Started By
Message

3-2-1 Ribs

Posted on 5/16/20 at 8:08 pm
Posted by DevilDagNS
Member since Dec 2017
2688 posts
Posted on 5/16/20 at 8:08 pm
So I did a 3-2-1 rib smoke today. It’s been years. Did mustard and dry rub, on for 3 hours at 250-275, spraying with apple juice every hour. Then wrapped in foil with brown sugar, butter and honey, back on for another 2 hours, then unwrapped and back on for 1.

Flavor came out amazing, great smoke ring, however they were a little tough.

Where did I go wrong?
Posted by AA7
Birmingham, AL
Member since Nov 2009
26730 posts
Posted on 5/16/20 at 8:12 pm to
Too hot and too long. You might can get by with 3-2-1 at 225.
Posted by jamboybarry
Member since Feb 2011
32667 posts
Posted on 5/16/20 at 8:13 pm to
Spares or baby backs? That’s hot for 3-2-1
Posted by cssamerican
Member since Mar 2011
7137 posts
Posted on 5/16/20 at 8:22 pm to
At 275 I think I usually run a 3.5 hour cook time. More like a 2-1-.5
Posted by FieldandStream1
Shreveport
Member since Feb 2012
199 posts
Posted on 5/16/20 at 8:26 pm to
If baby backs, do 3-1-1 at 225
Posted by BiggerBear
Redbone Country
Member since Sep 2011
2924 posts
Posted on 5/16/20 at 8:43 pm to
Every rack of ribs is different. Use 3-2-1 as a guideline for the following:

3 - Cook until you like the color
2 - Wrap and cook until the meat retracts, exposing about 3/4 to 1 inch of the bones. Practice will let you determine how to get the right pull based on the amount of exposed bone. At this point the ribs are cooked.
1 - This is for finishing and putting on a glaze. The ribs may dry and firm up a little. I somethimes shorten this segment to 30-45 minutes when I don't use a glaze.
Posted by Marlo Stanfield
Member since Aug 2008
2077 posts
Posted on 5/16/20 at 9:23 pm to
Def depends on what type of ribs. For baby backs I do 2-1.5-1.5 @ 225. I started out doing 2-2-1 but found the wrapped 2 made them too tender and you couldn’t even handle them after pulling out of the foil without them falling apart. So I found my mix is great for having them pull back off the bone but not too tender. If I add sauce to them I add it with 45 mins left in the last 1.5.
Posted by t00f
Not where you think I am
Member since Jul 2016
90537 posts
Posted on 5/16/20 at 10:26 pm to
3-1-1 seems to be the sweetspot
Posted by tilco
Spanish Fort, AL
Member since Nov 2013
13496 posts
Posted on 5/17/20 at 6:59 am to
1-2-1 is my sweet spot.

6 hours is wayyyy too long to cook ribs.
Posted by DevilDagNS
Member since Dec 2017
2688 posts
Posted on 5/17/20 at 1:21 pm to
Thank you all for the replies. Will adjust and try again in a few weeks.
Posted by Crawfish From Arabi
Member since Apr 2017
317 posts
Posted on 5/17/20 at 5:16 pm to
There's nothing wrong with your cooking temperature at all. You can cook ribs anywhere from 225-350. There's more variables than just a generic timeline. There's some missing info here.....what type of ribs, how much did they weigh, fat content, type of smoker, was there any additional humidity present, how often did you open the lid/door, how long did you leave the lid/door open, and how long does it take for your smoker to recover your cooking temperature?
Don't worry, keep practicing, and most importantly....enjoy the process
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 1Next pagelast page
refresh

Back to top
logoFollow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting.

FacebookTwitterInstagram