What went wrong?


 
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Brad Chopp

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First time today, threw 2 BB rib racks(1.75 lbs per) on the WSM. The results were not as good as I expected. They were smoking for 5 hours 20 min at a 230-245 range. From what Ive read, this seems like a good range for ribs. Well, when I took them off I needed much more than a "gentle tug" to rip them apart. It was like trying to rip a phone book...maybe not that tough. I used a couple chunks of hickory and warm tap water in the bowl. My thermometer(stuck down through the top vent) passed the boiling water test, so that should be fine.

They turned out alright, but I didnt get the "fall off the bone" ribs like everyone wants to get. Was my temp not high enough? Should they have been on longer? Any Ideas?

Thanks
 
Wow Brade that's a mistery. 5 hours should have been plenty of time. I usually do my BB's in 4 to 4 1/2 hours. It's possible that you had some particularly fatty ribs. That would have made them take longer. I would suggest in the future that you check the temp of the ribs between a couple of the bigger ones with your probe. I do that when I cook them because I don't trust myself. When they are 190 between the bones I take them off and their perfect.
 
I had the same problem when I did my first batch or ribs. I did some research on this board and others and came up with the conclusion that you must smoke longer at those temps. You could also raise the temp to 275-285 for the last three hours to address the six hour time hack.

My ribs will usually finish at about 7 to 7.5 hours at a constant temp of 225-240. Hope this helps.

Jr
 
5-1/2 hours should be plenty of time for BBs to reach tenderness at the temps you describe. A local store here sells "extra meaty" BBs at a premium price-- maybe yours were similar? Leaving the membrane on shouldn't appreciably affect cooking time, but you'll want to remove it in future.
 
The time sounds right to me too. But leaving the membrane on will make the ribs tougher to pull apart and tougher to eat. It will also prevent the rub penetrating from the back side.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>They were smoking for 5 hours 20 min at a 230-245 range. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Measured from where? The top vent? If so, then your grate temp was probably around 210~225?

Running that low I can see it taking that long and being a bit tough, especially with the membrane intact.

That's one thing I've learned to accept - it's done when it's done. One time they'll take 6 hours then next only 4. Such is sweet mystery of the Q. /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif
 
That is a shame that your first WSM experience was not as perfect as it might have been. Get an oyster knife (perfect for this) or use the back of a spoon to get that membrane off. I'm absolutely sure that is the cause of your problem...5-6 hours should have been perfect. Good luck next weekend...let us know how it turned out.
 
I have never cooked BB’s more than 5.5 hours. I usually like them 4.5 hours. If you are looking for fall off the bone I would suggest cooking them 2.5 hours than foil them with a little apple juice put them back in the smoker for 1.5 hours then unwrap, sauce and cook for another 0.5 to 1 hour. They will then be fall off the bone. Give it a try and let us know how you like them. Steve
 
Thanks a ton for all of your help...this site is outstanding! I will take all the advice, fire up the good old WSM and try again soon. Updates will be posted. Thanks again.
 
Brad,

Sounds like the membrane was your problem, try again removing it (Chris has instructions here on the site)and I think you will be pleased with the results.
 
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