Failed first smoke - back ribs - what did I do wrong?

[71Rcode]

Thanks in advance for your thoughts on what went wrong. The #2 smoker arrived a couple weeks ago and I seasoned it as directed. Today I smoked 2 slabs of back (baby?) pork ribs from Kroger for 5 hours on 235 or so (dial between 225 and 250 - no peek method) and they seemed dry yet undercooked on the fat ones. My boys (15 and 12) were pretty disappointed in the outcome. Bummer when Dad lets 'em down on cooking!

Details on my process:

• Removed the silver skin on the back of the ribs / cut the slabs in half
  
• Rubbed yellow mustard on the ribs front and back, and sprinkled Stubbs BBQ spice rub on the ribs front and back (yeah, picked that bottle up from Kroger, too... ) - wrapped the ribs in plastic wrap and refrigerated for 6-7 hours.
• Placed the half slabs (4 pieces) bone down on the top two racks, with the fattest ribs in the lower position. Placed a chunk of apple wood in the firebox and a small aluminum pan of water next to the firebox, touching the firebox, and turned the temp knob halfway between 225-250. I was aiming for 235.
• Let her run outside for 5 hours at that temp. Never opened her up and wasn't regulating the inside temps in the smoker nor the meat.
• After 5 hours I did the bend test - still pretty rubbery and not breaking/nor falling off the bone. But very nice bark. Dryish but bendy. Weird. Had hungry boys so I took them out of the smoker, slathered them with BBQ sauce and popped them on the grill for a couple minutes, flipping a couple times.
• There were no drippings in the pan underneath the smoker. The bottom of the smoker is covered in foil with a hole made for the drippings to drain.

The meat was somewhat dry and tough to get off the bone. And for the thicker pieces of rib meat, it didn't look completely cooked through.

What I know is this:

• Need a temp probe
  
• Need a better rub
• Boys don't like em dry - I need to do that 2-2-1 method that some of you guys do and cook them in foil/juice to keep them moist.

Where are all the places you think I went wrong? Thanks for the help. (BTW - cooked them outside in north Texas in December with the outside temps around 65).

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[DivotMaker]

Hi 71!  Glad to have you with us! 

Sounds like you've spent some time here, and looks like you had a great plan going.  Doesn't look, to me, like you did anything "wrong."  What I think happened - the one thing you didn't ask about - was your meat.  The quality of the meat tends to be the biggest factor, especially for ribs.  Personally, I only buy ribs (backs or spares) from Sam's Club.  Their 3-packs are outstanding quality, and always yield great results (moist, tender). 

Last time I bought a couple of racks from a grocery store, I had exactly the same results as you did, which was way off "normal" for my ribs!  That's when I decided that where you buy meat is a huge factor in outcome.

I would suggest trying a different vendor - Sam's, if you have one near, before you go and revamp your whole approach (which looks good to me).

Just a side note - now that you're here, how about adding a first name and town to your signature line?  We're pretty familiar, around here, and like to know who our new friends are!

[Hulk]

Had some of the same issues. Bought the Maverick probe to monitor and set the actual temperature at the rack. 
htp://www.amazon.com/Maverick-Et-732-Remote-Smoker-Thermometer/dp/B004IMA718

[DivotMaker]

It's very difficult to probe ribs for temp; too much bone, not enough meat.  Ribs are the only thing I smoke by time only.  Once you do enough of them, you'll know when they're "right."  Instead of the bend test, I use a wooden toothpick when I check them.  If it goes in like butter, that's the first sign.  If I can give a little sideways tug, without it breaking (or a lot of resistance), they're done!  You can "feel" the tenderness of the meat.

[Hulk]

I don't probe the meat I monitor the temp at rack level. I load my ribs feed the probe through the top vent. Once I have my spot picked I use blue painter tape on the lead to keep it from moving. Tape it down on top of the #2 watch and wait.

[jcboxlot]

If you can, try ribs from a butcher shop.   I have much better results fresh and not store bought kyrovac packaged ones.

[old sarge]

I have a couple of questions. Did the smoker produce smoke?  Did it get tempersture and cycle on smd off during the 5 hours?  I ask because it is possible that at some point your outlet may have tripped a breaker. If it is a GFI they have been known to go bad. Just a thought.

[71Rcode]

Thanks for the responses, guys. So either Costco, Sams or a butcher shop? Had no idea stuff at Costco or Sams would be better than what I could get at the grocery store. Why is that? We don't have memberships for either of those places.

Sarge, yes. The smoker had smoke coming out of it early on for sure, and throughout, the smoker was cycling on(power LED coming off and on). The breaker is on the same GFCI circuit as our Verizon cable (garage) and front porch. So yes, that breaker did trip once late into the smoke when the Christmas light came on. We were watching TV at the time and I knew immediately when the Verizon cable feed quit. I shut off the Christmas lights and flipped the breaker back on... the smoker continued. No smoke coming out toward the end. 

[old sarge]

71Rcode - If you do not have a remote thermometer I would get one. Calibrate it with ice water and boiling water so you know it is registering the temp pf both accurately and use it to monitor the smoker box temp.  SI smokers have the enviable reputation of working properly right out of the box but it is always good to check the box temp on occasion and adjust the thermostat as needed.  Also, too much power draw on the same circuit can sometimes be problematic. Try again on a circuit with no other items plugged in. Make sure nothing is touching the smoker's temp sensor.  And good luck.
Dave

[DivotMaker]

Had no idea stuff at Costco or Sams would be better than what I could get at the grocery store. Why is that?

Buying power, plain and simple.  They buy such a volume, direct from the suppliers, that they can get the premium stuff that the grocery stores can't.  I noticed today that Sam's has USDA Prime standing rib roasts (prime rib) already.  I never see that at any of the grocery stores.

[TheLocNar]

I too definitely think it's a meat quality issue. If you're lucky enough to have a "the Fresh Market" near you, their ribs are the absolute best I've found. Even better than my local butcher. If not, try a local butcher since you don't have memberships at the club stores. Try one rack at a time so you're not wasting $$$ in case there's a different issue. Good luck!

[Boone]

How does the quality of restaurant depot meat compare to Costco?

[smokeasaurus]

A water pan in the smoker is a good way to go. Watch for pull-back of the bones. I have gotten some store ribs that were not worth the sales tax.

[71Rcode]

Thanks for all the advice and input, gents. My wife announced to the extended family coming over for Christmas that I'm smoking a Christmas brisket. Uh oh... confidence is not super high. I have two ChefAlarms on order, so I'll at least know what the meat and smoker temps are. I'll have more questions in a couple days for you guys.

For now, my questions are:
1) Are apple chunks ok? Should I start soaking them in water for a few days before I smoke?
2) I'm going to go to a butcher to get the beef brisket. Please tell me what I should ask for and how I should prep it for the smoker

Thanks, guys.

[Grampy]

Thanks for all the advice and input, gents. My wife announced to the extended family coming over for Christmas that I'm smoking a Christmas brisket. Uh oh... confidence is not super high. I have two ChefAlarms on order, so I'll at least know what the meat and smoker temps are. I'll have more questions in a couple days for you guys.

For now, my questions are:
1) Are apple chunks ok? Should I start soaking them in water for a few days before I smoke?
2) I'm going to go to a butcher to get the beef brisket. Please tell me what I should ask for and how I should prep it for the smoker

Thanks, guys.

#1 -Personally I would not use apple chunks for a brisket. Apple is great on pork or poultry but too mild for a brisket (IMO). Brisket can take a lot of smoke and I prefer mesquite, hickory, or oak for brisket. Also, there is no need to soak your wood chunks before using them. All that is going to do is delay the time that they start to smoke.

#2- I would look for a full packer brisket (one with the point and flat together) in the 12-14 lb range.