I've only been smoking a couple years, so I'm still learning technique. I want to make killer ribs though. I have one of the Chargriller Double Play grills with the offset smoker. One think I notice is the bottom of the ribs doesn't end all the way black, but there is a lot of black color to the bottom of the ribs and the bone ends. I have started rotating the ribs so they aren't in the same distance from the heat the whole time and I spin them so both sides have time closer to the heat source. As a side question, any recommendations for how often to rotate/spin if you're doing 3 or 4 racks? Anyway, I would assume the color is coming from the smoke. Are you supposed to flip the ribs as well? I haven't seen really anything saying you should. Is this more of an issue of me needing a baffle to divert the heat and smoke more in the chamber due to the type of smoker I have? What do pro cooked ribs look like on the bottom? I'm betting they aren't so black.
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If they are approaching a burnt taste then you've got too much heat. Rotating is done as necessary if certain racks appear to be darkening up quicker. Have you performed a bread or biscuit test to locate potential hot spots?-
I am not noticing a burnt taste, but it doesn't look nice visually. I noticed on pro videos that the bone ends get black, but it didn't look black on the bottom. My thought is my smoke's getting hitting the bottom too much. On the offset smokers like they sell at Home Depot, they aren't built the best. The smoke & heat enter the chamber right next to the first rack & then goes out the top. I know there's some mods people do on that smoker. With it turning black,would it be the lack of a damper? -
The black on the bone end is just marrow turning black. Yeah, something to create two zones will work. bwatkin79
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Are you leaving the membrane on and it is burning? Heat is a big issue sounds like or fire not getting to amber state and temp not stable? What temps are you cooking at? Never had burned bottoms before.
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I am taking the membrane off. I’m using lump charcoal. Using a chimney and getting it white except the top layer. I’ve been maintaining the temp better now that I added a grate for the coals to get better airflow. Running around 230. The center wall has a vent I’ll adjust when the temp gets too aggressive. I’m not noticing a burnt taste. My thought is the smoke builds up from the vent location
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I would really think about getting the side fire box accessory they offer. It would solve your direct heat issue.Comment
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I have the side firebox. With that smoker, the heat and smoke enter the cook chamber at the right, right next to the first rack of ribs. I’ve noticed some mods where they run duct down from the chimney. I’m guessing to keep the smoke in the chamber better. I’ve seen them put a diverter on that wall too
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Some photos of what you're trying to troubleshoot would be super helpful! Personally I have only rarely rotated racks of ribs when smoking on my kettle, but I am not familiar with your cooker so don't know how applicable that is. And on my vertical pellet smoker no rotating is ever needed, given how uniformly the temperature is distributed in there.
Good luck!Comment
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I’m making both types of my ribs next weekend so I’ll upload a picture afterComment
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I have an Oklahoma Joe (OKJ) version that may be similar. See pic below for one kind of like mine. I think yours has the smoker and grill swapped, but they are very similar.
The smoker is extremely difficult to use because it is so small. You have to use charcoal to maintain your temps, but the cooking chamber will be heated unevenly. Every time you add wood, it will cause spikes in your temps. The general rule of thumb is the larger the smoker, the easier it is to use.
You should also experiment by placing four thermometers, one in each quadrant, and see how much the temps vary. Do this without any food on the grill. Also do a toast test, where you over the smoke chamber with bread and see how evenly it toasts. This will help you get to know your smoker.
On my OKJ, I don’t put meat in the area by the firebox. I place a water pan (I use a loaf pan) there to deflect some of the heat and to add moisture to the cooking chamber. I tried a baffle and it didn’t help that much so I don’t recommend it. (FYI, I wrapped and old grill grate with foil and used that as a baffle.)
I can’t imagine trying to cook four racks of ribs in the smoker because of the limited space. I would recommend using a rib rack holder so the ribs are vertical rather than horizontal. Place a temp probe between the heat source/water pan and the rib rack to monitor the smoker temp. I would place the rib rack as far from the heat as possible and rotate it as necessary.
I made some excellent smoked meats on my OKJ, but I had to sit and monitor it constantly. The small chamber and thin metal can make it a frustrating experience since you need to check it every 10-15 minutes. If you do larger cuts of meats, like briskets and pork butts, you can pull them off after the bark sets (8-12 hours) and cook them in your oven at 225 to finish them. At that point, you have your flavor, so it is just a matter of providing the heat to finish them, which could still take 5-10 hours. With ribs, you could smoke them for a few hours, then wrap them in foil and finish them in your oven or on the smoker. I do this often with ribs.
I still have my OKJ, but don’t use it to smoke very often anymore. I have a Chargriller Grand Champ Offset, an SNS Kettle and an Aussie. I find doing ribs on any of these three easier than using the OKJ.
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