My ribs for tomorrow's first attempt at smoking!

[Stuarty84]

Hi guys, I have my dry rub prepared, by bbq sauce purchased, my apple wood chipped and have just got my ribs for my first attempt at smoking tomorrow. All I need to purchase now is a box of beer!

Pic here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/of8bp1cx9pft6ix/DSC_6223.jpg

I noticed on the baby backs (left side of pic) that there is a big lump of meat and fat. I'm guessing that will need trimmed off? I have to say I'm slightly disappointed in the spare ribs. They are just bone to bone with a bit of meat inbetween, there isn't much meat above or below the bone! Is this right? Or has the butcher cut them too thin? I have froze the baby backs and I'm going to start out with the spares. This is worrying me slightly as I'm unsure how long to cook them with the (smaller than expected) amount of meat. I doubt very much if I will have to smoke them for 3 hours, then wrap for 1 hour, then back on for 1 hour. I reckon 3 hours could maybe do the whole thing?

My dry rub consists of paprika, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, sea salt, mustard powder, onion powder, brown sugar. It smells good!

I will take a few snaps throughout the cooking process and post them on here.

[keith157]

Those baby backs look "well thick" where did they come from?

[Stuarty84]

Those baby backs look "well thick" where did they come from?

Hi Keith,

I got them at one of my local butchers. The Meat Clever in Portadown, Northern Ireland. What you see in the pic is the entire set of ribs from one pig! They cost me £28. Is that a good price? I'm knew to all this so wasn't sure whether that was expensive or not? To be honest I thought it wasn't too bad a price!

[keith157]

£28 seems a remarkably good price and doubtless good quality piggie

[Stuarty84]

Here's the results of my first attempt at smoking some ribs! It was difficult I must admit, keeping the temp @ 250f was harder than I thought but I got there in the end!

I used the 2 racks of spares for this cook.
I smoked for 3 hours, wrapped for 1 hour, unwrapped for 45mins. I probably should have wrapped them for longer (2 hours), but in all honesty I couldn't wait any longer - I was dying to get at them! lol. They were absolutely gorgeous! the kinfe just fell down through them. The 2 racks didn't last anymore than about 15mins between 4 of us!

I can't seem to get pictures to show up in posts, so I'll have to link them...

Perfect Temperature!
http://imageshack.us/a/img402/4222/tempua.jpg

After 3 hours smoking. I thought they would have been darker than this? Maybe I need to add more wood chips?
http://imageshack.us/a/img687/6996/smoke3d.jpg

Slathered up
http://imageshack.us/a/img46/2753/slather.jpg

Inside - That pinky part is a smoke ring, right?
http://imageshack.us/a/img199/727/87516493.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img198/5858/55054838.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img138/2311/66096731.jpg

Chef doing the carving!
http://imageshack.us/a/img850/9379/chefp.jpg


What do yous think? The process is definitely trial & error. That was my first attempt and I've already learned a few things for next time!

Cannot get these pictures working at all, so had to post links just...

[gazz_46]

1st attempt......
U sure

Looking seriously good mate, congrats

[Stuarty84]

Cheers Gazz!

Yip that was my first attempt! The amount of research I've done this last month on using a smoker is unreal. I could almost start a night class teaching it lol. I've still alot to learn though!

For some reason one of the racks was more tender than the other. Maybe it was the rack that was furthest from the coals? I'm not sure because I lost track of which rack was which after I foiled them up!

[gazz_46]

Cheers Gazz!

Yip that was my first attempt! The amount of research I've done this last month on using a smoker is unreal. I could almost start a night class teaching it lol. I've still alot to learn though!

For some reason one of the racks was more tender than the other. Maybe it was the rack that was furthest from the coals? I'm not sure because I lost track of which rack was which after I foiled them up!

Your research paid off, cracking result for a 1st time, seriously!

Looking at ur pics I would hazard a guess that the ones nearest the coals were more tender??

Maybe try a rib rack that way u will be able to stand them up creating two effects

1st and most obvious, u will be able to put more on "bonus meaty goodness"

2nd you can move them slightly further from the coals creating a more even cook

Not a pro by any means but I would also try moving the coals further over to the hot end and try creating a thermal barrier with bricks, before I got my wsm I used (and still do when using the kettle) 4x clay air bricks from Wickes wrapped in foil

On the pics front, go to Steves post on uploading photos, you need to import them from a 3rd party app. Dropbox tries to upload them direct which is why they don't appear, I use d.box too but upload them to posts via imageshack will find Stevens post and edit the link here for u

Found it, see below
http://www.bbbqs.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4

P.s have sent u a pm, should be pic of my brick layout

[Stuarty84]

Cheers Gazz, I have the pics sorted now. Couldn't get them any bigger though?

I got your PM also, thanks

[keith157]

Yes the pink ring is a smoke ring.
As to the pictures they should only be thumbnails and when you click on them they should enlarge on your hosting site