tiny bit more. They were one third open to start. I've decided to wrap the ribs at the 3 hour mark and unwrap them at the 4 hour mark.
 
Allen Speck said:
About an hour into this now, and the probe reads 256. I closed the bottom vents a tiny bit more. They were one third open to start. I've decided to wrap the ribs at the 3 hour mark and unwrap them at the 4 hour mark.
Click to expand...
How did they turn out.... What was the experience like...
 
Michael Richards said:
How did they turn out.... What was the experience like...
Click to expand...
Wife raved about them. Said just as good as Jack Stack. I thought they were a tiny bit on the dry side. But they were really tender and tasty. The experience was rendered less than perfect because the whole time I was trying to smoke the ribs I was facing a five o'clock deadline to finish a mini-brief in a civil suit. Never again will I try to do both at the same time.

Photos tomorrow!
 
Last edited:
Timothy F. Lewis said:
It’s going be delightful! Exercise patience. Patience is the smokers life relaxation. Also remember “It will be done when it’s finished.”
Click to expand...
Took a little over 6 hours. I was patient but my wife was not. ("When are you going to take those off? I'm starving. Are they done yet?") Temperature remained fairly stable between about 235-265. The ribs were nice. My wife and I ate a rack and gave the other one to our daughter and her husband. They texted favorable reviews.
 
Allen Speck said:
Wife raved about them. Said just as good as Jack Stack. I thought they were a tiny bit on the dry side. But they were really tender and tasty. The experience was rendered less than perfect because the whole time I was trying to smoke the ribs I was facing a five o'clock deadline to finish a mini-brief in a civil suit. Never again will I try to do both at the same time.

Photos tomorrow!
Click to expand...
Allen,
I love to get out and cook on my WSM every change I get, but some cooks are more enjoyable than others to me. The best cooks are when the cook is the main thing occurring for that day or for those few hours. OK cooks are when I am using the smoker, but work, family, kids stuff is also occurring and I have to "mange" the cooks within the other stuff. The food still taste great, but not as much joy, but still worth it. I do more of the OK cooks and well that's OK, but man those cooks were I (who am known to run a million miles a minute) just slow down to the pace of a low and slow cook those are golden. Keep on cook both ways!!!
Michael
 
Allen Speck said:
Took a little over 6 hours. I was patient but my wife was not. ("When are you going to take those off? I'm starving. Are they done yet?") Temperature remained fairly stable between about 235-265. The ribs were nice. My wife and I ate a rack and gave the other one to our daughter and her husband. They texted favorable reviews.
Click to expand...
Allen,
This is the lesson I have learned with smoking meat or doing jobs around the house or on the cars. How ever long I think it will take I add at least a few extra hours to tell my wife how long it will take so, that when the task takes longer then I expected it to like it always does I am still covered. For cooking, I am learning to start a least an hours before I think I should everytime! For my family and I (my wife does not like to eat late!) being done earlier is always easier for me to adjust to then being done later than I thought. I can't wait to see the pictures.
Michael
 
Great, Allen! Now that you have your first WSM cook under your belt, the sky is the limit! .....and, you'll get more comfortable with temp control (or at least obsess over it less), and smoking some ribs while prepping arguments for the US Supreme Court at the same time will be child's play! :)

R
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top