Hello Pitmasters,
I need some help on my attempts to make "amazing" smoked ribs at high altitude (6700 to be exact). Once upon a time at sea level, I was able to use the low and slow method to make ribs where the meat tears clean off the bones and they were tasty. After moving to the mountain, amazing ribs have eluded me.
I even invested in a relatively expensive grill - 4 burner Weber Summit Grill - to try to up my game and still failing.
This is what I did:
- 1 right-most burner ON for indirect heat
- aluminum container of water on top of the ON burner
- 1.5 rack of ribs on the burner position 3 and 4 next to the smoker box on the left
- close lid (of course)
- good mount of smoke for the first 30 minutes
- easily held grill temperature stable at 210-215 the from 12-5PM (225 adjusted for 6700 feet is 210ish)
- checked at 3PM and the top meat just looks its been out in the sun too long, meaning dry and jerky looking
- I brushed the top meat with some water and apple vinegar mix to give it more moisture
- did that for about 3-4X every 30 minutes
- at 5PM checked the meat with digital therm and it only read around 100ish
- panic, since hungry kids will need to eat by 6PM, I just cranked the grill up to 300 and just grill the damn thing until digital therm reads about 180-190.
- It was edible, the bark on the thin and medium ribs where a bit hard (like jerky).
- The thicker ribs on the slab were pretty juicy because of fat, but the meat did not tear clean off the bones.
- So... sad.
Everywhere I read about high altitude smoking said similar things -- minus 2 degrees for every 1,000 feet, and increase time by about 20-25%. Baby backribs called for 3-4 hours at 225, I figure 4-5 hours at 210 should be good -- not.
Even if I didn't have a 6PM constraint, I feel like it will just turn in jerky if I cook it longer at 215.
Anyone successfully made amazing ribs at high altitude? Please help!
Thanks.
I need some help on my attempts to make "amazing" smoked ribs at high altitude (6700 to be exact). Once upon a time at sea level, I was able to use the low and slow method to make ribs where the meat tears clean off the bones and they were tasty. After moving to the mountain, amazing ribs have eluded me.
I even invested in a relatively expensive grill - 4 burner Weber Summit Grill - to try to up my game and still failing.
This is what I did:
- 1 right-most burner ON for indirect heat
- aluminum container of water on top of the ON burner
- 1.5 rack of ribs on the burner position 3 and 4 next to the smoker box on the left
- close lid (of course)
- good mount of smoke for the first 30 minutes
- easily held grill temperature stable at 210-215 the from 12-5PM (225 adjusted for 6700 feet is 210ish)
- checked at 3PM and the top meat just looks its been out in the sun too long, meaning dry and jerky looking
- I brushed the top meat with some water and apple vinegar mix to give it more moisture
- did that for about 3-4X every 30 minutes
- at 5PM checked the meat with digital therm and it only read around 100ish
- panic, since hungry kids will need to eat by 6PM, I just cranked the grill up to 300 and just grill the damn thing until digital therm reads about 180-190.
- It was edible, the bark on the thin and medium ribs where a bit hard (like jerky).
- The thicker ribs on the slab were pretty juicy because of fat, but the meat did not tear clean off the bones.
- So... sad.
Everywhere I read about high altitude smoking said similar things -- minus 2 degrees for every 1,000 feet, and increase time by about 20-25%. Baby backribs called for 3-4 hours at 225, I figure 4-5 hours at 210 should be good -- not.
Even if I didn't have a 6PM constraint, I feel like it will just turn in jerky if I cook it longer at 215.
Anyone successfully made amazing ribs at high altitude? Please help!
Thanks.
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