New member with question on ribs

[norcoscia]

Hi everyone - hoping someone can help. Been cooking for a good long time and doing brisket or pork butt is no problem but I struggle with great ribs.

I have tried them in an electric smoker but it is small and only goes to 250 degrees. I also have a pellet smoker but once I turn it up beyond 250 it really swings temp wise and my rub burns.

I have been putting my rub on the night before but when I cook at 250 or lower it just takes too long and the finished texture is not want I'm looking for. When I crank up the pellet smoker the rub burns too much.

I have not tried this but wondering if I should just use salt and pepper - smoke at 175-225 for a few hours then xfer to my oven at 325 till the meat is near done - I would then apply some rub and move it back to the smoker for an hour or two.

Has anyone tried this - if so anything I need to consider?

[TMB]

Norm, when I do ribs I rub just before putting them on the smoker. I run the smoker at 235 or so for a few hrs then I start to spritz with apple juice and carry them till done I never wrap in foil (I have tried it but find no-wrap is better)  Takes about 5 hrs give or take but dang good 

Now, I am known for infrared ribs but that's a totaly different cook altogether and I can teach that to you after I talk you into a SRG

SPARKY is one of the guys here that kills ribs like few can wait til he comes out to play

[norcoscia]

Thanks - the problem I have is my pellet smoker - when I set it to 235 it swings past 375 and then the rub burns too much for me - trying to come up with a workflow that does not involve buying another smoker :-)

[Hub]

If your rub has a lot of sugar, higher temps will turn it dark no matter what kind of cooker you use.  Here are some ideas:

1.  Use turbinado sugar in the rub (processed from cane juice).  It tolerates higher temperatures better.
2.  Use the classic 3-2-1 approach with bare rubbed meat first, then foil, then unwarpped to set sauce.  The wrap will help keep the rub from darkening but try to stay below 300.  Remember that the numbers do not stand for hours, but for relative timing.  Everyone's cooker is different in terms of cavity temperature.

How do you like the finished product?  Firm and pull, or "fall off the bone"?  There are different ways to get there. 

Good cookin' to ya'   

Hub

[Hub]

Thanks - the problem I have is my pellet smoker - when I set it to 235 it swings past 375 and then the rub burns too much for me - trying to come up with a workflow that does not involve buying another smoker :-)

That's a pretty significant swing.  Are you allowing time for it to stabilize after start up?  Some smokers need about an hour or so to "settle down" depending on the controller type.  Also, frequent door opening can induce the controller to "hunt".  Just thinkin . . .

Hub

[norcoscia]

The temp swings are not predictable - I don't open the top - it might go ok with +-4-/50 degrees for a while then all of a sudden - bam, it is drifting past 350. I'm looking for firm but tender if that makes sense. I have tried the 3-2-1 thing and turbinado sugar but once it spikes up past 350 it ruins the flavor of the rub for me.

What is funny is my smoker has a high smoke setting at 175 - it holds that plus or minus 5-10 degrees - that makes me scratch my head because the purpose of the high smoke setting is to sacrifice tight temp control in favor of more smoke. It is like my controller is doing the opposite of what it is supposed to...

[Hub]

I'd say there's something amiss with your controller based on what you've said here.  If your smoker is new or even relatively new I'd recommend contacting the manufacturer.  Most are very helpful. 

Hub

[norcoscia]

Thanks, I'll try that....

[UWFSAE]

Depending on the type of controller it may be capable of being calibrated via the P-settings.  What kind of pellet smoker are you using?

[sparky]

Anything between 220-300° will cook a good rib.  Burning is too much sugar like hub said.  Don't worry about temp so much.  Use a toothpick to check for doneness.  Wrap or naked will work.  If drinking go with naked ribs. 

[norcoscia]

Camp Chef Woodwind so no adjustments (I think) - just trying to find a way to cook them in under 6 hours.....

[TMB]

Camp Chef Woodwind so no adjustments (I think) - just trying to find a way to cook them in under 6 hours.....

I wonder if your temp prob is way off?   You should hold temps a little better than that?   

Did you call CampChef yet??

[Salmonsmoker]

The temp swings are not predictable - I don't open the top - it might go ok with +-4-/50 degrees for a while then all of a sudden - bam, it is drifting past 350. I'm looking for firm but tender if that makes sense. I have tried the 3-2-1 thing and turbinado sugar but once it spikes up past 350 it ruins the flavor of the rub for me.

What is funny is my smoker has a high smoke setting at 175 - it holds that plus or minus 5-10 degrees - that makes me scratch my head because the purpose of the high smoke setting is to sacrifice tight temp control in favor of more smoke. It is like my controller is doing the opposite of what it is supposed to...

I suspect your temperature swings are a big part of the problem, especially if it's spiking up to 350F. Also keep in mind that the 3-2-1 method is a general guideline, because cooking time depends on the temperature. Time @ 200F will be longer than time @ 275F.  I do almost exclusively babybacks and they take approx. an hour less that St. Louis style. My cooks are @ 275F and go like this....Rub on both sides, bone side down for 1 1/2 - 2 hrs.(depends on the ribs) I do a toothpick test to determine where they're at. Then foiled w/some brown sugar, butter and honey or real maple syrup if ! have some, meat side down for 1 hour. (approx) toothpick test to see if they need to go shorter or longer. Then out of the foil and sauced, bone side down to tighten the sauce for roughly 3o min. w/toothpick test. There's probably a hundred different ways to do ribs. This works for me. If you can get your temperature stabilized, I suspect the rest will fall into place.

[tomcrete1]

Camp Chef Woodwind so no adjustments (I think) - just trying to find a way to cook them in under 6 hours.....

I have the Woodwind also, It is not a PID controller so temp swings can be expected but not to the extent that you are describing or at least that I've not experienced. I would call Camp Chef customer service you may have a defective controller. The other alternative would be to swap it out with a after market PID controller. Im considering the same for my Woodwind looking to install one from Smoke Daddy Inc. Here's the link to their web page. https://smokedaddyinc.com/

[TwoPockets]

Welcome from Alabama.