I'm looking to buy 2 of the Rib racks that are for 5 racks with big side handles, and doubles as a roast holder. I foresee no issue putting 5 racks on them and one on each shelf. There are no issues with 5 racks of St Louis cut ribs on their sides, that I should be aware of? I have mostly hung in the past.
Or what is your favorite 5 rib rack.
Last edited by Richard Chrz; February 20, 2023, 02:05 PM.
The only 'issue' that we've had (with two different styles) - on one, the vertical bars were so close together (between racks) that as the ribs cooked (and curled, I guess 🤷🏼♂️) they became impossible to pull from the rack to turn/rotate. On the other, the vertical bars were so close together (in the center of each rack) that the loosey-goosey ends flopped all over the place
These were baby backs on a 22" Kettle.
(That first one was returned, the second one we're stuck with )
Last edited by nunyaz; February 20, 2023, 01:36 PM.
Reason: clarification
Agreed. Space is an issue. Even if it's close, you tend to lose some bark. I tried putting them skinny side (bottom) down, the top got good smoke but was far behind in IT.
I have the Weber rib rack with 5 slots in it, and have used it for years. If I had a WSM I would certainly use 2 of them, one per level, to get 10 slabs of ribs on that cooker. I use it on a 22" kettle more than the 22" SNS kamado, to fit 3 to 5 slabs of ribs on the cooker with the SNS taking up about 1/3 of the grate space. Worked like a champ.
The main cons I can think of:
- Full sized spares are mighty floppy in it, and want to lean over on each other.
- Some baby backs and SLS spares will flop a little on the ends when you first put them in the grill, but you can move them around to maintain the gap.
- Super fat ribs like the "loin back ribs" sold as baby backs with lots of extra loin meat can be thick and I've had a few thicken up during the cook and not want to come out of the slot easily.
Pros:
- The stainless steel on the Weber rib rack is high quality, cleans up nice, and I usually just toss it in the top rack of the dishwasher.
- As you said, it can double for holding a roast. I actually used it to hold a turkey breast up a while back, over a foil pan, and it worked great for holding the bone-in turkey breast upright.
Tips:
- Halfway through the cook on a kettle with SNS I flip the ribs over in the rack, to put the edge that was pointing up towards the dome down to the grate. This helps even things out, as there is a vertical temperature gradient in a kettle. Maybe your WSM doesn't have this issue.
- When I flip the ribs mid cook, I also usually swap the slab that is next to the SNS with the slab farthest away, just to help even them out.
I've done as many as 6 racks of ribs on a 22" kettle with this rack - the 6th one had to lay across the top of the other 5, and I ended up rotating which rack was laying up top several times during that cook! It was high in the dome and getting done a lot faster!
Have you ever tried to truss the ribs somehow so they don't fall over on each other at the ends? My first thought would be to shove some toothpicks between adjacent ends, at least until they firm up enough to stay seperated on their own. I don't have a rib rack so maybe it's a non-issue.
Andrrr running long skewers through could likely fix any spots that are really ugly, but I find that moving them around every two hours generally works everything out.
I used the Weber rib racks with the 22" WSM and it was fine. I have two of the racks and used them both on the same level to avoid the floppiness issue. The other great thing about those racks is they clean up nicely in the dishwasher.
I did a fair amount t of hanging this last summer, I’m not really a fan of it, I think it can be fun, just not the experience I’m looking for. I’m looking for the easiest way to consistently smoke 14 - 15 racks at a time. Between my wsm and my 26
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