Baby Back Ribs plan of attack!!!

[Rocket Turtle]

Just purchased my Bradley 6 rack smoker a couple days ago getting ready to smoke 6 racks of ribs for the fourth. I've read a number of suggestions with different lingo and want to make sure I'm one the right road to success!

1- Prepare ribs night before with dry rub
2- 3 hours of smoke (suggestions for type wood flavor TBD, currently have hickory and mesquite) at 225
3- 2 hours after sprinkling with apple juice wrap in foil without smoke
4- 1 hour unwrapped after adding BBQ sauce or until done

Am I missing anything? Also I'll be cutting them in half to fit on the racks
 

[Tenpoint5]

With Baby Backs you may want to try 3-1-1 or at least check on them at the hour mark of the second phase. Other than that use the Hickory and your golden

[SoCalBill]

I do baby back ribs more than any other cut. I do 2-2-1 and use hickory as my wood of choice. I don't foil mine but will spray apple juice on them through out the cook. Also the amount of time is up in the air. 2-2-1 and 3-1-1 are just guidelines. The ribs will tell you when they are done. Also keep the top vent open.

[mikecorn.1]

I go with 1 hr in foil and check as stated above. With baby backs. With spares I go two in foil.


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[Rocket Turtle]

Thanks everyone for replying and saving me from thinking 6 hours instead of 5. I had read about the open vent but forgot that in my steps. I'll try to post my results next week with a few pictures.

[Habanero Smoker]

I use to season my ribs the night before, but I no longer do that. I apply the rub maybe 30 - 60 minutes prior to cooking. I find with a salt based rub the ribs are too salty for my taste; if I season them overnight.

[GusRobin]

Sparky had a good way to foil -- after the first 3 (or 2 hours,) when you foil, drizzle honey on the ribs, sprinkle some brown sugar and top off with a tablespoon of butter. Double foil and put in the smoker meat side down. After your foil time be careful when un wrapping. Same the juice in the foil and mop the ribs with it when you put them back in.

[Kahunas]

Sparky had a good way to foil -- after the first 3 (or 2 hours,) when you foil, drizzle honey on the ribs, sprinkle some brown sugar and top off with a tablespoon of butter. Double foil and put in the smoker meat side down. After your foil time be careful when un wrapping. Same the juice in the foil and mop the ribs with it when you put them back in.

For me that makes them too sweet. I like them a bit more savory. I use a dribble of apple juice.

[Rocket Turtle]

Update on results...the ribs took an extra hour and were never what you call falling off of the bones. They were done and came off the bones when they were eaten. I set the temperature at 230 degrees (preferred 225 but temperature increased 10 degrees at a time so options were 220 or 230) but the internal temp stayed around 205-210 degrees. I've since read were larger loads are harder to reach desired temps. Should I have forced the internal temp by increasing the settings?
I've tried inserting picture without luck so I'll desribe. Six rack Bradley with 6 racks of ribs cut in half so there was one rack of ribs on each of the 6 racks.
End results were total compliments from 15 guest...but the chef was not totally happy with results.
On to next project!

[Kahunas]

Update on results...the ribs took an extra hour and were never what you call falling off of the bones. They were done and came off the bones when they were eaten. I set the temperature at 230 degrees (preferred 225 but temperature increased 10 degrees at a time so options were 220 or 230) but the internal temp stayed around 205-210 degrees. I've since read were larger loads are harder to reach desired temps. Should I have forced the internal temp by increasing the settings?
I've tried inserting picture without luck so I'll desribe. Six rack Bradley with 6 racks of ribs cut in half so there was one rack of ribs on each of the 6 racks.
End results were total compliments from 15 guest...but the chef was not totally happy with results.
On to next project!

Technically if they are "bite clean from the bone" they are done properly. They say fall off the bone is over done. My wife likes them fall off the bone so I usually go for 3-3-.5 on baby back ribs. I did some St. Louis styles over the holdiay and went for 3-5-.5. I stood up 6 racks in a pan and covered in foil with some apple juice and a half a beer in the bottom and used the grill with a couple patio bricks on the middle so I could run the outer 2 burners for indirect heat. I didn't like the feel of them until it was about the 5 hour mark. Luckily I started way early so I could re-heat when dinner time came but it worked out to be right on time. Ribs ended up fall of the bone and very juicy. So, long story short go longer in the foil if you want them to fall off the bone.

[Tenpoint5]

Update on results...the ribs took an extra hour and were never what you call falling off of the bones. They were done and came off the bones when they were eaten. I set the temperature at 230 degrees (preferred 225 but temperature increased 10 degrees at a time so options were 220 or 230) but the internal temp stayed around 205-210 degrees. I've since read were larger loads are harder to reach desired temps. Should I have forced the internal temp by increasing the settings?
I've tried inserting picture without luck so I'll desribe. Six rack Bradley with 6 racks of ribs cut in half so there was one rack of ribs on each of the 6 racks.
End results were total compliments from 15 guest...but the chef was not totally happy with results.
On to next project!

We never are that's why we keep doing what we do.

[sparky1]

Sparky had a good way to foil -- after the first 3 (or 2 hours,) when you foil, drizzle honey on the ribs, sprinkle some brown sugar and top off with a tablespoon of butter. Double foil and put in the smoker meat side down. After your foil time be careful when un wrapping. Same the juice in the foil and mop the ribs with it when you put them back in.

275°.  2 hours the FL (FL = foil love).  everything else is perfect.