Pork Ribs are too Dry

[Buck36]

Eon,

This is a site dedicated to ribs that has helped me out quite a bit.

http://www.amazingribs.com/index.html

[drano]

Welcome Eon,

I don't do a lot of ribs, but my plan for one slab of spare ribs is the smoker at 220 until the meat hits 180 internal (about 5 hours), then 195 deg smoker to maintain 180 until FTC, which i do for 1.5-2 hours or so. 
I use a dry rub, and do not mop/spritz.  They are tender, and not dry. 
Look for a slab of spare ribs that has more meat and fat on them then the rest in the meat counter. 
I also keep a log of every smoke I do.  I log start time, smoker and meat temps at 1-2 hour intervals, how many of what flavor pucks, how long FTC'd, how I liked it, and recommendation for the next time (I don't smoke as often as I'd like to, so I have to write down how to do the next batch, or I'll forget). 
Getting the meat to 180+ helps break down the meat tissue for tenderness in my opinion. 
Keep a log, and experiment 'til you get it right, and keep asking here, because someone will have the answer to your question. 

[Smoking Duck]

Buck,

Thanks for the link....pretty cool site!

SD

[Consiglieri]

Eon,

This is a site dedicated to ribs that has helped me out quite a bit.

http://www.amazingribs.com/index.html

Buck:  lots of great info on that site.  Appreciate the post. 

[eon]

I just tried another batch of ribs tonight. Two racks cut in halves.

Smoked them for two hours and then foil wrapped with them with a selection of ingredients and left them cooking in the BDS at 230F for about 6 hours to see if the foil wrapping improved them (while I went to the pub with a friend).

Came back from the pub (perhaps a little later than planned) to find the ribs were amazingly tender and looked perfect. But unfortunately they tasted awful, it was like the initial smoke taste that was applied had been diluted and steamed throughout the ribs and had made them almost in-edible.

So now I can do ribs two ways - "Dry, but tasty" or "Tender, but awful"   :-[

I'll keep working on it - hopefully next batch will be "Tender and Tasty" but this is proving more difficult than I expected  ;D

[Wildcat]

It does take a little practice to get the hang of ribs.  You will eventually get the hang of it.

[beefmann]

Eon ..

you may wanna try opening the top vent some more and adding a try of orange soda in the bottom under the drip tray

[DrunkenMick]

From what I read here the longest time you left the ribs in is around 6 hours My ribs are always in at least 8-10 hours and are never tough i followed the recipe from Iceman http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=449  to the letter the first time and it turned out perfect now I just tweek the rub alittle here and there but still follow his directions and they always turn out great ( Thanks ICE)

Randy

Holy cow, 8-10 hours for spare ribs?  I just bought 4 slabs from BJ's tonight to cook on Sunday for the Eagles/Vikings game at 4:30. I think last time i did ribs i did maybe 5 hours (1.5 hours smoke).  Guess thats why they weren't all that tender. 

I'm going to follow Ice's directions to the letter.  I know i've read here its hard to get an accurate temp reading from ribs, but with spare ribs is it possible?  I mean looking at them it would appear as if there's plenty of room/meat to get the maverick probe into. 

[westexasmoker]

I suppose you could pull a reading, just be careful that your not hitting the bone!  With ribs I just eyeball them, when that meat starts pulling back your getting darn close to being done!  Good Luck!

C

[Tenpoint5]

I just tried another batch of ribs tonight. Two racks cut in halves.

Smoked them for two hours and then foil wrapped with them with a selection of ingredients and left them cooking in the BDS at 230F for about 6 hours to see if the foil wrapping improved them (while I went to the pub with a friend).

Came back from the pub (perhaps a little later than planned) to find the ribs were amazingly tender and looked perfect. But unfortunately they tasted awful, it was like the initial smoke taste that was applied had been diluted and steamed throughout the ribs and had made them almost in-edible.

So now I can do ribs two ways - "Dry, but tasty" or "Tender, but awful"   :-[

I'll keep working on it - hopefully next batch will be "Tender and Tasty" but this is proving more difficult than I expected  ;D

EON you was almost there. If you put them back on a the rack for about an hour to "Firm" up with a little splash of your sauce you will get the tender and tasty your looking for. Just be careful picking them up they really want to fall apart.

[DrunkenMick]

I suppose you could pull a reading, just be careful that your not hitting the bone!  With ribs I just eyeball them, when that meat starts pulling back your getting darn close to being done!  Good Luck!

C

So i should be looking at 7-9 hours for spare ribs?

[westexasmoker]

I suppose you could pull a reading, just be careful that your not hitting the bone!  With ribs I just eyeball them, when that meat starts pulling back your getting darn close to being done!  Good Luck!

C

So i should be looking at 7-9 hours for spare ribs?

DM,

I'm really not much help with times, Smoking is kinda when its done its done.  Sometimes ya nail it and go and do the same routine weather it be ribs, brisket, pork and I guess for that matter anything its always a different road!  :D

But with ribs, yep about 7-9 (unless you get the monsters Dex got) but start eyeballing them at about the 5 hour mark....Ribs are one of the cooler meats that will start to tell ya when there done!

C

[Caneyscud]

I suppose you could pull a reading, just be careful that your not hitting the bone!  With ribs I just eyeball them, when that meat starts pulling back your getting darn close to being done!  Good Luck!

C

So i should be looking at 7-9 hours for spare ribs?

I did a rack of spares last week and had them on the top rack rack for 6 hours - wasn't long enough and finished them off in the oven.  Use some liquids in the foil wrapping if you do the oven thing. 

[DrunkenMick]

Lol what a night.  Bought a full rack of spare ribs (first time not from the butcher) and was confused as all heck when i took them outta the cryovac pack.  Figured out to take the skirt off but didn't know what to do with all the rest of it.  Found some youtube vid's on how to trim to a St. Louis cut.  Will do that when i pull them out tomorrow as they're resting with some rub on them now.

I noticed in Ice's competition ribs writeup that he says ever 1/2 hour to 3/4 hour to open a spritz/mop.  Since the high tomorrow will only get up to the 20's won't i be taking too much heat out of the cabinet everytime i open up to spritz? 

I'll try to take some pics tomorrow while everything is going and we'll see if we can't get some tasty non-dry ribs.

[Gizmo]

How much smoke are you going to use?
I would not spritz or mop them at all during the smoke, only after. At that temp, and I do this anyway, I would pull them out of the Bradley after the smoke and then finish them in the oven either on a cookie sheet or in a foil tray.  You can mop them there as often as you want.  Most of the time I don't as I put foil over the top to keep the moisture in.  Yesterday's Ribs I actually mopped, first time in a long time, and was very pleased with the results.