Friend paid the ultimate compliment, wants me to teach him ribs on gas grill

[Mosca]

My friend wants me to teach him how to make ribs on his gas grill. I did ribs on my gasser, but I haven't used one for about 6 years, and I'm sure I'll forget some things. To top it off, if you go on YouTube and start watching videos, you'll tear your hair out; even the Weber video tells you to soak your wood chips for an hour!

I want to give him the minimum of extra things to buy, with the the only required item a digital thermometer, and since he will only monitor pit temperature a simple Taylor from the grocery will be fine. He sent me a photo of some nice 4.5lb St Louis cut ribs.

Here is my outline:


Prep ribs
remove membrane
apply salt and rub

Prep grill
one burner only
temp 225-260
Water pan under ribs
wood chips wrapped in foil or in a loaf pan

Cook
ribs on cool side
anywhere from 4-6 hours
bend test, lift with tongs

Sauce
brush on
cook another 15 minutes


One note: I don't want to complicate this with spray bottles of apple juice or foil wraps with Parkay and honey, so I'm recommending the water pan. I think this will give the best result, water pan with a cup or so, let it evaporate and everything will be fine.

What at am I missing? Should I recommend the tried and true 3-2-1 instead, even though I don't use it myself any more?

[Breadhead]

No on the 3-2-1... I've never liked that method to be honest with you. I think you've got it laid out just right. If he can keep his temps where you've suggested I think he will get some good ribs.

[ecowper]

I'm totally with you on technique. No on 3-2-1, no on the crutch. Hardest part of a gasser is getting decent smoke.

[Histrix]

I would just add that when you brush on a sauce for the last few minutes I'd crank up the heat.

I've never foiled or spritzed ribs. I never sauce ribs either - just rub and then put out a few different types of sauce on the table for those so inclined to want a sauce.

I never used a water pan on my trusty old Genesis 2000 so I don't know if using one adds anything or not.

Getting a lot of smoke is pretty easy these days with things like the Amazen Pellets smoke trays or tubes.

[CarlP3]

I don't think a water pan under the ribs is necessary...one of the by-products of propane combustion is water vapor. Plenty of moisture in the cooking area already. Maybe a dry pan under the ribs just to catch the drippings??!

[Mosca]

Thanks!

[Danjohnston949]

Mosca, Tom, I think it's Fair to Say I know little to nothing about cooking on a Gasser! It would appear that you have a handle on the Problem! I would lean toward a little water in the drip pan it will evaporate by the time the ribs are done and make cleanup easier IMHOP! I think the KISS Principal should apply! "Keep It Simple Stupid" Obviously your Friend doesn't feel confident enough in His abilities to set out on His own! Perhaps a little Primer for him on
A Two Zone Smoker Setup for His Grill, along with a Tutorial on the Bend Test for Doneness! A dry brine and a simple rub might suffice for the first effort! As Histrix pointed out Sauces can be table sides! The best thing Your Friend has going for him, is a "Good Friend Named Tom!"
Eat Well and Prosper! From a Backyard Cremator in Fargo ND, Dan

[fzxdoc]

Potkettleblack does some great smokes on his gasser, as I recall, and he's a good chef. Hopefully he'll chime in here as well.

Foil packets are the way to go--put them right on the flavorizer bars. And keep adding them over the first couple of hours as the smoke wanes, as gassers have so many openings for smoke to escape, and the chips in the pouches burn up fast.

But as Histrix , says, I get the best smoke on my gasser with an A-Maze-N tube. Now that I have other smokers, I only use my gasser to smoke salmon.

Kathryn

ETA: Here's what Meathead says about water pans in his article on gas grill setup: (for smoking)

Put a pan of water between the burner and the food. Put the wood as close to the flame as possible. Voila, indirect heat.

The water absorbs heat, and helps minimize fluctuations in temp. The moisture also mixes with the smoke and propane combustion gases and creates flavors you cannot get with smoke alone. But this is important to note: You are not steaming the meat! Steam can make the meat mushy and destroy meat flavors. If you keep the oven temp at 225°F, the water should not boil because the surface area will allow evaporation that will cool the water keeping it below 212°F. Hard to believe, but true. If the water is boiling, you are running hot. Turn it down.

[Nate]

Step 1: Get rid of Gasser
Step 2: Purchase PBC or Kettle w/ SnS
Step 3: Make awesome ribs
Step 4: Eat awesome ribs

Just kidding.... You can turn out good stuff on a gasser by following the tips in the above post. I'm with Dan on the KISS method. Let him get the basics down of low'n'slow, 2 zone cooking with the bend test as well as proper prep of the ribs... Then as he gets comfortable with that let him try different methods if he feels he must... Fundamentals and getting comfortable with his equipment are the most important in my opinion.

[l'inferno]

Put this on the list of "un-needed gear" but I happened to find one unopened in a bin in my basement.

Charcoal Companion Stainless Steel V-Shape Smoker Box For Gas Grills

I probably convinced myself I needed it and gifted it to myself unnecessarily.
Used it to smoke a pork tenderloin couple weeks ago. Foil packets definitely work.
I liked it because of its capacity and how it fit in between the flavorizer bars.

Never used an AMZPS on gasser.

[Potkettleblack]

A friend of mine has one of these and is very fond of it, because it fits nice, has huge capacity and seems to produce good smoke. Pellets are almost too easy, so I like the tube.

[Wrench77]

There are dozens of opinions on how to smoke ribs. But if he is asking you for help. Then he must have enjoyed your ribs that you have Smoked. So just teach him your way. Then he can adapt from there. Have confidence in yourself and your ability.

[Mosca]

He has a gasser, I have a Kamado and a kettle. I'm confident, but he is a complete novice, and wouldn't understand anything I told him, he needs it written out clearly.

[Potkettleblack]

fzxdoc thanks for the compliment.

To date, I've done a few racks of ribs on the gasser. Weber Genesis 330. I put the left burner on the lowest setting. I use an A-maze-N 12" tube. Tube placement seems to matter. You can't put the tube directly over the burner and you can't put it directly under the meat. So, I have a compromise position that works really well if I'm not running high capacity. Towards the front of the grill, under the grate, on the flavorizer bars. That's after it's lit and dumping smoke. I run it perpendicular to the bars, a couple inches from the front. That's for chucks and pulled pork. For ribs, being long and drippy, I put it on the grate, roughly in the middle, or on the hot side, over a cold burner. I've had it suggested that the ideal spot for the tube is down in the cabinet, out of the way of the grease drain. That seems a bit nuts to me, but I might try it.

A-maze-N produces a nice, pleasant, light smoke. If I want a bit more smoke, I had been using foil packets, but based on the recommendation of Meathead or Max Good (and an Amazon credit I got for taking a survey), I've been using Mo's Smoking Pouch, which really does smoke more effectively than foil packets. Might be because it holds a large amount of wood. At any rate, produces a stronger smoke than foil packets, I think.

I have not used water pans. I have pans to use, but I have liked the result without.

I do it just how Meathead does Last Meal Ribs. Membrane off, rub with a light splash of water, MMD on both sides, onto the cool side of the grill at 225* until bend test passes, then, if I'm going to glaze, glaze. I prefer a vinegar mop right before serving, but my wife likes the candy of caramelized sauce. right at the end, then a bit of high direct to cook the sauce on.

The LMRs is a good basic instruction, after he's calibrated the grill to know where 225* is. I use the iGrill2 to monitor the grill temp, and fiddle the knobs on rare occasion, like windy days.

Yeah, I forgot about that. Gas grills are generally very very well vented (good thing... improper combustion could make a well sealed gas grill go BOOM. Boom is not a thing I want to experience. Any rate, as a result of this venting, you can get some kooky temperature fluctuation on a windy day. As with everything, a thermometer is maybe your best tool.

So, the short:
Key tools: Pellet Tube, remote thermometer for temp management.