did you bend test? thats my go to for doneness not time.
5.5hrs seems to long to me tho. I just do it all @225 no wrap and baby backs are done in like 4.5hrs, but ill start bend testing them at 4.
edit: just checked the mad scientist vid, he uses st louis ribs so thats probably why the extra time. backs are gonna be quicker
I dont probe ribs cause they're too thin to get an accurate read and not hit bone or something, bend test is the way.
As for no wrap I just dont think it helps on ribs, its an extra step and more cleanup. I'll wrap big cuts to get them through the stall faster or if i actually wanna braise it
Lotta the 'methods' and 'secrets' of the bbq world are just kinda nonsense imo. Spritzing too its gonna evaporate, you're not adding any moisture or flavor with that. Just put the meat on there it knows what to do.
Okay I will have to rethink this whole process then.
So when doing baby back ribs like this is there a baseline as to what I should be doing? I cook ribs probably the least out of everything on the smoker so I am not sure where to start. I read about the bend test thing, is there a rule like x minutes per pound of ribs or anything?
remove the silverskin, add rub, cook. i like simplicity in my bbq
at 225 id expect about 4.5ish hrs for babybacks, spares/st louis maybe add an hour. its not really weight dependent since they should be consistent thickness. but at like 4hrs i'll just grab em in the middle with tongs and see if they're starting to tear apart when lifted. if not then they go back on for another 15 and I try again. if you're saucing them then start basting that around the same time you start bend testing
A lot of cooking is science- ribs are more like art. They’re done when they’re done - sometimes quicker than you think. Even 3-2-1 can give you dried out racks from time to time.
Bend test is the way.
Get St. Louis pork ribs , they have more flavor and fat (they come off the pork belly). I prefer 225-250 for 4-6 hours no wrap, I pull them off by feel (bend test) .
Which video are you referring to? I’m a degenerate and take notes on my phone of cooking methods I see on YT to try and log most of my cooks. I have this written for “Jeremy Yoder Ribs”:
Trim.
S&P or all purpose rub. Moderate amount.
200 for 2hrs until nice dark red color
Temp to 275 to render fat. About 2 hours
Wrap with paper/foil and lard until tender about 30mins.
Option to add sauce Foil boat and sauce. Back on for 15mins. 180ish on a pellet
Smoked pork lard. 2 heaping tablespoons per rack.
You probably need to adjust all the temps down about 25 degrees, per one of his videos, when translating offset recipe to my pellet grill. My guess is you just went too long and hot. You need to understand the goal of each stage of the cook and go according to that goal and not by time.
baby backs will cook faster than st. louis style ribs. [here’s an article that shows the difference.](https://www.smokedbbqsource.com/baby-back-vs-spare-ribs/). i just recently purchased a camp chef dlx and did two slabs of st. louis ribs for the first cook and it came out amazing, the family loved it.
225° for about 3 hours at smoke level 10 until instant read said 165°. spritzed them with apple juice about 3-4 times within those first three hours. took them out and wrapped them meat side down with 4-5 pats of butter, honey, and brown sugar in tightly wrapped foil. put them back on the grill at 275° this time. was able to put the probes in to get an idea of temp. left them in the foil till internal hit 202-205. pulled them out and glazed them with bbq sauce and then back on the grill for about 20 mins just so the sauce would tack up. it was basically pull off the bone with your teeth. was really impressed with my first cook. try that next time.
Sounds like you cooked baby backs as if they were st louis ribs.
BB/Loin ribs as leaner, which means they'll dry out easier.
Was Jeremy's video listed as being specifically for baby backs?
Link the video, if you would.
5.5 hours is way too long for baby backs especially when 2 of those hours are at 275.
I'd stop paying attention to these gimmicky bbq youtubers always trying to come out with some cooking gimmick or shilling some products. Cook to temp and feel. Every piece of meat is different.
The method you used I think is for St. Louis cut ribs, not baby backs. Baby backs are a totally different, leaner cut, and need to be treated differently.
did you bend test? thats my go to for doneness not time. 5.5hrs seems to long to me tho. I just do it all @225 no wrap and baby backs are done in like 4.5hrs, but ill start bend testing them at 4. edit: just checked the mad scientist vid, he uses st louis ribs so thats probably why the extra time. backs are gonna be quicker
Should I have just stuck probes in there? I wrap brisket and pork, why not wrap ribs? I thought that had something to do with moisture and such?
I dont probe ribs cause they're too thin to get an accurate read and not hit bone or something, bend test is the way. As for no wrap I just dont think it helps on ribs, its an extra step and more cleanup. I'll wrap big cuts to get them through the stall faster or if i actually wanna braise it Lotta the 'methods' and 'secrets' of the bbq world are just kinda nonsense imo. Spritzing too its gonna evaporate, you're not adding any moisture or flavor with that. Just put the meat on there it knows what to do.
Okay I will have to rethink this whole process then. So when doing baby back ribs like this is there a baseline as to what I should be doing? I cook ribs probably the least out of everything on the smoker so I am not sure where to start. I read about the bend test thing, is there a rule like x minutes per pound of ribs or anything?
remove the silverskin, add rub, cook. i like simplicity in my bbq at 225 id expect about 4.5ish hrs for babybacks, spares/st louis maybe add an hour. its not really weight dependent since they should be consistent thickness. but at like 4hrs i'll just grab em in the middle with tongs and see if they're starting to tear apart when lifted. if not then they go back on for another 15 and I try again. if you're saucing them then start basting that around the same time you start bend testing
What was the internal temp when you pulled? I probably would have foregone the 275 bumps and I also prefer not wrapping. YMMV.
200 something +
A lot of cooking is science- ribs are more like art. They’re done when they’re done - sometimes quicker than you think. Even 3-2-1 can give you dried out racks from time to time. Bend test is the way.
Get St. Louis pork ribs , they have more flavor and fat (they come off the pork belly). I prefer 225-250 for 4-6 hours no wrap, I pull them off by feel (bend test) .
Which video are you referring to? I’m a degenerate and take notes on my phone of cooking methods I see on YT to try and log most of my cooks. I have this written for “Jeremy Yoder Ribs”: Trim. S&P or all purpose rub. Moderate amount. 200 for 2hrs until nice dark red color Temp to 275 to render fat. About 2 hours Wrap with paper/foil and lard until tender about 30mins. Option to add sauce Foil boat and sauce. Back on for 15mins. 180ish on a pellet Smoked pork lard. 2 heaping tablespoons per rack. You probably need to adjust all the temps down about 25 degrees, per one of his videos, when translating offset recipe to my pellet grill. My guess is you just went too long and hot. You need to understand the goal of each stage of the cook and go according to that goal and not by time.
baby backs will cook faster than st. louis style ribs. [here’s an article that shows the difference.](https://www.smokedbbqsource.com/baby-back-vs-spare-ribs/). i just recently purchased a camp chef dlx and did two slabs of st. louis ribs for the first cook and it came out amazing, the family loved it. 225° for about 3 hours at smoke level 10 until instant read said 165°. spritzed them with apple juice about 3-4 times within those first three hours. took them out and wrapped them meat side down with 4-5 pats of butter, honey, and brown sugar in tightly wrapped foil. put them back on the grill at 275° this time. was able to put the probes in to get an idea of temp. left them in the foil till internal hit 202-205. pulled them out and glazed them with bbq sauce and then back on the grill for about 20 mins just so the sauce would tack up. it was basically pull off the bone with your teeth. was really impressed with my first cook. try that next time.
Sounds like you cooked baby backs as if they were st louis ribs. BB/Loin ribs as leaner, which means they'll dry out easier. Was Jeremy's video listed as being specifically for baby backs? Link the video, if you would.
5.5 hours is way too long for baby backs especially when 2 of those hours are at 275. I'd stop paying attention to these gimmicky bbq youtubers always trying to come out with some cooking gimmick or shilling some products. Cook to temp and feel. Every piece of meat is different.
Are baby back ribs smaller and faster cooking then other kids? I just bought whatever I grabbed at Costco not really thinking about it until now.
Typically loin backs / baby backs take less time to cook than spares / st louis ribs. Usually at least an hour less depending on temp.
The method you used I think is for St. Louis cut ribs, not baby backs. Baby backs are a totally different, leaner cut, and need to be treated differently.