Baby backs taking longer than I thought

[Cheech]

I put some baby back ribs on this afternoon around 1 PM.  I put 3 hours of smoke on them and was hoping to have my cabinet temp at 225 during that time period.  I used a known good thermometer to keep tabs on cabinet temp. 

For the life of me I could not get it up to 225 with only 2 slabs of ribs on a 6 rack BDS.  All plugs were in good and tight, no extension cord.

Toward the end of the smoke I had the cabinet temp set to 320 (as high as it would go) but the cabinet temp at the level where my ribs were was 203. 

After three hours in the smoke I moved them to the oven with foil over them and some water in the dish.  It's been a few more hours and they still don't pass the "bend" test.

Should I keep them going at 225?  Or are these things just never gonna get there?

[Cheech]

i pulled them a little while ago.  They turned out really...really dry in parts.  Other parts were just OK.

I'm guessing they didn't pass the "bend" test because I cut the slabs in half to fit on my racks.  If I had picked up a full slab with the tongs I'm guessing it would've bent earlier and given me the heads up to pull them.  Oh well...live and learn.  They still taste good...just dry.

[Habanero Smoker]

Cutting the ribs in half will effect the outcome of the bend test. If you want to use the bend test, try just trimming off the last 2 - 3 ribs on the small side. Then the rest of the rack should fit inside your tray. With only 2 or three ribs removed, the bend test will be more accurate. I like to use the toothpick test, but instead of a toothpick, I use a bamboo skewer.

With the trimmed off ribs, I will put them on a separate tray to smoke/cook. Also you can carve the meat off the uncooked trimmed ribs and freeze it. Once I get enough; a pound or more, I like to make McRibs out of it. I only cook spareribs, and save the trimmed skirt for my McRibs.

[piratey]

Where's the McRibs recipe?  I must have missed that one.

[Habanero Smoker]

The link to the McRib clone recipe is below. I follow the recipe as is, and it comes out great. I use Classic Sandwich Slice dill pickles.
McRib Clone Recipe

[piratey]

Thank you, sir.  That recipe looks like a great idea, and I'll have to try it.

[Habanero Smoker]

It's definitely worth making them. In my previous post that should be Vlasic pickles, not Classic. :)