• Enter the TVWB 27th Anniversary Prize Drawing for a chance to win a Weber Traveler Portable Gas Grill! Click here to enter!

The Chris A method is failing me just slightly


 
S

simon j

TVWBB Fan
With regards to smoking ribs on our wsm smoker, I've tried the 3-2-1 , and the 2-1-1 method even incorporating the award winning technique that won Chris A a competition.

My last attempt I used a 2-1-1 w foil.

I think my pork baby rack ribs are falling a part too soon ?

Certain racks were falling a part sooner than the last hour.. right after the foil stage.

I try to take them out of the foil and they are literally falling apart ..

I can't get most of the racks back onto the smoker for the remaining hour all in one piece..

Literally if you were to pick them up with tongs, they would break right down the middle.

What am I doing wrong ? temperature ? (although it never gets about 250) , or could it be the racks are not thick enough or plentiful enough ?

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated..
 
If they're falling apart they are in the foil too long, relative to rib size and cooktemp. Try half the time.

Me, if I foil, I cook longer for the prefoil stage. I don't time, I just cook till deeply colored. After foiling I cook till just tender while still in the foil. Then I remove from the foil and cook just long enough for the bark to firm, 7-10 min. (I never sauce.)
 
The 3-2-1 sounds great on paper, but it's not too good in practice. Many here will tell you that, regardless of cooker temp, 2 hours in foil is way too much. Most only do 45 minutes in foil, in order to keep from "fell off the bone" ribs. Only the Kevin 'Stogie' Taylor method for foiling loin back ribs that long seems to work, and that's because it strictly specifies both the size (weight) of the ribs, and the cooker temperature (strictly 225 measured at the grate).
 
so i should try 2.5 hours pre foil
then 30mins in foil
then another 7-10mins out of the foil ?

so overall around 3 hours instead of 4 ?
 
You could, but I would suggest checking the ribs in 30 rather than removing them. If a probe goes between the bones without resistance the ribs are tender. If not, allow another 5-7 min if they felt 'almost', 10-15 if resistance was firmer. Check again before removal.
 
I would be more inclined to go 3 hours smoked, 1 hour max in foil and half hour to firm....lift up one end and if the meat tears underneather, they are ready to nibble on, I guess it all depends on how much meat was on them but I've found that these timings for me are a good guide.

Cheers

Davo
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Doug D:
The 3-2-1 sounds great on paper, but it's not too good in practice. Many here will tell you that, regardless of cooker temp, 2 hours in foil is way too much. Most only do 45 minutes in foil, in order to keep from "fell off the bone" ribs. Only the Kevin 'Stogie' Taylor method for foiling loin back ribs that long seems to work, and that's because it strictly specifies both the size (weight) of the ribs, and the cooker temperature (strictly 225 measured at the grate). </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

so what would your schedule and format be then ?
 
I tend to cook at a higher grate temp-- more like 250-- for most if not all cooks. My timing would be something like 3-.75-.50, and test for tender while still in foil starting at about 30 minutes. The last 30 minutes out of foil is mostly for firming the bark and painting a glaze, if desired.

Here is Stogie's 6 hour method. I have tried it, and if you follow it strictly, it works. But it is only one of several methods and techniques for success.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by simon j:
...even incorporating the award winning technique that won Chris A a competition. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Not this Chris A. I've never competed, just want to be clear about that.

Regards,
Chris
 
What others said. I don't think when I've cooked spare this way, and have been doing that for most of my recent rib cooks I've left them in foil for more than 30 - 45 minutes. Better off calling it smoke/foil/finish than applying a time to it at all IMHO and experience. I usually do my spares around 225 or 250 max.
 
What caught my eye in your post was the fact you are using Baby Backs but you are cooking on Spare Rib times.

6 hrs is FAR too long unless you have monster back ribs. Foiling greatly increases the cooking speed (high heat briskets can speak to this), this is why everyone says 2 hrs of foil is too much.

Most of my back ribs cook for 5 hrs AT MOST. If I was foiling I might do something like 3.5-.5-.5
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Scooter B:
What caught my eye in your post was the fact you are using Baby Backs but you are cooking on Spare Rib times.

6 hrs is FAR too long unless you have monster back ribs. Foiling greatly increases the cooking speed (high heat briskets can speak to this), this is why everyone says 2 hrs of foil is too much.

Most of my back ribs cook for 5 hrs AT MOST. If I was foiling I might do something like 3.5-.5-.5 </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I will try sticking to 3.5 bare, 30mins in foil, and 30mins w foil removed and report back to the board.

thanks for all the help and sorry for any confusion Chris A. you can by all means edit the topic title.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Michael G.:
Lately I've been hasving great success with no foiling, but a longer cooking time. These tend to be quite meaty ribs, and we do like them *almost* fotb. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's typically what I shot for too.
 
I have a revolutionary idea! Forget the foil!
icon_smile.gif
I never foil my ribs in my 22.5 WSM and they come out great.
wsmsmile8gm.gif
 
The last few times I made BB ribs I foiled for about an hour and they were great. I think I will go green and go without foil next time.
 
The problem is sticking to a schedule regardless of any other dynamics of the cook.

Take your ribs off the heat when they're tender. Not by some clock.
 
Just to throw a wrench in things (and hopefully to help as well). I have tried all of the methods described for ribs, and frankly the best for me has been no foil while LOWERING the cooker temp (I like 225-235 lid) and simply checking for doneness using visual cues and a fork to pull the meat. When the meat pulls away from the end of the bones and pulls easily with a fork, it's done. Spares can be anywhere from 4 to 6 hours depending on size of the pig and your average temp. Foiling works, but you can mess it up too. I could never master the trick of unfoiling to firm the meat back up. Plus the whole process gets aggravatingly fiddly for me.

Good Luck
Lou
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top