ADVICE!!! First time baby backs on SI#1

[TigerTownBBQ]

Posted about my first brisket and appreciate the advice I received. Now its on to Baby Backs for the Ohio State game tomorrow!
Any and all suggestions and advice will be taken and appreciated. All this is so confusing and overwhelming to me... 3-2-1 or no peek? Wrap or don't wrap? Done at 160 or done with a toothpick? 5 hours or 6? Should I put rub on night before or the day of?
I plan on making 2 slabs... So all you experts out there, I'd appreciate your help!

 

[barelfly]

My first ever smoke was also baby backs. I went with 3-2-1 method. I haven’t done anything but the no peek method since because it’s so much easier and the ribs are wonderful. I put mustard on and then rub straight out of the refrigerator and into the smoker. I usually check them at 4-4.5 hours (this depends on smoking temp) and do the bend test. That’s my preference on doneness, others may be different. The last ribs I made were amazing.

Enjoy.

 

[TigerTownBBQ]

Thanks for the quick response... So you put em in unwrapped, no water pan, for 225 and didnt open until around 4hrs? No temp just by feel you knew they were done??

 

[TigerTownBBQ]

Another question... Ive read where people using other brands of electric smokers say they refill with fresh wood every hour or so...is this necessary??

 

[barelfly]

No. No need to refill wood on any smoke with these smokers.

I always use a aluminum loaf pan for my smokes. Liquid varies based on what I’m smoking. For ribs, usually apple juice or orange juice. But yes, 225 temp and unwrapped and at 4.5 probably I’ll open up and test by feel. If they need more I’ll close door and check in 30 minutes. Once they are where I want them, I’ll wrap in foil and let them sit for a bit in a cooler wrapped in a towel while I get my sides ready. Sauce them if you are using sauce when served, especially when feeding friends, as some don’t like sauce and others do.

Either a pork rub isnused or, if I want the meat to really stand out, I only go with salt and pepper.

 

[TigerTownBBQ]

I appreciate you and your responses... Just a few more things. Do you know if Traeger Pellets can be used in the SI? Also without a scale, is there any other way to meausre out the amount of wood? In the first 2 things I smoked, I hardly even noticed any smoke flavor. I used 3 of the cube chunks in each smoke that SI sent with the smoker

 

[barelfly]

I don’t know about the pellets. I wouldn’t try that personally, sawdust with the appropriate device, like some use for short or cold smokes may be a better way to go.

I don’t use the Smikin-it wood. I use the double fillet chunks from smokinlicious like most do on this forum. I learned of them from others on here. The average weight of a chunk from smokinlicious is 2.25-3.25oz I would say. I use a hammer and a chisel to get the sizes I need, even down to long slivers. But I would get even a cheap scale at some point to use, as I’ve used it for more than just smoking food.

 

[Durangosmoker]

I agree that the inexpensive scale is invaluable, and not just for weighing wood. If you have a Bed Bath & Beyond nearby, they have them, or as mentioned earlier, amazon.

 

[SconnieQ]

If you have Traeger pellets leftover, you can certainly try them. I definitely would not purchase them on purpose though. If you have them, try using the chip screen, or put foil in the bottom of the smoke box. Personally, I don't feel that they will work nearly as well as real chunks of wood. I think they will just burn up too quickly and provide a short blast of smoke. You could augment your wood chunks by throwing a few in with your chunks if you need to use them up. They might also be useful for short smokes, like fish or jalapeno poppers or something. Pellets are also great thrown in the garden! And scales are pretty inexpensive. It's hard to judge the weight of wood sometimes because of the varying moisture content. Weighing your wood will help you dial in your preference for amount.

 

[gregbooras]

Posted about my first brisket and appreciate the advice I received. Now its on to Baby Backs for the Ohio State game tomorrow!
Any and all suggestions and advice will be taken and appreciated. All this is so confusing and overwhelming to me... 3-2-1 or no peek? Wrap or don't wrap? Done at 160 or done with a toothpick? 5 hours or 6? Should I put rub on night before or the day of?
I plan on making 2 slabs... So all you experts out there, I'd appreciate your help!

TigerTownBBQ
For baby back ribs remove the membrane on the underside of the ribs, coat with mustard and then season on both sides. Place in your smoker (with water pan) set it to 235 degrees. Check at the 5:00 mark and if they are almost done, coat with your favorite sauce and put back in the smoker for 30 minutes. If you are using larger ribs, it may take close to 6 hours total smoke.

Best Greg