Under Way


 
J

J Moodie

TVWBB Member
First cook is under way as we speak!
4 racks spareribs on the 22".
Using Lump, all I could find. Following the basic rib recipe, but using my own BBQ sauce when the time comes.
Couple questions?
When I used Chimney starter, lossed a lot of coals falling out the bottom? There were a lot of small pieces, is this just porr quality lump??
So I was worried that 1/2 chimney may not be enough to get the unlit going, taking a while to get to 250?
What temp should I aim for?
Not planning on foiling.
 
J. Welcome and best to you on your rib cook. Some folks put meat on the grate as the temp is rising, others wait till desired temp is reached. Matter of choice. As to what temp to shoot for, again matter of choice. Commonly Low and Slow is around 225-250. Many use higher temps for ribs 250-275. You find many temp methods here. If you cook till the meat is done it really won't mater other than the time it takes and the fact that with higher heats some rubs will burn if a lot of sugar was used.

Hope all goes well.

Mark

P.S. I pretty much pick my coals for the chimney, so Only a few fall thru. 1/2 a chimney hot coals will be plenty for a low to med hot cook. If you choose HH you can use 3/4-full chimney. Depending on outside temp and coals used it can take up to an hour to reach youd desired cooking temp, depending on how you have the vents set etc.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Andrew Wands:
Whats HH method? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Read here: http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brisket4.html

I've done several briskets HH now and the eaters have been thrilled with the results. I'm not taking credit, just saying it's a great way to get the beef right.
 
J I use lump and have no problem with the chimney starter. Once in awhile you get a bag which has the lump pretty broken up but if you are using a good quality it should not be a problem. What kind did you use? If you get a second bag of the same quality I would switch brands. I also found that with the coal grate you could get a lot dropping through because it isn't a uniform shape, I put a second grate in on the diagonal so it burns down pretty small before dropping through the grate.

Cheers
 
First of all: Thanks for the input MK. Great to have that comforting response so quickly.

Second: Man that was easy!!!!!!!!!! Once I settled down, and WSM got in the range I had nothing to worry about except keeping my two year old entertained! Ribs were done perfectly for when company arrived and at one point, even with four kids under the age of two at the table no one was talking! Always a good sign. I was proud. Solid ring too!

Third: I used Le Gourmet lump from Barbecues Galore. The amount of small pieces is pretty extreme, almost half the bag is unusable. Probably swithcing brands for next cook.

More ribs, and there should be pictures of the next time.
 
J.

Sounds like you nailed it first time out. I use Kingsford Charcoal. Easy to find-easy to light. Here's what I do. I fill the charcoal grate with just a little more than enough to cover the bottom. Then I add about 1/3-1/2 chimney of lit charcoal. (I use a Weber Chimney - a bit larger than those other ones out there) I assemble the cooker, add a gallon of hot out of the tap water and give it a half hour to get going. After my ribs are on I don't open the WSM for the first 3 hours. The temp usually hangs between 220-240. I don't foil either. At about 3 hours I'll mist with a little apple juice, BBQ sauce and ACV. At 4-5 hours I'll give them the tear test. If they're ready I'll glaze with a mixture of BBQ sauce, jalapeno apple jelly and just a splash of ACV. Tender, tasty and cooked to perfection. My ribs are usually done in about 4 1/2 hours. These are large SL Ribs being cooked at 5300 ft. Love the WSM.

Signed - a former Traeger owner and pellet head.
 
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