Debugging Baby Back Ribs

[jhoskins]

Hey folks! I haven’t made ribs in a long time (1-2 years) until a few attempts on my new pellet cooker over the last month or so. In both cases, they took FOREVER, longer than I remember (6-8 hours) and I never really got the pullback I was looking for. They were tender-ish but more bite through than I wanted. What am I missing?

technique:
- 225 until they get good color, 2/3 hours. Spritz every hour or so
- wrap (foil or butcher paper) w butter/mop and cook until tender, meat side down (ideally where you can rotate a rib with lots of give)
- sauce and glaze for 25 mins or so

Total time 6-8 hours and still not desired tenderness. Pics are my recent attempt.

do I need to cook hotter?

[LA Pork Butt]

I just did some on my Big Green Egg Monday. I cooked them at 250 for about 2 hours then raised the temp to 275 and cooked for another 2 hours. I sauced them for 5 minutes after they reached an internal temp of 200. They were very tender but not fall off the bone. The tug might have been a little short for competition, but they pulled clean off the bone.

[barelfly]

Hot and fast cooks, 250-275 will cut that time down and give you great results. And, if you aren’t getting the tenderness you want and need to get them done, you can always crutch wrap with foil for that extra help. Others that cook ribs more often will provide additional input, but that’s how I go about it.

[Mosca]

I do 250°-265°. Those thick baby backs, you can actually check those with a thermometer, between the ribs but not touching them. Look for 205°ish.

[jhoskins]

I didn’t but I’ll throw my FireBoard on there next time

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

Mosca on my MAK those meaty baby backs can take 8 hours at 225-250 I have a theory that the convection and their shape slows the cook a bit, I keep meaning to do one rack meat side down to test my theory but I always forget. Also have to remember on a pellet grill that set temp is NOT grate temp by any means, people need to test their cookers to know what does what at what temp

[LegoMySearwood]

I agree that you need to check for accuracy. I discovered I was around 205 degrees drying out the ribs with a longer cook. I adjusted the temp and it was much faster the next round.

[SheilaAnn]

They look good, though!

[TripleB]

+1

[jhoskins]

Thanks!! My wife gave them a 7-8 out of 10… but I’m trying to close the gap!

[Andrrr]

I agree with the responses above on increasing the cook temp, especially if you have those "extra meaty" 3+lb backs. I look for 2.5-2.75lb BBR which I don't have trouble finding because nobody else seems to want them! I shoot for 250-265 but I don't lose sleep over it either. Trim that loin meat down too and make them a little more uniform end to end. Yeah you lose a little yield but it cooks better for a better end result.
There's nothing inherently wrong with 225 but when you open the pit every hour for three hours and spritz (cool down) the surface it just prolongs things even more. My experience only, of course.
Be sure to report back.

[smokenoob]

if you want fall off da bone, put apple juice in the wrap!

[TripleB]

"They were tender-ish but more bite through than I wanted". I don't know what you mean by this?? Do you want tender, bite through ribs or fall of the bone ribs?

[jhoskins]

I want ribs that I can bite and feel them start to wiggle off the bone when I bite down. The bones should come out clean but not come right out.

These bones didn’t come out clean on practically any of them

[LA Pork Butt]

jhoskins I had experimented with cooking in rib pairs at 300. There was tug that I wouldn’t call tough, but they didn’t come clean off the bone (they were St. Louis). Now I am wondering if they were overcooked and dry before you wrapped. Mosca suggestion to check the accuracy of your cooker your cooker temperature makes sense.

[Hulagn1971]

Cook at 265-275. Look for racks less than 3lbs each. Should take 5hrs or less. Good call on using your Fireboard to keep an eye on cooking chamber temp. I don't wrap ribs but just my preference.

[captainlee]

If your looking for more smoke on your pellet pooper get a smoke tube for additional smoke. Definitely up your temperature as stated, 250-275

[Johnny Booth]

I think I just noticed recently (on my stick burner) that a dry cook chamber does not conduct as much heat at lower temps (225f). We had low humidity Tuesday and a 3lb pastrami ‘stalled’ at 150f for over an hour.
Never had trouble reaching target meat temps when I remember the water pan.

I had to wrap it with a little water and 15 minutes later, viola!

Would a water pan make a difference in a pellet smoker?

[Santamarina]

I’m with the crowd on this one…run that pit hotter! I do 250-275°F, and don’t open the door at all for the first couple hours. Then I’ll check and spritz every hour or so. I don’t sauce and don’t wrap until they come off the pit and are on their way to a hold, so I run a water pan to keep moisture in the pit up.

[Ace]

+1 on cooking at a higher temp. I try to cook ribs at the 275* (grate level) and look for a 205* +/- internal temp. Pull ribs when prob tender.

[jhoskins]

Alright, seems like the consensus here is I’m too in love with 225… next round I’ll move up to 250-275, monitor w my FireBoard, and maybe put in a water pan.

if you’re looking, you ain’t cooking… will give that a try too. Thanks for the input folks!