The ribs are done when...


 
R

Rick Rockwell

TVWBB Member
I had my first baby back rib failure this weekend. Racks were a LOT smaller than I usually cook (2-lb versus closer to 3-lb). Cooked 6 racks in the 18.5 WSM using water pan, all laying flat. Temps read low (like 210 high in the dome) most of the cook despite my impression that it was actually hotter. Flipped them after 3 hours and ignored my judgement that they were nearing done (dum-sh*t) and continued to force the temp higher cuz that's the way I always did it.

Well, needless to say, by the 4.5 hour mark I had 6 racks of dry rubs. They won't go to waste (looking forward to those rib-spiked beans) but it raises an interesting point for discussion.

How do you all decide when the ribs are done? I know about the toothpick test, bend test, etc but there must be some other successful methods out there.
 
When a toothpick slides between the bones effortlessly, they're done.

Not to sound smart but if you know about these methods of testing for doneness, why didn't you use any of them?
 
I had almost the same thing happen to me with smaller spares. Went by time rather than senses. It just takes time to trust oneself.... [How come I always hear, "Use the force, Luke", in situations like these?]
 
I'd check your Weber gauge for accuracy and start with more lit charcoal to begin with so you have more predictable cook starts. Hot water, even boiling, helps a lot.

I like to get up to about 225* on the gauge pretty quickly, and then up to as high as 250* when the ribs are getting hot mid-cook. Cooking in that range will put off a lot of steam, which helps keep the bark formation under control. Not gonna help much with slab ends that reach the edge of the grate, though.

To answer your question though, I don't check for tenderness until I see some pull-back, and I wouldn't try to get perfect tenderness with back ribs unless foiling, but that's just my preference.
 
I don't use water (I use a foiled clay flower pot base in a foiled water pan).

I cook my pork ribs at 275F. Backs, meat side up, for 2 hours. I then tent them with aluminum foil, meat side down, for 1 hour, spritzing them every 15 minutes with apple cider.

Look for a nice colored bark. The toothpick test works well.

Good luck,

Bob
 
I use the tear test that Chris describes in this post in the Cooking Topics area. My BRITU ribs came out great when using it
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Not to sound smart but if you know about these methods of testing for doneness, why didn't you use any of them? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
My question as well.

I dislike tearing racks of ribs. Don't really see the point. I prefer a probe over a toothpick but it's the same procedure: when the probe goes into the meat between the bones effortlessly they are done.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> by the 4.5 hour mark I had 6 racks of dry rubs. </div></BLOCKQUOTE> It sounds like they were underdone, not overdone.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Not to sound smart but if you know about these methods of testing for doneness, why didn't you use any of them? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Apparently, you missed the part where I said I was a dumb-sh*t. (smile)

At any rate, they were WAY overdone. This was obvious from the leftovers that were more akin to bacon than ribs.

I had forgotten about the 'tear test' but probably would have ignored that indication as well.

Thanks for the reminders.
 
I had almost the same experience this past week too. Could not get the temp above 210 and by 3.5 hours they were looking grey and dry. Hardly any pull back from the bones. Certainly weren't tearing well or tender.

I foiled them and put them into the oven at 350 for an hour and they began to melt and pull back from the ribs. Came out really juicy with a nice bark.

I'm not a good cook and I have to admit I'm really surprised that they looked dry and rubbery after 3 hours but then turned out juicy after an hour at higher heat, but I'm just going to try to retrain my expectations...

Hang in there, I'm as confused as you are
icon_confused.gif

Clark
 
OK...let's start with the basics. how on god's green earth can you do six racks laying flat on an 18.5 ?

maybe the racks were quite small so they cooked much faster than reg. sized ones ?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Paul Lai:
I had almost the same thing happen to me with smaller spares. Went by time rather than senses. It just takes time to trust oneself.... [How come I always hear, "Use the force, Luke", in situations like these?] </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Or....."use the swartz Lonestar"...to which Rick replied..I can't, I lost the ring" (Spaceballs) LOL!

But to try to answer the problem above....this kind of discrepancy is bound to happen, when one uses the lid gauge exclussively. The problem is, the lid gauge is useless for the most part. The action inside the WSM is from the bottom up, and the cold temps of those 6 racks of ribs ended up at the lid gauge, where the temps are usually lower....much lower than the temps below the grate. In essence, the temps which hits the ribs is usually 50-60 or even 80 degrees hotter than the temps at the lid. On my 18.5 WSM this discrepancy happens all the time, only the temps are different. But I have different temps at the lid when is windy, or, when is colder, or when is a hotter day. Every time the temps are different. The only constant temp is the temps which come from below and hit the meat. those temps never change. I run an ATC, and the temps at the grate are set to 275, those are the temps which are constant. Everything else is changing.

In your case, it is possible that the racks were smaller, but they were cold, and that temp was measured at the lid, when in fact the actual temps at the grate were around 270-or even higher. Naturally, the more you raised the temps, the lid temps did not follow the temps at the grate. Next time you need to measure the temps at the grate, and then you know for sure the temps which are actually do the cooking of the meat. those temps are the important ones.

Now in all fairness many WSM owners do not measure the temps at the grate, but I venture to say they are more experienced BBQ-ers, who know when the ribs are done, just by looking at them. I'm pretty sure in time Rick will know the difference as well.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Rick Rockwell:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Not to sound smart but if you know about these methods of testing for doneness, why didn't you use any of them? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Apparently, you missed the part where I said I was a dumb-sh*t. (smile)

At any rate, they were WAY overdone. This was obvious from the leftovers that were more akin to bacon than ribs.

I had forgotten about the 'tear test' but probably would have ignored that indication as well.

Thanks for the reminders. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>So the meat came off the bone easily and was stringy and dry? If so, yes they were overdone. If the meat did not come off the bone easily, was not stringy but instead was dense and chewy they were underdone.

I do not use a lid gauge. I temp at a vent. I would suggest doing the same.
 
DEFINITELY overdone, but tasty still.

The last post talks about about a lid gauge and vent gauge. Is there a difference? My WSM is the older model so no built-in gauge. I just drop a probe 4-5 inches down through the vent.

For Neil - Yes, 6 rack flat. I used three grates and DID say they were very small.

For Tibor - I think you might have something. The way the racks were laid in, the smoke needed to wind it's way through all of the ribs BEFORE hitting the thermo. Likely cooled off a lot.
 
Lid gauge = the one that comes with the WSM or the like.

Vent Gauge, or "temp at a vent" would be you sticking a therm or probe into one of the open holes in the lid vent to check temps. Usually more reliable as you end up with the probe hanging into the cooker a few inches.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> I think you might have something. The way the racks were laid in, the smoke needed to wind it's way through all of the ribs BEFORE hitting the thermo. Likely cooled off a lot. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>No. Uh-uh. The notion that the vent temp is substantially lower than grate temp is unsupported. Especially if using water but even if not. (if it were true it would mean I cook ribs at 400-425. I don't.)

Use a reliable therm at the vent. If a digital probe, it measures temp at the tip. Just the probe itself should be in the vent, the wire should be outside it.

Low/slow is fine. Lower/slower than that usually not. 210 isn't helping.

Regardless of the temp you target your ribs will be done when they're done. And you butts and your brisket. A clock won't tell you that. You have to feel the meat. It will always feel tender when it is tender.
 
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