First ribs

[Archie]

My first attempt at low 'n' slow cooking has produced average results to be honest. Did a rack of spare ribs and a rack of what I think were baby backs but with a bit of vertebrae attached. Went for the 3,2,1 method and a Memphis style rub, spraying with apple juice and a bit of apple juice at the foil stage. The results were ok I guess, the back ribs being very tasty but a bit dry. The spare ribs were a tad chewy for my liking. Think I went wrong with my cooking temps, don't know why but a last google of cooking temps before starting suggested 200-225. Possibly it should have been higher? Think the spare rib meat would have been much more tender but the baby backs would have been totally dehydrated.
Next time I am going for a higher temp but maybe abandoning the 3,2,1 method for the back ribs in favour of a shorter cooking time.

On the positive side I got great smokey flavour from the applewood chunks and I found the temperature control to be pretty easy with my new WSM.
Any tips on getting the ribs right would be greatly appreciated.

[PyroBoris]

I haven't got perfect rib cooking method yet either. My most recent rib attempt a couple of weeks ago (also with Memphis Dust), was 4/5 hours on the smoker at about 240f, no foil, just regular spraying with apple juice. They came out tasty but more like roast pork than fall of the bone slippery goodness.

In the past I've tended to go for a slightly lower temp (220f ish), 2hrs unfoiled to start, then 1.5 - 2 hrs foiled with a good amount of apple juice (think paddling pool shallowness, terrible analogy but hey) and then unfoiled for maybe another 45 mins - 1 hr. Using this rather unscientific method I got some very nice ribs. Ultimately my goal was to look for the meat cracks to appear as it pulled away from the ribs when you pick them up. For me, that's when their done.

You'll crack it no doubt, just keep trying and cooking

[Archie]

Oh don't worry I will keep at it until they are spot on! Wondering if its worth using a vinegar to mop with rather than just apple juice?

[hairyhobo]

I smoke my ribs at about 220/230F for 5hrs ish. I found 4hrs of smoke made them quite tender and you could start to see the bones pop out. I mop them every 40mins ish with a slightly watered down cider vinegar and some of my rub, maybe a bit of pineapple juice as well. After 4hrs i wrap them in tinfoil to tenderize with butter, hot sauce and honey and then pop them back in my smoker for 1 more hour or until i feel they are done. I pop some sort of bbq sauce on the ribs and stick them back in for 15mins ish and boom they come out really well.

[smokingsteve]

Hey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eSFdddaRnk

I follow this recipe to a tee, produces some beautiful ribs. Personally I believe you are smoking at too low a temperature, try 250-275.

Steve.

[Archie]

Did another couple of racks yesterday. For some reason I struggled to get the temperature control dialled, probably in the upper region of 225-250 for a lot of the time but a serious amount of yo-yo'ing going on.
Again used the 3-2-1 method and I think they were better for a bit more heat.
Definitely want to see a bit more of the fat rendered out of them and next time will make sure all the surface fat is removed.
Think a longer cooking time may be for me as I want them falling off the bone.