What else did i do wrong on these ribs.


 
J

Jonathan Jarembek

TVWBB Member
howdy,

I figured after doing some many ribs over the past 2 + years ya figured i would not have a disaster like i had today..

Today i had a company Xmas party and i wanted to cook 3 racks of ribs since i am always talking about em and showing pictures but very few actually people get to try any..

So i got up at about 4 am and started the charcoal like i normally do.. Pulled the 3 racks out of the cryovack packs, cleaned em, pulled the membrane off em, rubbed em and put em in the rib racks.

Typically in the summer time i run the smoker around 225 - 230 for 4.5 hours or so and the ribs pass the pull test. Wrap em in foil for 45 min in the cooler and then finish off on the grill and they are pretty amazing.

Today i had the ribs at 5am pulled em off at around 10 am and it appears none of the fat rendered off, the rub endedup looking dry and flakey, when i did a test cut they still had blood, there was just about no smoke penetration and i could of played basketball with them they were so rubbery.

I tried a few things to save em but really set in and they just ended up in the bin..

if i had to take a guess mid 220's was way to low of a heat in this 40 degree weather,

I base that on the fact the fat did not render out, the meat did not get cooked and usually i am used to seeing the water pan half empty at 5 hours and today it was pretty full..

Would heat also cause the rub to basically dry out, flake off, and not caramelize like it normally does ?

I have 6 racks to do in about a week so i am hoping now to learn this lesson again.

Thanks

Jon
 
Could there have been a problem with the thermometer?

Also, where did you measure the temperature?

What did the charcoal and smoke wood look like post-cook?

I'm sorry things didn't turn out well. That must have been terribly disappointing given your audience.
 
it is a brand new thermometer but i have use this type before and they are pretty good,

there was a ton of some wood left so it barely burned as well.. Tried soaking the wood for a little bit before it went into the smoker based on a recommendation and i would not do that again.

Looking at some of the posts it looks like ppl cook their ribs around 250 soo who knows..
 
220 degrees is the same temp no matter what the outside temperature is. Sounds like you didn't get up to the 220-235 temp. range, which would explain why the fat didn't rend, your rub hasn't carmelized and your water pan is still full.
 
Did you check the new thermometer by putting it in some boiling water? If you didn't, check it out and see if it's correct.
 
I think you are on to your problem with the temp. It sounds like you made pork jerky. I've been smoking my ribs at 225-250 with success, but want to try 250-275. I think I'll get a better product.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Tried soaking the wood for a little bit before it went into the smoker based on a recommendation and i would not do that again. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't understand soaking the wood. All you get is steam. You want the wood to burn for the smoke.

On another site, they show the effects of soaking chunks. The water didn't penetrate.
 
i used to smoke in the 250's but the ribs would get burnt on the top, so i started to lower it until i got into the 220's

just frustrated lots of empty promises and ya know the last thing anything whats to do these days is ruin 50 or so bucks in product.

I am going to test the thermometer when i get home against my instant read and older analog and see where they end up..

trying to remember back and for the most part i was between 220 - 225 ish.. only did i dip down into the teens right when i was working on the mac n cheese as a side and that was at the 5 hour mark..

The person made it seem like you would get longer smoke from the wet pieces of wood.

Usually the wood i use is pretty much burned up in 45 minutes to an hour.. the wood i used today did not bellow smoke out of the top like i am used to and when i did check it at some point 95 percent of the wood was un-burnt so soaking the wood and a negative effect on the cook today..
 
Where are you measuring the temperature ... at the vent or the grate?

Soaking the wood chunks has a negligible effect as the water doesn't permeate the wood. Regardless, I don't think this was your problem. The real issue is that you never got up to the temperature you thought. The wood didn't burn not because it was soaked but because there was no fire.

Do check back and let us know what you discover about the thermometer.
 
hello,

so i just tested the thermometer in boiling water and everything is registering around 210 degrees.. i also used an instant and analog and they all came in within a few degrees of each other.

the only other then i can remember not sure if it made a difference is that i had the probe pinned between the top grate and the corner of the rib rack. not sure if that was throwing off the readings.

i think this weekend i am going to try some a few test runs and cross check it at various times and see if i am getting bum readings.
 
You might try putting a temp probe in the meat. Even though the pull test is best, if you're around 180, then you know it's more or less time. Sounds like you weren't near that for some reason. I've even put half frozen ribs on at the temps you cite and not had an issue. Strange.
 
Hi Jonathan, Sorry to hear about your rib disater. I would agree with Robert's comment about your charcoal being damp. How much charcoal did you use? How did you light them? I'm suprised your wood chips didn't burn away. It just shows that your heat source was not up to par.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jonathan Jarembek:
i had the probe pinned between the top grate and the corner of the rib rack. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
bingo. you were reading the temp of the metal grate and/or rib rack and not the air temp. run the probe through a potato or even better yet, just dangle it in the top vent
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tony C.:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jonathan Jarembek:
i had the probe pinned between the top grate and the corner of the rib rack. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
bingo. you were reading the temp of the metal grate and/or rib rack and not the air temp. run the probe through a potato or even better yet, just dangle it in the top vent </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I use a wine cork with a hole drilled through the middle for the probe and i cut a wedge shape in the cork to suspend it just above the top rack. Is this a bad idea? Or is dangling it the best method to get an accurate reading. Isn't the grill temp on what you are cooking on what matters?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by David Verba:
I use a wine cork with a hole drilled through the middle for the probe and i cut a wedge shape in the cork to suspend it just above the top rack. Is this a bad idea? Or is dangling it the best method to get an accurate reading. Isn't the grill temp on what you are cooking on what matters? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Whatever you do that makes your cook a success is good. Grate, dangle, whatever. IMO, stick to one way and work with it, without worrying about lid vs grate, bottom vs top grate, etc. You'll drive yourself crazy and your cooks, again JMO, will be more work and less fun.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">so i just tested the thermometer in boiling water and everything is registering around 210 degrees.. i also used an instant and analog and they all came in within a few degrees of each other. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> the only other then i can remember not sure if it made a difference is that i had the probe pinned between the top grate and the corner of the rib rack. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Where did you end up on the vents when trying to set the temperature by your thermometer? Another indicator of a temperature reading that was off high compared to normal might be that you'd end up running with less air than normal.
 
Keeping things simple & consistent, whatever the method, seems fun & easy to me
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i.e. Always tune your WSM with the dome thermo ....& check doneness via product internal temp ...never soak smokewood
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I'm no expert but "its done when its done". I think, whether you smoke at 200 or 250, the internal temp is the only thing that matters.
I heard that soaking smoke wood creates more creosote than anything. I've done it both ways and didn't notice any difference in taste but, wet wood will lower temps. I try to maintain a temp of 225-275* but again ambiant temps come into play. My general rule is "the lower the temp, the longer the cook".
 
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