British BBQ Society Forums

Need some guidance as I keep ending up with dry ribs.

I get baby backs and then have then on the WSM at ~220-230 for 4.5 hours. I normally wait for the wireless thermometer to show 168f (as I read on here somewhere) but should I be foiling them or cooking to or at a lower temp?

Going to have another go over the week end so will put any tips into practice.

Hi.
I use the same temps.
I tend to follow a 2-2-1 method.
2hrs in the smoke, then covered in a BBQ sauce and foiled for 2hrs, then unwrapped basted again and left to cook for another hour. If they haver a lot of meat on, I revise it to a 3-2-1.
Derek

derekmiller wrote:Hi.
I use the same temps.
I tend to follow a 2-2-1 method.
2hrs in the smoke, then covered in a BBQ sauce and foiled for 2hrs, then unwrapped basted again and left to cook for another hour. If they haver a lot of meat on, I revise it to a 3-2-1.
Derek

I totally agree with this method, I either sauce/foil after 2hrs or with apple juice or both sauce/juice, either method always gives me moist tender meat.

I tried with full spare rib and two baby back ribs (did one for the kids with just salt and pepper on). Nice rub on both and then 2hrs to start at 225-230f followed by wrapped in foil with some apple juice for two hours and then glazed with bbq sauce and back on for 45mins for the Babybacks and 1hr for the spare ribs....net result were best ribs I have produced so thanks for the tips;

I also read somewhere to put brown sugar on top of the rub to help infuse the flavour;


foiled after 2 hours (did a chicken underneath as well)


Baby backs glazed and finished off;


Spare glazed and finished off;


All of them were clean off the bone.

If you watch Toby's video on ribs he explains the use of sugar on ribs.

http://www.bbbqs.com/Forum/viewtopic.ph ... ideo+guide

Glad they turned out well. There are all sorts of combinations of sauces, juices and rubs you can try. This is half the fun, seeing how they turn out.

I've tried to follow the 3-2-1 method but regardless of the ribs I use they always seem to get to temperature before it's complete mostly before the 3 part.

Don't have a problem with them being dry though. My drum thermometer might be out as it is a cheapo one but it I don't have a problem cooking stuff so I just get the drum upto 125c, bang the food on and cook it to temperature and enjoy.

The last ribs I did were a mixture of four racks of baby backs from the butcher and four and a half racks from the Booker's ribs (£25). Done it about 3 hours and taaaaasty and moist. I just cook for two hours now then wrap in foil, then check the temp, when they are apporaching donw I remove the foil smother in BBQ sauce and cook until done then rest for about 30 mins and then do the best part

GET STICKY

**EDIT**

Just thought, I did something different the last time, have you tried spritzing? I got a spray bottle like this:

http://www.worldofpower.co.uk/draper-pw ... tAodlQwAQQ

And put apple juice in it, set it to spray and every hour I'd spritz the crap out of everything, but not enough to wash off any rub. Maybe that would help?

The problem I found with 3-2-1 is it worked GREAT on the King Ribs (a virtual belly of pork) but dried out the spare and baby backs I usually buy so as advised on here I reduced the 3 to 2 and in fact have had a modicome of success with 2-2-1 or even 2-2 and enhance the crusty bits on the BBQ.

I think it depends on the size really, the last bunch of baby backs I had I did for 1.5/1.5/45 as they didn't have much meat on top, also I cook to the bend test not temp and they have also been good so far.

Great we all eventually cook to our own methods. I tend to go for "creepage" of meat from bones as an indicator, hey if we all cooked the same stuff the same way there'd be no need for discussion, competition nor good reading. Then what would I fill my bookshelves with