First SnS low & slow: Wild Fork spares

[DaveD]

Hey there Pitfolk, here's my first low & slow cook with my new SnS kettle, first time ever doing low & slow with charcoal & chunks. Keeping it simple and doing a rack of spare ribs that I got from Wild Fork, their standard "aged pork". Recently, the both the baby backs and spares I've been getting from WF have come with the membrane already removed before shrink-wrapping, which I appreciate greatly. Dry brined overnight, and hit it with Central BBQ rib rub, which we're really coming to prefer over MMD for ribs, it's more savory, not quite as sweet. MMD still wins for roasts (butt, pigsket) though.

Target pit temp is 225F/107C.



Got a dozen coals lit in one end of the insert, and filled the rest of the space with unlit coals after about fifteen minutes, then plopped three hickory chunks on top, filled the water chamber, and closed the bottom damper completely, opened the top damper 1/4ish, and opened the "smoke hole" on the lower half of the kettle about halfway, and waited a while to see where that got me.



Took about 20 minutes to be clear that it was headed toward 300F/149C, so I choked back the upper vent and the smokehole in two iterations until it started holding at about 250F/121C, close enough for government work. Then on went the ribs.


About an hour in:

Almost 2 hours in. ITs 155-165F/68-74C.


And at just under three hours in. I've spritzed twice. I like the color!

Temps now ranging from 168-175F/75-80C with a couple of spots toward the left end hitting nearly 190F/88C.

The kettle is holding temperature extremely well, sitting within a couple of degrees of 250F/121C. Impressive. Most impressive.

Stay tuned...

[mcook2201]

Looking quite nice there!

[Mosca]

I was looking at those ribs, they’re on sale right now! I’m interested in how you like ‘em!

[Panhead John]

Good job Dave! I’m impressed, especially for your first time smoking on the kettle….I have a gut feeling your pellet pooper will be getting lonely…very lonely.

[holehogg]

Yip.

[RonB]

Lookin' good Dave. Ya might want to flip that rack end for end if it's hot on one side.

[DaveD]

I did exactly that

[DaveD]

Hey folks, highly successful outcome on these ribs, to say the least. They were fantastic! The kettle held temp like a champ all afternoon, once I got the smoke hole and top vent in the right combo, it was hands-off. Ribs were probing like butter when I took them off, and rested them under foil for 10 min, sliced, served. Tug off the bone, juicy, tender, lovely smoke ring. Success!

As RonB said, I rotated the rack 180 degrees not long after my last post. Here are the last couple stages and the denouement...







​​​​​​​

[Allon]

Looks real good! Nice plate and everything.

[bbqLuv]

You done good.
I would pair them bones with PBR.

[Panhead John]

Why would he want to ruin a perfectly good meal?

[Purc]

You can do almost anything on that kettle. Looks awesome!

[jfmorris]

Looks great! Glad to see you first smoke be such a success.

[hoovarmin]

From one Dave to another, you done good, Dave!

[58limited]

Dave the third here, you done really good!

[Sid P]

Congrats Dave, they look great 👍! Is it too early to ask how they compare to ribs off your Pit Boss?

[DaveD]

Thanks folks! Glad I aimed low for the first time out

Congrats Dave, they look great 👍! Is it too early to ask how they compare to ribs off your Pit Boss?

Once I feel like I know how this thing works, I'll do a side-by-side comparison. Tonight, I picked up a much more robust smoke profile but, ironically, my lovely bride reckoned the Pit Boss gave a stronger profile -- although immediately recognizing she has only her memory with which to compare.

Eventually I'll do a series of cooks where I try to get as nearly identical starting material as I can and do them in each cooker simultaneously so that we can do a side-by-side taste test. That will be fun

Meanwhile, the next best thing will be comparing the leftovers from tonight to those from last weekend's rack of baby backs done on the pellet smoker. Not apples to apples of course, but at least a preview before a head-to-head.

[Darchie03]

I was looking at those ribs, they’re on sale right now! I’m interested in how you like ‘em!

I have tried the spares & they were good & for the sale price cheaper than I can find locally.

[Mosca]

Thanks!