First Rib Adventure

[Iclickhappy]

I am a couple of hours into my first real use of my new weber kettle, I fired it up last night with some very old fuel which didn't burn properly which meant I had to finish the corn and sausages off in the oven to much amusement from the wife.

I'm using the standard consumer grade Big K lumpwood charcoal, started with 1 full chimney of the fuel, may have been a little impatient emptying the starter as after an hour or so there was still some coals that weren't alight. I put the coals over a third of the grate and a drip tray next to it. I filled an old cake tin with some water and put this on the grate above the coals.

I bought the ribs from the butchers who cut them off the belly for me, not sure what cut they would be classed as, can anyone can help identify the cut by looking at the picture? I should have asked when I bought them. I removed the membrane, oiled, salted and rubbed them with home made Memphis Dust before putting onto the grill.

The temperature went very high, around 220 Celsius so closed the lower vent down to 1/4 and after 20 min the temp was down to 170. I'd put the ribs in a the start so I hope the initial high temp won't do too much harm. I should have waited.

I read that the lower vent is for temp control and the upper to retain smoke so I have left the upper one open for most of the cook, is this correct?

I put a foil packet of Jack Daniels smoking chips in with it but not sure if it did much.

The temperature has been a bit all over the place, 220 to 170 for first 20 min then down to 160 for next 30 ish, down to 120 over the next hour then I panicked and added half a chimney more coal, this took the temp back up to 160 so I closed off the vent back to 1/4 which I'd opened as the temp had been dropping and since then I'm an hour later at 130 with the vent back open and an hour to go.

The only BBQing I've ever done up to this point is the direct grilling of burgers etc therefore this doesn't feel very hot and using lumpwood in a starter rather than briquettes and lashings of lighter fluid I am concerned that the coals aren't all burning evenly.

Hopefully they'll still taste good and it's all good practice, reading the forum and various recipes really does make it sound much easier than I am finding it today.


Need to shrink photos before uploading.

[Iclickhappy]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/126088683@N08/14898531343/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/126088683@N08/14855680926/

Couldn't work out how to post photos

Just eaten ribs, brushed them with some homemade Kansas City BBQ sauce (a bit hotter than expected as I didn't realise US chilli powder is not the same as UK chilli powder) and put back over the coals to caramelise before serving.

They were a bit dry but tasty with the meat coming cleanly off the bone.

I clearly have much to learn but am happy with what I have achieved today.

[JEC]

Don't knock yourself, that's a good first effort. You had spare ribs there from your butcher so a result to get them fall off the bone first time. Think quite a few people have been caught out with the chilli mistake, lucky it wasn't worse could have easily ruined it for you.

This time of year ignoring today's wind and rain a full chimney is too much to light a fire for low and slow which would be part of the reason for the temperature getting so high so quickly. I'd personally have used half a chimney. Don't sweat it though it's all part of the BBQ journey.

[Iclickhappy]

Thanks JEC,

I had to top up the grill half way through, would you have added the half chimney on top of/next to some unlit coals to lengthen the burn?

When do you decide it is time to pour the coals from the chimney? I've not got much experience with either lumpwood or chimney starters, do I wait until all the flames have gone and all wood has turned white (I didn't wait this long today).

[JEC]

I'd dump the lit coals on unlit charcoal, generally you wait until the top coals start to go white but this can take a while and you may have to tip it out earlier, generally once the flames are at the top you are ready to go