Ribs - what went wrong?

[rreis]

Yesterday, I tried baby backs [7 lbs.] for the first time on my new 4 rack DBS.   I researched the forum and (I thought) followed the plan of a) dry rub overnight on the ribs in the fridge; b) then 4 hours at 200 degrees with smoke in the DBS (apple juice spritz starting at 90 min.)  c) then 3 hours in 190 convection oven in a covered foil box with apple juice base.

But, at the end of the 4 hr. smoke at 200 deg., the internal meat temp. was 130 degrees.   At the end of the 3 hr. convection oven, the meat temp was 140 deg.  It never got to 165 needed to serve.   I had to take them out to the gas grill to quickly finish.

What did I do wrong? 

[aha638]

I think your temps are low.  I do12 to 16 lbs eack time and apply smoke for the first 3 hours and mine are done in6 to 7 hours.  I do FTC after to finish the cook.

Al

[Mr Walleye]

When I do ribs I usually remove the membrane and rub them as the Bradley is warming up. My smoking temp is 210 degrees measured with a temp probe at the meat level and not by the reading on the Bradley. Next I throw them in, bone side down and apply 2 hours & 20 minutes of smoke, then let them continue in the Bradley till the 3 hour mark. I usually do 1 rack rotation halfway through the first 3 hours. Next I foil them with a splash of apple juice and either throw them back in the smoker or oven depending if I am smoking something else. I leave them in the foil at 210 degrees until I get the desired tenderize usually around 4 hours give or take a bit (I us the twist test). Then I fire them on the grill just long enough to sauce them, Then slice them up & serve or hold in the oven covered in foil until time to serve.

Mike

[rreis]

I did not take off the membrane.  Is this something that would greatly add to the time?   

Rob

[hillbillysmoker]

The membrane will cause the ribs to be much tougher and the taste of the membrane is not very good. It will affect these areas more than cooking time. Here is a link to a good video of preparing baby back ribs and removing the membrane. I hope you find this useful. Good luck.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hks-J1pJ7xQ

[Consiglieri]

Rreiss: After considering the issues, I have the following thoughts (mind you I've been drinkin')

Membrane has nothing to do with cooking, but it has a lot to do with the "finish" and rub absorbtion.   Pull that bad boy off before you rub down the meat.  Plenty of posts on rubs/slathers, I'll let you find a good one

As far as smokingyour cooking project, please consider the following:  I like the plan you describe, but would modify as described below. 

I cook the ribs at 210-220F the whole time in the DBS.  Seems to work well.  At that temp, with a small load, it is a 7 to 8 hour project.  Rotate racks top to bottom, and flip the back of the racks to the front.  Don't open the door for the first 4 hours.  Then start spritzing with the juice.  With more ribs, more time, so more beer for me and you.  (what time do you need me to stop by, by the way?)

7.5 lbs.: sounds like about 3 racks of meaty baby backs.  You need to make sure to bring the meat up to room temp before you throw it into the smoker.  With that weight, you might want it on the counter for 2 hours before putting it in the box.

I have a 6r model, so I guage/adjust my heat to suit my environment.  Preheat much hotter.  Use a box thermometer and make sure the box is much hotter than your target cooking temp.  Your meat will drop the temp a lot. 

Other than that, all I can say is smoking is a game of guessing when it comes to "deadlines" and you might want to consider starting an hour of two earlier and keeping the meal warm FTC style if it finishes sooner.

Good luck with all projects and welcome to the forum.

Cheers.

[car54]

Consiglieri is right on about a game of guessing. Friday  night I put in 20 lbs of pork butt at 5:00 PM.
I thought that they would be done the next evening. They were done at 12:30 AM on Sunday. I FTCed them and at 4:00 AM I shredded it. Needless to say I have not had much sleep and today I was up at 4:00 AM to make food for the holidays. With smoking you have to wait until the meat decides that it is done.

Brad