Question about foiling 6 at once


 
Sean M.

Sean M.

TVWBB Fan
Hello.

Been smoking with my 18 for 12 years. I have never foiled.
I think it is time to try.

Tomorrow I have 6 STL slabs going on and I roll the racks.

If I decide to foil (probably the honorable Harry Soo method), how do
you recommend that I foil 6 slabs at once?

If they are rolled, when I flatten them will they break?
Can I overlap 3 racks and lay them down so they fit on the top and bottom?

Any advice would be appreciated.

(BTW - I may not foil, I do like my dry rubbed ribs and I am afraid to try this).

Thank you!
~ Sean
 
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Sean;
I have used Harry Soo's system (as per the PDF on this forum, thanks to Harry) ever since Harry's interview. I typically use two racks on my 18.5" WSM and 14.5" WSM and cut my rib racks in half to smoke. So, I can't speculate on what happens when you roll ribs as to whether they will crack at foiling time. I suspect that they will be just fine, but I don't really know from personal experience.

At any rate, I foil my ribs after the bark is set. I use Harry's method. After the rib half racks are foiled, I put half on the top rack (just stack them) and half on the bottom rack. I DO put the ribs that came off the bottom rack back on the top rack when foiled and vice versa just to equalize the heat.

I always do a full "three pack" and end up with six half racks. Keep in mind that after foiled I remove the racks before putting the foiled ribs back in the smoker. You don't need the racks after foiling. I keep the lid on while foiling to keep the temps as even as possible. My wife vacuum packs the half racks and the left overs go into the freezer. The ribs, after thawing and re-heating are just like they came out of the smoker. We only sauce the ribs we immediately use. When the frozen ribs come out of the freezer, they are thawed, sauced, and re-heated in the oven.

Just a thought or two...

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
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1) Foil one rack per pkg (per tips I got elsewhere on TVWBB).
2) If rolled (as I always do), they will break slightly when you flatten prior to foiling but it's no big deal. You're going to be cutting them apart before serving anyways.
3) Pay attention to how long you plan to have them foiled. They WILL continue cooking and may be so well done they DO fall off the bone. The bigger problem with that is if you want to put them on the grill for a few minutes to re-crisp them, they really will fall apart.

I had to use two spatula/flipper and put one underneath the rack and the other on top and then flip them so the rack is supported on both sides because I left them foiled too long.
 
Sean, Len's experience and mine line up. The big danger in foiling is overdone, mushy ribs that literally just fall off the bone on their way to your mouth. What I have been doing is cooking them coiled until they are done, then flattening them (breakage is a small problem), wrapping in foil and resting them in a cooler with towels for 30 minutes or more. If I'm cooking for a larger group, I can unwrap and slice ribs as needed, so they are always "hot and fresh." If you want to caramelize them with sauce, you can do it right before serving or right before you foil them.

Jeff
 
Thank you gentlemen, I really appreciate your advice and feedback.

Well - I decided to forego foiling. I just do no want to try a new method
with a party of people at risk. I have 6 slabs, rolled and going for the 5-6
hour standard cook at 225-250.

I will try foiling on a 3 rack smoke sometime to test it out.

Have a great day!

~ Sean
 
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