Prepping my first smoke tomorrow....rib placement and maverick 732 question

[Phil Lascala]

So I am very excited for my first ever smoke using my new WSM 18.5 tomorrow. Will be doing 4 rack of baby backs using the BRITU recipe. I am a little nervous about fitting the racks of ribs. Suggestions of your most successful method? Roll them with skewers? Rib rack (bought one just in case)? Cut them in half and use both racks? I bought 4 racks from a local butcher, total weight was about 7.5 lbs to give you an idea of the size of the racks.

Also does anyone else use the Maverick 732 thermometer and if so what is the best method for placing the temp probe?

Thanks in advance and sorry for the rookie questions. Just excited to cook for a group of us and want it to go well.

Phil

 

[Dwain Pannell]

Ck this out -- http://virtualweberbullet.com/rib1.html It'll probably help solve some of your issues. I recommend placing the temp probe in the center of your cooker between your ribs. You can use the skewers or the racks -- your choice.

 

[Dave Russell]

Phil, you picked the right forum for "rookie questions", but I find it cool that you actually found some baby backs under 2 lbs! There's nothing "baby" about most of the backribs in the supermarkets these days though, and most are around 3lb, so yes, those should always be cut in half or rolled and skewered for the 18.5" wsm.

For your babybacks though, you can roll and skewer, put all four in a 4-slot rack on the top, or just put two to a grate. It's totally up to you, but I'd probably opt for two to a grate, and put the probe between the ribs on the top grate as Dwain suggested. The clip that comes with the Maverick can make it hard to put the probe exactly how you want it, and the better way to go is to stick it through a small wood block or potato. I like to turn the slabs perpendicular to the grate so I can tuck the ends under a bit if needed to keep away from the hot perimeter of the grate.

Some folks seem to think the bottom grate is a selling feature or something, but I use mine all the time. You can even peek through the door and pull a rack of ribs out if needed. Whatever you opt to do, I'm sure they'll be just fine, and I hope you enjoy your new cooker!

Have a good 'un!
Dave