Pics as promised from my first smokes... Baby Back 3-1-1 and lessons learned...

[danattherock]

First of all, I want to think everyone here for all the thoughts shared earlier.


A quick reminder, I am from NC, but work out of state on Nantucket. Got back home to North Carolina for 19 days recently and that is when I used my smoker for the first time. I was pretty well armed with info from this forum thankfully.

The one thing I will pass on to any new guys/gals here, it ain't done till it's done. Forget the handy recipe. Forget the printed page from the forum you have in hand. Forget what your pappy told you. It is done, when it is done. My failure to yield to this simple suggestion is what got me one batch of tough ribs. Kynola was kind enough to talk me through it and I went from zero to hero come batch two. Lucky for me the folks I had over for dinner on the first smoke were blistered drunk from drinking shine. Well, not really luck as I had planned this much out. These particular friends made a great tester group and liked the ribs. But I knew better. I knew they were tough and I was not a happy camper.

All together, I did baby back ribs 4 times while home. Determined to get it right before moving on to any other meats. Goal was accomplished. Had one batch of tough ribs. The shine helped ease the pain. The next three smokes were the best ribs I have every had. Cooked for groups of 6, 8, and 11. Everyone loved the ribs. Below are some pics I took along the way as I learned how to use my Bradely. Sorry for the crappy pics, forgot my camera and had to use my iPhone.

Will do better next time ::)


All the stuff on the counter for first smoke...





First baby backs I had ever bought. Rubbed and getting close to room temp. Almost smoke time. Hot damn!!!





And in the smoker they go. First smoke underway. Did three hours of smoke (13 Coor's lights), 1 hour in foil with apple juice (4 Coor's lights), then sauce and back in smoker for 1 hour (6 Coor's lights). Yep, ribs are not done but I sure got to pee. Ha ha... just kidding. All joking aside, this is where I made the mistake. I took them out of the foil before I saw any bone show. I later learned that I should have kept at stage two (foil) till I saw some show. Then sauce, heat for 30 minutes to one hour, and serve. I failed to understand initially that alot of the actual cooking is being done in the foil stage. Live and learn. It is done, when it's done.





Here is me hard at work. I had a good head start on my buddy in the beverage department. I will have to learn moderation when smoking. It will take years of practice I am sure to get it right. Smoking and drinking takes patience. I will continue to practice.





Finished product. I was too stupid to adhere to my "it's done when it's done" thought above. No bone show hardly at all. Ribs were tough. I mean TOUGH. Luckily we were good and drunk.





Here is me 4 days later down at my folks house in Southport,NC. Took the smoker 2 hours from where I live down to the coast. Had my brother's family, mom, dad, two friends of my folks, etc.. all there for ribs (and beer). I got it right on round two. I cooked the meat till it was done. My previous efforts at the 3-1-1 rib recipe were flawed because I went by the suggested time. It takes what it takes. For me, that would be more like two hours in the foil with juice, rather than the one hour I did on smoke one. I am hard at work once again. Beer cooler close by of course. It was windy so I set up my tarp near the Bradley to help with heat effeciency. Darn it. I had to spend another afternoon enjoying my silver bullets.





I got it right on this smoke. Below are some pics of the end result...











Thanks again for all the help here!!


Boston butt is next. Looking forward to it. However, I will have to pace myself with the drinking. Smoking is hard work I read here. Now I know why. It is not the actual smoking that is hard, it is staying sober till dinner time ;D



-Dan

[Batman of BBQ]

Looks good Dan!  Great Pics!  Only suggestion I would make is while my ribs are smoking I try and drink at least 14 beers.  That may be why the ribs came out tough  ;D

[FLBentRider]

I think we all learn that "time don't mean nothin'" lesson at some point.

Nice looking ribs.

You might want to work on your pacing... you're running at more than one beer per puck.

For a pork butt cook that might land you at betty ford... ;D ;D ;D

FWIW, the pork but isn't done until 190-200F IT.

[danattherock]

FWIW, the pork but isn't done until 190-200F IT.

EXACTLY how many hours would that be. 18, 21, 21.5, etc..



Ha ha... Kidding. I learned my lesson on "time"...


Thanks for all the help earlier man. You and a few others made this possible. I assure you I would have ruined more than one dinner without your help ;)

[danattherock]

Oh, and that was an effort at humor with the beer. I had more than my share, but I was just joking above. Still, smoking takes a different type of drinking than grilling. I got pure blistered everytime I smoked them ribs. Got to learn to pace myself for sure.

[classicrockgriller]

I know you had fun learning it ain't done tills it done.

Pacing yourself on a Boston Butt is gonna be hard to do.

You did a good job Dana, congrats.

[Tenpoint5]

Looks like some really tasty ribs!! Yea drinking like that on an AVERAGE butt cook time of 17-19 hours could be a bad thing. I go 200-208* IT

[smokeNcanuck]

Yo Dan,

I have the same "problem" while smoking. ;D ;D  I don't even really remember putting my firs butt in the OBS!(and that was at 6:30 pm)
Got a early start at the beer that day! :D Glad you got your ribs figured out, they look good.
Thats a fine looking piece of Milwaukee iron sitt'n in the back ground, yours?

Cheers sNc

[KevinG]

I'm pretty sure we've all made the same mistake at one time or another. Write down your steps and what you think you'll need to improve on next time, that way you'll be prepared to not do the same thing again.

[KyNola]

Way to go Dan!  Most interesting part of your post is you're drinking my favorite beer too!

Congrats on some fine looking ribs.  Pork butt next?  Low and slow just like those ribs.  A butt is done when it's done.  Just like those ribs.

Can't wait to see what's next.

KyNola

[danattherock]

Thats a fine looking piece of Milwaukee iron sitt'n in the back ground, yours?

Absolutely. 2002 Heritage Springer custom...











-Dan

[danattherock]

Way to go Dan!  Most interesting part of your post is you're drinking my favorite beer too!

Great minds think alike :D


Thanks for all your help earlier. I appreciate it greatly.


-Dan

[classicrockgriller]

Sweet!

[MPTubbs]

Looks like you got every accessory Harley makes on that bike!

Even blue lights.

Nice Springer!

[smokeNcanuck]

REALY NICE!! I have a 92 heritage. 
LOVE the duel fish tails, was thinking of putting those on mine :D
I'll bet she growls like hell!!! 
Loud pipes save lives!!

P.S.

If you like beer, get rid of that water and pick up some Labatt's Blue!! ;D ;D ;D