Not everyone has a digital, instant-reading thermometer (Thermapen or Maverick) but if you do I'm posting this to help you get more perfect ribs out of your PBC. I've used mine primarily for chicken with only occasional other meats cooked but I've always liked the charcoal taste the PBC imparts to ribs and my results with them for friends and family (not competition -- need the temperature accuracy of a pellet cooker for that) have been mixed. Sometimes they come out a bit underdone and chewy and other times they fall off the bone (mushy slop). Had a "blinding flash of the obvious" about this yesterday.
IF you have an instant digital: At about the three hour point, start to look for a target of 200 to 205 degrees between the bones and get the racks out of the cooker as soon as it is reached. Rib thickness and type will affect the time so be vigilant. Glaze with your sauce at that point and then set the sauce in the oven using 170 degrees for about ten to fifteen minutes. The opened up PBC will be too hot to put them back in without overcooking them. I did this for three racks of St. Louis spares and they were spot on tender, juicy, and delicious.
I'll admit I'm very picky about rib doneness and that's why I've avoided doing more ribs in my PBC. It just took me a while to figure out the right time to "jump in" and perfect the process. There may be some other ways to get to the same end, too.
Hub
