Baby Back Ribs in Pit Barrel Cooker

[mzip]

Good afternoon, I am wondering if anybody has had a similar experience and what may have caused mine. For Christmas dinner, I hung 6 racks of Baby Back Ribs in my Pit Barrel Cooker. As it turned out, 2 racks were done in 5 hours and then 2 more at 5 1/2 hours and the last pair were ready at 6 hours. I've never had this sort of "inconsistency" in the cook before and I'm wondering what may have caused this and certainly how to avoid it in the future. Any help a Pitmaster may have to offer will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[smokin fool]

Don't have a PBC so can't comment on how it cooks, only thing I can surmise is three pairs of ribs from three different animals.

[Murdy]

Well, they certainly weren't from one animal. Or did you mean, a steer, a hog, and a lamb?

[smokin fool]

I dunno sometimes my theories aren't well thought out

[HawkerXP]

I've had the same thing happen. It was more like 3.5, 4 and 4.5. Firstly, no rack of wibs is exactly the same. Next the dripping meat, and with 6 racks there is a lot of dripping going on, will extinguish some of the coals.
I usually cook 3 racks at one time unless more is needed. Thank you, Mr. Costco. So, around each hour mark I spin the hooks on the rebar. Letting each side feel the heat and I also move them to an open position.
They were good, yes?

[HawkerXP]

Even doing 3 racks, some will get done before the others. I'll put them in a pan with a little apple juice, cover and pop into the oven at the lowest setting. 170* for mine.

[JeffJ]

I've noticed that the fire doesn't burn evenly in mine. One side (and it's not always the same side) will burn hotter than the other.

[Spinaker]

When I am doing this many ribs in y PBC, I will rotate the charcoal basket from time to time and if there are a ton of soaked coals, I will drop some lit ones in the basket. That being said, some pieces of meat just cook faster than others. Sometimes, there is no way around it.

[RustyHaines]

mzip I have never cooked more than 3 racks of ribs in the same cook on my PBC but it was apparent during the cooks the ribs were not cooking at the same rate. As Spinaker suggests I now rotate the coal basket and in addition I also move the rib racks around as well. I think the same theories may apply to 6 racks too.

[Spinaker]

Another thing would add, is too crack the lid form time to time to give it a little more air to help power through those times when the meat is really sweating.

[Greygoose]

What elevation are you at ?
I have cooked STL’s and BBR’s ,3 and 3 and the BBR’s were done in 3.5 hrs and the STL’s done in 4-4.5 hrs
I am at sea level with the damper barely open