Ribs for Family Dinner

[MOTractor]

I need advice! I am doing ribs this Sunday for a family dinner. I have a Yoder 640s pellet smoker and I just purchased their 3-tier rack. Picked up a case of spare ribs at Sam's today.

I have cooked a lot of ribs on the 640, but only 2 or 3 racks at once on the Yoder top shelf. I did a test this last weekend using the new 3-tier rack - I did a couple ribs and it looks like I can do about 9 to 10 racks in total depending on trimming.

With the 3-tier shelves should I swap the ribs from the bottom shelf to the middle and topshelf? The 3-tier bottom shelf is 3" above the 640's bottom grate, next shelf is 3" higher. Since ribs are about a 5 to 7 hour cook - how often to swap? I am not planning on wrapping them.

I have never trimmed ribs to St Louis style - but thinking of doing on this cook. Since I have only cooked full slabs, will the St Louis trimmed ribs cook quicker? Any “open” room will likely be filled with the large trimmings.

I will be following Meatheads best rib recipe. I will be using a smoke tube with cherry pellets.

Any ideas or suggestion to set me up for success? Thank you!

[STEbbq]

No need to trim STL and I think Costco removes the membrane too, but you’d probably better double check. I would go off temp and pull them when they reach 190-200. Your plan sounds good.

[barelfly]

Welcome from the Land of Enchantment!

when you did the test this weekend, did you notice the top rack cooking differently than at the grate level or vice versa? If you did, then I’d rotate as needed based on your test. And if needed, you could just rotate based on how long your cooks have taken, say 1/3 of the time rotation, so every two hours??

I enjoy the big cook!

[RonB]

Welcome to The Pit.

Personally I'd rotate every hour or 2 to help them finish at the same time.

[TripleB]

18,000+ posts! That's got to be a typo. Well done good and faithful one.

[Bkhuna]

Maybe by post 20000 you might be a monthly winner. 😂

[RonB]

TripleB - to count as a post, ya just have to post somethin'. It doesn't have to be a good post.

[LA Pork Butt]

RonB recommendation sounds good. I would rotate them at least once at the 2.5 or 3 hour mark.

[mrteddyprincess]

In my experience, ribs are a three to four hour cook. Sometimes less depending on the size of the ribs. Check for probe tenderness. Welcome!

Brian

[bbqLuv]

Time and temperature, what temperature do you cook your ribs?

[mrteddyprincess]

bbqLuv on the PK, 325 F. On the Lang, 325 F. (Sometimes the Lang hums at 275 F).

[bbqLuv]

mrteddyprincess
Thank you,

[bbqLuv]

Greetings from NW Oregon


The simplest way is to trim, season, spritz when the ribs appear dry, and smoke at 225, to the doneness you want.

I remove the breast bone from the spare ribs and anything I wouldn't eat or serve.

Don't forget pictures

[TripleB]

First post. Welcome to the pit. Lot of good advice above. Look forward to the pics.

Cheers

[bbqLuv]

and write up too

[captainlee]

From a,Yoder owner rotate. I don't have the three tier rack but do rotate when I cook on the dual rack.

[Donw]

Another Yoder owner here too. Rotate as captainlee suggests. And welcome.

[FireMan]

Listen to the Yoder dudes. Welcome!

[Santamarina]

Let the ribs do the talking. Which is to say watch them during the cook and if you notice uneven cooking between racks rotate. If no significant difference let them ride where they are.

[Purc]

Welcome to The Pit from Texas and enjoy your cook.

[HawkerXP]

Welcome. Be sure to let us know how it turns out.

[RiverJeff]

Welcome from Nebraska!
Since it's so easy to rotate selves on my Gridiron I also rotate!
How's bout an intro?