Smoking Baby Back's tomorrow! Need advice!

[chitownsmoker99]

Hows it going guys! I just got my Smokin it 3! Ive seasoned it once. I have 8 slabs of Baby Backs in the fridge with the Rub applied. I will be smoking them tomorrow. I am located in Chicago and the temp is suppose to 71 as the high. This will be my first time using this smoker, how many hours do you guys recommend and what temp. The smoker i used for the last 15 years was the Brinkman tube. That one you couldnt set the temp. You turned it on and left it alone. I normally smoked them for about 6 hours and they always turned out great.

Any help would be great

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[smokeasaurus]

Baby Backs.....lets see.......how about the safe route....225 degrees.......5 hours........ribs are done when the meat pull back from the bones......your Smokin-it creates moisture so you will be fine....you could spritz every half an hour with some apple juice but you lose to much heat everytime the door is open....you could add a little container of water and rest it up against the smoker box...............just my 2 cents........

[UWFSAE]

Well, if you're foiling it then you're typically looking at a 2-2-1 method at 225 to 250; I prefer smoking unfoiled at 225 and it may take a bit longer at that temp ... I find that the pullback from the bone across the entire rack is the best indicator.

You can push the temp to 250 without issue and you'll still be within your five hour window.  You're dealing with very moderate temps so there will be no ambient issues in either direction.  With two babybacks on each rack you'll have the #3 well loaded; I'd advise you to rotate the racks (if you're foiling, at the second hour and the fourth when you wrap/unwrap) and then sauce for the fifth hour.  Honestly, I'd be apt to do the same if unfoiled.

Best of luck with your smoke ... be sure to post pics after your ribapalooza.   

[es1025]

I use a modified 2-2-1. 225 for two hours, foil for two hours and then I test the ribs with a back of a fork. If it bends I may or may not put back in smoker. If no bend back to the smoker for a half hour.

[DivotMaker]

Welcome, Chitown!  Can't wait to see pics of all those bones!  8 racks is a bold undertaking for a first smoke...I like bold!  Good luck; you have some good advice here already!

[psoltesz]

2-2-1 is definitely the way to go for baby backs.  As I mentioned on another thread, though, I always follow it up by basting the ribs in my favorite sauce and placing them on a hot grill (400 or so) for 5-7 minutes.  This gives em a great sear and some nice grill marks.

Enjoy!

   - Phil

[swthorpe]

The next time I do up some babybacks, I am going to try the 5 hours uncovered method and see how that goes.   The suggestion of grilling at the end for a few minutes is also inviting!

[Rob Babcock]

I never foil them and don't use apple juice.  For me 5 hours is the minimum and it shouldn't take over 6.  Start checking them around five hours and you'll be fine, just allow that they could take a little longer.

[chitownsmoker99]

Hey guys, thank you all for the advice. So they turned out OK. Everyone told me they were great but You and I both know when our ribs are really great. Here's what I did. I set it for 225. First checked them at 5 hours. They were not done. Left them on another hour and had to take them off and finish up on the grill. Once I had them on the grill the meat started to pull away. Slapped on the BBQ sauce and was finished.


Normally with my Brinkman smoker did them perfect every time. I have no clue what temp that brinkman ran at. I know the heating element is 200 or 300 watts higher then the smokin it.

So my question is, what temp should I run the smoker to get the ribs to where the meat is pulling away from the bone. 225 did not cut it.

Pictures to come

[swthorpe]

Interesting.   I did a couple racks of ribs this weekend using the 5 hour uncovered method.  I had the smoker set at 225, keeping in mind that the temp does swing +/- 15 degrees or so during the cook.   After 4.5 hours, the ribs appeared to be done (meat pulling back), so I added some sauce and put them back in for another 30 minutes.   I then removed them to the grill for about 5 minutes.   Then, I think I messed up...I took them off the grill and wrapped in foil for another 30 minutes before dinner.    The ribs must have continued to cook because they ended up very dry...a first for me on ribs.    However, I will say that I really liked the additional bark that I was not getting when using the 2-2-1 method.

Some lessons:   first, I think I might skip the grill on the next attempt, and second, if I do try the grill, I am not going to foil them afterwards.

To answer your question...I always set for 225.    I should point out that the ribs I smoked this weekend were not as meaty as some that I have had in the past.  So, if your ribs were meatier, that would add to the cook time.

[UWFSAE]

Personally, I wouldn't skip the grill, just cut out the extra 30 minutes in the smoker if they look done.  Sauce and grill and serve without foiling.

Alternately, you could use a kitchen blowtorch to quickly caramelize the sauce rather than grilling or broiling in the oven ... less "cooking" heat but the sauce gets where it needs to go quickly.

[DivotMaker]

Alternately, you could use a kitchen blowtorch to quickly caramelize the sauce rather than grilling or broiling in the oven ... less "cooking" heat but the sauce gets where it needs to go quickly.

You're getting me excited, Joe!  Any cooking that involves a blow torch has got to be a good time!