Sort of a success
I finally had time to try and make ribs and it came out pretty good. Not fall off the bone great, but pretty good. and the Charcoal basket made the day a ton easier.
I bought a rack of ribs from the Italian Market here in Philly. I had them remove the membrane. I do not like buying meat or fish at the supermarket anymore. The service, quality and prices are too good at the Italian Market or in the Reading Terminal. I got the rub also from the spice place in the market. I put the rub on the ribs, but only let it sit for two hours. Next time I will try to prepare the night before. I usually like to have at least four hours.
I then filled up the charcoal basket with briquettes and put some apple wood pellets on top. (Next time I will put them in the middle, or just a layer or two below.)
I used a chimney to heat up some charcoal and just put it on top of the basket and it worked great. (Thank you Lost Arrow.)
I also used a Remote thermometer my wife got me for my Birthday. It was the first time I used it and it was awesome. I was able to do work while on my third floor and not have to constantly go down to check on the temp. I was so impressed with this product and how easy it was to use.
Here is a pic after an hour
Here is after six hours
I left some dry without bbq sauce to see what it tasted like. I do prefer some dry rub only ribs. This one was too peppery. If anyone can recommend a good dry rub, I will try it. I am too lazy to make my own.
Conclusion
Sort of a success. The charcoal basket made it a ton easier. I was able to maintain 235 degrees for six hours without adding anything. On the other hand, my ribs were good, but not great. They were not "fall off the bone" great. I definitely made some mistakes. I forgot to put oil on the ribs before putting on the dry rub. I did not spray them with apple juice every hour. I did it a few time, but, I should have done it more. I also did not put nearly enough BBQ sauce on them either.
All in all, though, it was a step forward. I will do a better job next time. I will try to get it closer to 225 next time. I will add a lot more sauce. And, I will also try some wood that I am going to buy from Phil's Firewood next week. He seems to get good reviews on Yelp.
Enjoy your Fourth of July.
-Josh