Rib help

[Paul S74]

I will be attempting my first cook this weekend with 4 racks of ribs.

I don't want to use the BRITU method, I have my own rub that I made.

My question is, can I follow the same cooking steps as the BRITU minus the BRITU rub?

or a better question, what is the average cooking time and temps of ribs not using BRITU

 

[Rich G]

Hi, Paul. I'll admit, I may be one of the few with a WSM who has never done BRITU! I usually do spares, and I use either a home rub, or one I buy. I trim the spares to my liking, apply the rub, and put on the pit. Try this link for an TVWB step-by-step method for ribs. Insert your rub in the recipe....

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/rib3.html

The amount of time ribs will take to be done depends on the type of ribs (baby/loin backs or spares), size of the racks, and the temp of the pit (those are the major factors anyway.) I cooked some up today, and they took about 4.5 hrs at about 240?. They were spares, which, when trimmed, weighed about 3.75 lbs per rack.

HTH,
Rich G.

PS: Please post back the results of your cook. You can either gloat here about how great it was, or, if they aren't perfectly done to your liking, the folk here can give you ideas to try next time. Good luck!

 

[Paul S74]

Thanks for your reply!

When will I know the ribs are done? What are some of the things I should look for on the meat?

Sorry to be a pain, but I want my first cook to come out perfect!

 

[Jim Minion]

Paul
When the ribs are done there are a few ways to tell, the meat will shrink away from the end of the rib bones exposing 1/2 to 3/4" of the bone tips, or the internal temp will be some where around 185? between the bones. The best way to tell is take a toothpick and stick it in the meat between the bones, when you slide it in it should feel like your pushing it into a cube of butter.
Hope this helps.
jim

 

[Bill Dowd]

I did spare ribs last weekend and used the BRITU cooking instructions as a guide. Used a rub I found on another site. The target temp was 240 at the lid, unfortunately I never got close! I started off with too much charcoal, one and a half chimneys worth with sand in the pan instead of water. Actual lid temps ranged from 295 at the start to 268 at the finish. Took 4.5 hours. I check for doneness (sp?) by pulling two ribs apart. If they separate easily, they're done for me. Also was able to twist the bone right out. Overall results were nice and tender. Part of the fun with the WSM and BBQ in general is experimentation. The recipes, tips, etc are great guidelines. I use them as my starting point and venture from there! Let us know how things turn out!