Rib rack recommendations

[jasonwilliams14]

Heya everyone!
I wanted to get some feedback on a rib rack I would like to purchase.
I currently have a 22" weber kettle and it allows me to get 2 racks on with my slow n sear.

I would like to be able to cook several more racks in the kettle and the rib rack seems to be the way to go.
However, there are quite a few different ones out there and not sure which one I should consider.

Browsing amazing, i see weber has a rib rack, Steven Raichlen has his version....and others.
What should I be looking for?
I have some questions because I have seen some racks there it is a bit low profile and the ribs seem to sag or flop around a bit.
Is it better to go with a larger profile so the ribs do not tip over and sag?
I'd like to be able to get at least 4 racks in the rack, 5 would not hurt either.

Appreciate the feedback!

Jason

[Jerod Broussard]

I use 2 of Raichlen's in my pellet smoker to prevent the ends from laying against each other. Raichlen's are plenty tall. I did 4 racks Friday night.

In a kettle you may be better off rolling them into a circle on their sides and securing with skewers.

[texastweeter]

Rib rolls as mentioned above on a kettle

[Steve R.]

Rolling and skewering is a great way to gain some capacity in a kettle. 👍

[hoovarmin]

I agree on the rib roll. Those racks suck.

[TripleB]

Wow, it has been a long time since I tried to smoke ribs in a kettle. 20 years maybe... I think you could get 4 racks, but cut in half. Maybe 5. Make sure the racks support the meat and you might have to reduce your heat load to accommodate the meat. Just a bit more fire management, add some time to the cook and it will be good.

[MsTwiggy]

I recommend the warming rack by SNS, you can fit a full rack up there and two full racks in the bottom grate even if you are running a SNS, more if you aren’t. They will basically cook at the same rate and you get basting action. Alternatively, you can get a “rib” rack it will run you the same ($50) but will be less versatile. But it will hold 5 racks of ribs - it’s also a PITA to clean. The elevated grate you can just turn over your SNS and brush clean. A great way to add no nonsense capacity to the kettle IMHO.
It’s on sale right now with free delivery on Amazon Elevated Cooking Grate from SnS Grills https://www.amazon.com/Elevated-Cooking-Grate-Stainless-Steel/dp/B07N97ZNNQ/ref=asc_df_B07N97ZNNQ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=344109103916&hvpos=&hvnetw = g&hvrand=7347894009507322937&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvq mt =&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9061301&h vt argid=pla-738129487879&psc=1&mcid=49fedfdf210a31508c73275ffe 7f8488&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=67585364085&hvpone=&hvptw o=&hvadid=344109103916&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=734 7 894009507322937&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint= &hvlocphy=9061301&hvtargid=pla-738129487879&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5-uuBhDzARIsAAa21T81Av1rrS019OZ1Fo1_lx0tFnOLwaVGLyjT APtdo2PSzqXwyuxZVGwaAqKaEALw_wcB
🔥🔥🐿️

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

Every one of these 'rib racks' I've seen commercially is a waste of time. They either aren't long enough, they aren't tall enough, or the spacing is too wide - end result is the same - ribs falling all over the place, essentially useless in my opinion.

I found these:

IKEA pot lid organizer





An Amazon version - not sure if these are quite as good - they look like they could be a little thinner, but same thing, essentially.



I believe I bought 4 of the IKEA ones years ago, and used 2 of them (still have 2 unopened in the boxes) - could do like 6 racks at a time, with a set of the expandable brackets on either end, so 4 touch points per rack of ribs. Perfect. You can expand them to give more room in between for meatier ribs, shrink them down for storage, etc. These were definitely a game-changer for ribs!


I haven't actually DONE a large rib cook in some time - but I did pick up a couple of racks locally that made ALL of this discussion a moot point.


The rib racks to surpass ALL other rib racks...



But... you gotta have some ROOM for those, for sure.

[Steve R.]

If you have room for two of the Weber racks, the problem of SLC slabs flopping over is solved. Plus the Weber racks clean up nicely in the dishwasher.

[jfmorris]

I have the Weber rib rack, mostly because it is readily available at all places that sell Weber grills, and they had it when I needed one years ago. It is stainless, cleans up easily, and doubles as a roasting rack for a roast or a turkey breast if you turn it upside down.

I have done 5 and even 6 slabs of ribs on my Weber kettle + SNS combo many many times with the Weber rack.

The trick of using a rib rack with the SNS on your kettle are:

1. Flip the ribs over halfway through the cook, as the temperature is higher farther up in the kettle. This means the edge facing up is cooking faster than the edge down on the cooking grate.

2. Swap the slabs of ribs that are farthest and closest to the SNS when you do the flipping of the ribs.

The time I did 6 was because I had two of those 3 packs from Sam's Club, and I just put #6 on TOP of all the rest. On that cook, once an hour, I opened the grill up and rotated all slabs of ribs through the rack and gave each one an hour sitting across the top of the others. They came out great!

[RichieB]

I have the Weber version. I think I've use 4 maybe 5 times. Never happy with it as doesn't secure the ribs they flap around. Now with a PBJ I'll not do ribs on the Kettle.

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

That's been my experience. I don't understand why people like them? I just dunno... I am doing a 12-rack cook on Wednesday morning, which would be AWESOME to use my monster rib racks, but I don't really want to drag Big Bertha over here and fire her up, and my smaller offset won't fit the rack. <sigh> So I guess I'm breaking out the IKEA expandables. 12 racks is the most I'll ever have done at one time...

[jfmorris]

Spares especially are floppy in the shorter rib racks. I've solved that a few times with wooden skewers out at the ends to stabilize things and keep the ribs off each other. I've seen few rib racks as wide as a rack of ribs...

[HawkerXP]

I have a PBC for my rib rack. Can hang 8 at a time.

[HawkerXP]

Just today I did 2 brisket points and 1 flat on my 26" Weber and 6 racks of St Louies in the PBC. After the ribs were done, I removed the rebar and cooker lamb chops on the grate.
@jasonwilliams14

..., ..., ...!

[jasonwilliams14]

HawkerXP Have to admit, that picture looks super awesome.
So after the ribs were done, you removed the bars, added some grates and cooked some chops? Nice. Have you ever cooked ribs on one side and had a half grate on the other, see if you can cook multiple items? Sounds very nice.

[HawkerXP]

jasonwilliams14 yes. They came out nice and juicy. I do prefer doing them on the Kettle but the barrel was hot so I used it.
I have not done the half and half cook yet. They do sell a grate that alows you to do this. I have 6 kettles at the moment so...........

[Sid P]

The Weber rack works OK, but as mentioned they’ll flop around and lean against each other, and it’s just a very mediocre solution. I haven’t done it, but I think rolling and skewering is the way to go.

Does anyone have a pic?

[jfmorris]

I don't like the rolling and skewering option as much as just using the rack, but put some wooden skewers out at each end through the racks of ribs, to stabilize them.

[jfmorris]

Someone asked for some pics, not sure this is what they meant, but here is the Weber rib rack on my Performer with the SNS.

If doing one of those 3 packs of ribs from Sam's, I'll leave an empty space between them in the rack.



I flip them end to end mid cook, and swap the ones closest and farthest from the fire. Towards the end of the cook, since the family tends to like sauced ribs, I'll get rid of the rack, and shrinkage gives me space to mostly put them in the indirect zone. I'll flip them over the fire in the SNS though to caramelize the sauce.



Sometimes though you get some ribs that want to go floppy or wavy on you when stood on edge:



As I mentioned, I've done several cooks where I did 5-6 racks of ribs on the kettle, and laid #6 across the top of all the others, and just rotated the ribs through the rack once an hour, to get good smoke on all of them. If you load up like that, might add an hour to the cook, unless you up the temp.

[jasonwilliams14]

Those look really good. I am hungry now!

[Mosca]

I have several different racks, a couple of the rectangular ones and one of the circular ones. Honestly, I don’t really like any of them. I get better results from using a second tier.

[jasonwilliams14]

O interesting. If you do not mind me asking, how do you use a second tier (in a weber kettle)? That peaked my interest.

[Mosca]

I have a couple grates with legs that I got for the BGE, the less-tall one fits under the kettle. The circular rib rack works well enough in both the Kettle and the BGE, but it is a b!tch to clean.

[jasonwilliams14]

I appreciate all the help. I wonder if this is justification for me to just buy a dedicated smoker. Feels like it honestly.

Now if i could just make up my mind on which one to buy.

[RichieB]

2 things to be considered. Room and budget. If you have room and larger budget, think offset. I don't have either, those who did I know will chime in. For me a PBJ was all I needed. And the OKJ is another winner.

[Johnny Booth]

Buy a smokerrrrrrrr…………low and slowwwwwwwwwwwww….. buy it…. buy… it…now……

[jasonwilliams14]

Yea...been agonizing over it for to long. ahaha
Probably end up buying several over the course of time is my guess.
Waiting for a sale to see what the best options are and it gets me points with the wife.

[SmokingSteve]

jasonwilliams14 I have 2 of the IKEA racks and used them to do a rack of ribs on edge in my Weber Spirit II. They are dishwasher safe and food safe stainless steel. Just remove the round plastic protectors on the base of each rod before using on your kettle. They are a lot less money than all the "rib racks" I have seen for sale. Because they are expandable "X" type you can easily keep the ribs from flopping. This is what DogFaced PonySoldier is talking about above.