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What did I do wrong? - Smoking Pork St. Louis Ribs
Posted on 5/28/23 at 8:15 pm
Posted on 5/28/23 at 8:15 pm
I'm just getting into smoking, so give me some slack. 
3 hours smoke, then wrap in foil w a small bit of apple cider vinegar for another 2 hours.
I used hickory wood to smoke and kept the temp between 225 and 250.
The ribs tasted good, but had a little too much smoke flavor and were black on the ends.
The ribs completely fell off the bones when I took them out of the foil.
No one complained, but I think I could do better.
Should I simply smoke them less and keep them in the foil longer?
I smoked them on the classic bullet type charcoal smoker.
3 hours smoke, then wrap in foil w a small bit of apple cider vinegar for another 2 hours.
I used hickory wood to smoke and kept the temp between 225 and 250.
The ribs tasted good, but had a little too much smoke flavor and were black on the ends.
The ribs completely fell off the bones when I took them out of the foil.
No one complained, but I think I could do better.
Should I simply smoke them less and keep them in the foil longer?
I smoked them on the classic bullet type charcoal smoker.
11
Posted on 5/28/23 at 8:20 pm to Shexter
Maybe dirty smoke. You want your wood to burn clean. Lots of oxygen flowing to make your smoke clean and not cloudy/grey. Make sure your top dampers are open.
A 5 hour cook for St. Louis shouldn’t have them falling off the bone. A typical cook is 6 hours. I think your temperature at your grates where the ribs were was probably higher than what your thermometer on the pot was reading. This could cause the bottoms to burn too.
But they were probably black on the ends because the ends were close to the outside of the pit (the metal). The metal heats up and cooks the meat that’s right next to it a lot quicker.
A 5 hour cook for St. Louis shouldn’t have them falling off the bone. A typical cook is 6 hours. I think your temperature at your grates where the ribs were was probably higher than what your thermometer on the pot was reading. This could cause the bottoms to burn too.
But they were probably black on the ends because the ends were close to the outside of the pit (the metal). The metal heats up and cooks the meat that’s right next to it a lot quicker.
Posted on 5/28/23 at 8:22 pm to Shexter
Apple cider vinegar probably turned meat to mush. Next time use apple juice.
Did you smoke them with direct heat. I bet that's what turned the ends black.
Did you smoke them with direct heat. I bet that's what turned the ends black.
Posted on 5/28/23 at 8:25 pm to ruzil
I overlooked the vinegar. I agree, apple juice, not apple cider vinegar.
Posted on 5/28/23 at 8:29 pm to Shexter
don't wrap the ribs you are boiling them in steam.
as far as too much smoke, maybe not use wood chunks and just hardwood charcoal.
lookup bend test, don't do it too soon, and mess with the bark on the ribs, usually around 4 hours.
as far as too much smoke, maybe not use wood chunks and just hardwood charcoal.
lookup bend test, don't do it too soon, and mess with the bark on the ribs, usually around 4 hours.
Posted on 5/28/23 at 8:39 pm to t00f
Most use squirt butter and maybe brown sugar before wrapping in foil. Usually need to unwrap after the 2 hours in foil and put back on for a while to dry them back out a bit.
Posted on 5/28/23 at 8:41 pm to Lesalli
do not wrap pork, any pork.
Posted on 5/29/23 at 8:37 am to Shexter
I stopped doing the 3,2,1 method because they were overcooked almost every time. Now I go 90 minutes smoke uncovered, foil for 45 minutes and then 25-30 minutes uncovered. All at 235. They don't come apart but are still very tender once you bite into them.
Posted on 5/29/23 at 9:26 am to t00f
quote:
do not wrap pork, any pork.
No idea why people do
Posted on 5/29/23 at 10:11 am to TackySweater
quote:
No idea why people do
So you don’t put too much smoke on them
Posted on 5/29/23 at 11:16 am to SixthAndBarone
quote:
Lots of oxygen flowing to make your smoke clean and not cloudy/grey.
There it is. I had gray smoke the whole time.
Posted on 5/29/23 at 1:32 pm to t00f
how many cells are left in your brain? He who does not wrap, does not smoke.
Posted on 5/29/23 at 1:43 pm to Long Ball Larry
Keep wrapping like a retard, I don’t give a shite. Waste of time.
Posted on 5/29/23 at 1:53 pm to t00f
Babybacks from this afternoon, no wrap, moist, proper chew
Posted on 5/29/23 at 1:58 pm to Shexter
quote:
then wrap in foil w a small bit of apple cider vinegar for another 2 hours
I smoke for 3 at 225 then wrap at 275 for an hour. Sauce them at cook for another 30-45 minutes. You want you meat to come off the bone with a little effort. I find wrapping for an hour in butter and brown sugar is enough to break that fat down and get the ribs ready for tge sauce.
Posted on 5/29/23 at 2:01 pm to lsufan1971
One mo no wrap pic
Posted on 5/29/23 at 2:32 pm to SixthAndBarone
quote:
Maybe dirty smoke.
This is immediately what I thought of when he said it had too much smoke flavor.
Posted on 5/29/23 at 4:41 pm to t00f
That’s my kind of rib. I would clean those bones. That’s part of the experience.
Posted on 5/29/23 at 5:16 pm to Gris Gris
quote:
That’s my kind of rib. I would clean those bones. That’s part of the experience.
Me too. Other sauce was a Pinkerton mustard based BBQ sauce.
Posted on 5/29/23 at 6:01 pm to Shexter
Charcoal smoke in ribs wakes me up in the middle of the night as sick as a dog and hung over a toilet. I'm really sensitive to it. Wood smoke, no problem.
What you want are your coals fully whitened over and not smoking before you put meat in there.. Yeah it's a little wasteful and you'll end up chimney starting a second, maybe third batch to finish. But the only smoke you want in there is your wood smoke (hickory, apple, pecan, cherry, oak, peach, whatever).
Secondly, ribs have a very high surface ratio so hours and hours of smoke is too much smoke. I will only smoke for the first hour now.
There's nothing wrong with wrapping your ribs. It is simply a tenderizing technique where it steams in it's own juices (and whatever other juices you add) for a while.
They may be "overcooked" but when everyone in your family prefers that style, who cares what a KCBS judge thinks.
What you want are your coals fully whitened over and not smoking before you put meat in there.. Yeah it's a little wasteful and you'll end up chimney starting a second, maybe third batch to finish. But the only smoke you want in there is your wood smoke (hickory, apple, pecan, cherry, oak, peach, whatever).
Secondly, ribs have a very high surface ratio so hours and hours of smoke is too much smoke. I will only smoke for the first hour now.
There's nothing wrong with wrapping your ribs. It is simply a tenderizing technique where it steams in it's own juices (and whatever other juices you add) for a while.
They may be "overcooked" but when everyone in your family prefers that style, who cares what a KCBS judge thinks.
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