Ribs, stand them, or lay them?

[jdiver]

Any Pros or Cons to either using a rib rack to stand them on edge and fitting more in? Or laying flat on the rack?

Any opinions? Anyone ever try both ways to compare???

 

[DivotMaker]

Flat, bone side down.  End of story.

 

[NDKoze]

Unless you are smoking enough ribs that you are going to run out of room, I would definitely skip the rib racks and go bone side down.

I think you will have more even heat distribution without the racks.

 

[jdiver]

You don't want to pause and think about it??? LOL

Thanks. Well I'm going to do two racks of ribs. If I lay them flat across corner to corner they fit uncut. So I'll do that. And I'll cross them so one isn't right under the other.

I'm using pecan wood, I think Got the box of wood with both peach and pecan in the same devided  box, but they ain't marked I think the one with bark is Pecan.

 

[swthorpe]

My kids got me a rib rack for father's day and I love it.  The ribs go in the rack sideways; it holds 2.5 racks.  To do more, I could lay another rack above the rib rack on a separate grate.    I think the heat disperses well around the ribs and I get even bark on both sides of the ribs.

 

[Pork Belly]

Do you notice better bark using the rack? I have been pretty happy with my ribs but the meat side can be pretty wet with pooled juice and condensation. I would think having them upright would improve bark.

 

[swthorpe]

I can't say that the bark is better, but what I do notice is less black char on the bone side.    I have two racks in the smoker now, so I'll check again later today.

 

[es1025]

I agree with tony. Bone side down end of story.

 

[jdiver]

I'd guess that any kind of Char is more a factor of Rub or Binder. Too much sugar, or at least enough sugar that it burns easily. I've had the dark bits, but I want that. Nothing I'd call burnt. And the ribs I just did with a very light rub, very little of what can be called Char.

 

[DivotMaker]

Those look pretty tasty to me, JD!