Pre-heating

[GSDC]

I've read just about every post on this site and appreciate all the great advice.  I've applied it and have had some great success with chickens, butts, and ribs.  However, now I'm being asked to perform under pressure. 

When asked by her mother where she wanted to go out to eat or what whe wanted to have for her birthday party this weekend, my 17-year-old neice said that she wanted ME to cook ribs for her party, as she's tasted my ribs once before and loved them.  With her guest list, it looks like 3 racks of pork-loin baby backs will be enough.  I want to get this right!

I did a test-rack last weekend, just to make sure I knew what I was doing.  For prep, I removed the membrane, coated with mustard, applied Famous Dave's rib rub, wrapped them, then let them sit if the fridge for about 5 hours.  I took them out of the fridge, and put them directly in the un-pre-heated #1 and cooked them for 5 1/2 hours with the temp set at 225, 2 1/2 ounces hickory and a can of apple juice.  The result: flavor was great, but I felt they were a bit dry and not quite "falling off the bone." 

To achieve "falling off the bone," I read that the foil method (3-2-1) works well.  However, when I researched it on (gulp) other sites, almost everyone recommended letting the meat come to room temp and pre-heating the smoker to 225 before starting the 6-hour cook (3-2-1).  I realize that this reduces the time for smoke to penetrate the meat, because the meat accepts smoke only to about 140, but perhaps one of the reasons my ribs weren't falling off the bone was because they didn't cook at the 225 temp long enough (my #1 takes at least 1-2 hours)...and going into the cooker, the meat was 38-degrees, rather than room temp.

Has anyone else tried the 3-2-1 method and/or has anyone smoked anything with the unit pre-heated?  If so, what did you cook pre-heated and how'd they turn out?  Any other thoughts/advice?

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[DivotMaker]

First of all, don't preheat this type of smoker.  You run the risk of igniting wood with an empty unit, while heating, and when you open the door to put the meat in.  Also, not trying to be smart, but what's the point?  If the unit has to heat up anyways, it might as well be heating the meat at the same time!  You get much better smoke penetration with cold meat and cold smoker. 

As for the 3-2-1 or 2-2-1 method, I've used them, but have become a firm believer in the "no peek" method.  If yours weren't fall off the bone tender, they probably needed another 20-30 minutes.  In my #1, it usually takes me 5.75-6 hours for 3 racks of baby backs.  When you smoked the last batch, did you open the door at all during the cook?  This lets moisture out, and can lead to drying.  At least for the first 4 hours, it's important to leave the door closed with the "no peeky" method (keep the moisture trapped).

As far as moisture in the finished ribs is concerned, sometimes it's the ribs, not the method.  I only buy baby backs from Sam's Club, and they are always excellent.  I've never had any of the grocery store ribs turn out nearly as moist. 

[swthorpe]

The SI smokers do not require pre-heating, so I would not go that route.   You can bring the ribs to room temp before putting them on the smoker, though.     For BB ribs, you will want to use the 2-2-1 method rather than 3-2-1 (unless you are planning spare ribs rather than BBs).

When I first started BB ribs, I used the 2-2-1 method and it works fine but you have to deal with the hassle of removing the ribs, foiling, etc.   I switched over the 5.5 hour smoke without foiling, but I have removed the ribs after about 4 hours to apply a BBQ sauce and then let them go for the last 1.5 hours unfoiled.    The ribs did nto seem dry to me.   The last time I did 3 racks, I let them go all the way without sauce, and then applied the sauce when I removed them from the smoker, covered in foil and held in the oven until dinner.  This method worked fine for me as well.  I also add a pan of apple juice in the bottom of the smoker, so I would keep that as part of your prep.

[es1025]

I prepare my ribs and let them rest with the rub on for an hour or so.  I add a can of hot water, add the wood 2-3 oz, add the ribs, set the temp to 240 and 5.5 hours later the ribs are perfect.  The no peeky method is a winner.  I serve the ribs with hot bbq sauce on the side.  I am a big fan of memphis style.  Now I am getting hungry. 

I started using the 2-2-1 method, it produces great ribs but it was a process to foil/unfoil.  Tony convinced me to try the no peeky method and the rest is history. 

[DivotMaker]

Thanks Ed!  I should have added that I have also used the 240 setting, based on your posts, and it works great also.  I vary between 225 and 240, based on the meatiness of the ribs.  Sometimes the ones from Sam's have meat about an inch thick!  I use 240 on the really meaty ones, with great success!  225 low and slow for the skinnier racks.

[GSDC]

OK guys, you've convinced me.  No pre-heating!  I was just confused by the other sites that recommended a total of 6 hours cook-time (3-2-1) when putting the ribs on a pre-heated smoker....I thought that, since mine isn't pre-heated, I may need more than 6 hours to bring the meat to the same cook-point, which could have explained why they weren't "falling off the bone"...they weren't quite done yet. 

Divot, I bought these ribs from Wal-Mart (loin back ribs), which I think are the same as those available at Sams Club.  I suppose that there may be variations from rack to rack, depending on fat content, etc.  Perhaps that's why some are juicier than others.  Also, for my last rib-smoke, I never opened the door once until it was ready to remove.  I'm not sure what happened. 

You guys are the masters, so I will follow your advice.  My neice's party is tomorrow evening, so I'll submit a post Monday to let you know how they turned out.

Thanks for all the advice!

[DivotMaker]

Sounds like a plan!  The way I test for doneness is Old Sarge's toothpick test.  Stick a wooden toothpick in the meat, next to the bone.  You can feel how tender the meat is when you insert it.  Then, give a little pull, sideways, away from the bone.  If the meat pulls away easily, without breaking the toothpick, they're done!  Can't really get a good temp reading on the meat, so the toothpick test works great.

[GSDC]

Not sure if anyone will see this soon enough, but I need some advice and hope that someone is watching.  I'm starting to panic.   

I've had the 3 racks of ribs cooking in the smoker for 4 hours now and the box temp has reached only 190.  The temp setting is at 250 (and has been the whole time), the door has never been opened, and the unit is sitting in direct sunlight on a 70-degree day with no wind.  Is this normal? I know that everyone says to cook the ribs for 5-6 hours with the temp setting at 225.  How long does it need to be at 225 for the ribs to cook properly? The whole 5-6 hours? Just the last 5 minutes?

We are supposed to eat at 6pm (2 1/2 hours from now).  I have a feeling the unit will never reach 225 in that period of time.  Should I remove the meat and finish in the oven?  Any suggestions on this?  I'm thinking oven heated at 350-400, ribs wrapped in foil (with apple juice), placed in roasting pan with apple juice and covered.  I have no idea how long they'll take to be done this way.

I guess that's why I wondered about pre-heating the unit.  Mine takes forever to get to the target temp and I fear that may be adversely affecting how well the meat cooks.  I've had the same problem before.  On two different occasions, I've had to finish whole chickens in the oven so that the family could eat before bedtime, because i could never get the IT to temp. 

[DivotMaker]

What are you using to monitor the box temp, and where is the probe placed?

[GSDC]

I'm using the Maverick.  Its placed on the second rack. Its now cooked for almost 6.5 hours and the box temp is just 212.  As I figured, it never made it to 225, even with it set at 250 and never opening the door.  Think there's a problem with my heating element?  Surely, it should have reached 225 in 6.5 hours. 

[DivotMaker]

Is the probe above or below the meat?

[DivotMaker]

Also, have you opened the door and checked them yet?  Probably should, seeing how long it's been.  See if the meat is tender, and if they look "done."

[GSDC]

The probe is on the middle rack.  I have another thermometer on the top rack.  Both read the same. 

I checked the meat.  The ribs on the bottom rack (closest to the heat element) are done.  So, I've wrapped them and put in small cooler to keep warm.  The other 2 racks of ribs aren't close to being done, so I wrapped in foil (with apple juice), put in a large roasting pan (with more apple juice at the bottom), covered with the lid, and am cooking them at 500 degrees fo an hour in the oven to speed them through (should have been eating 20 minutes ago).  Ugh.

Any advice?  Think I need to start pre-heating my unit?  Does it need to be sent back for repair?

[DivotMaker]

Not sure why you're not getting to at least 225.  I'd contact Steve this week, or email him at smokin.it.info@gmail.com.  I've done a lot of 3-rack smokes in my #1, and have never had any problem with temp.  You may have an element, or controller problem.  Just a guess.  Either way, Steve will work with you to get it right!

[GSDC]

Well, its done.  Everyone has their belly full of ribs (or, as my 6-year-old daughter calls it, "dead pig").  Because of time constraints, I ended up needing to finish 2 of the racks in the oven, pre-heated to 500 degrees, then cooked at 450 for 1 hour (and we ended up eating one hour later than scheduled as a result).  They were wrapped in foil with apple juice and put in a roasting pan with more apple juice and coverd with the roasting pan lid.  When I pulled them from the oven, they were, at last, done...the meat pulling away nicely from the bone (and passing Old Sarge's toothpick test! ).  The foiled apple juice helped, as it seems to have moisturized the meat and prevented it from drying out.  The texture was a little off that way, though, as it softened the meat quite a bit.  Overall, the taste was good, as 6.5 hours on the smoker did give it a nice flavor.  Everyone stated that the ribs were good, although I know that they know that I was stressing over the fact that they weren't done on time in the smoker...so I don't know if they were just trying to be polite or if they genuinely enjoyed them.  I'll contact Steve this week and tell him of the cookout and see what he says.  Hopefully, he'll have an easy solution for me...maybe there's a problem with me heating element that can be easily switched out.