TwilightChrome
New member
I received my new SI#3 about a week ago. I seasoned it upon arrival. Since then I've tried to do St. Louis ribs twice. I have had a really hard time getting them to cook through to around 195 degrees internal or "falling off the bone" softness. I will describe what I have done hoping that someone can point me in a better direction. I really want this thing to work, and preferably in a mostly "set it and forget it" unattended mode.
In both cases I have prepared the smoker by lining the bottom in tin foil, poking a hole for drainage, lining the top of the smoke box with tin foil, using foil boats for the pieces of wood that I put in, and using a small loaf pan about three-quarters full of water pushed against the smoke box. I use about 3 ounces of hickory wood. I set the Smokin-It to around 235 degrees.
For the ribs, I am getting cryovac packages from a butcher. They are fairly meaty St. Louis ribs. I trim the flap, remove the silver skin, and apply yellow mustard then a rub. I refrigerate overnight in foil. The day I cook, I let them come up towards room temperature while I prep the smoker. I cook on the top two racks. I start with a cold smoker and cold meat and go straight to 235.
The first time I was trying 5 hours no peek. At 5 hours they looked nice but were just under 160 internal and not too tender. I put them back in another hour and checked. Barely any warmer or more tender. I went one more hour and after still not even getting well into the 170's, decided I should pull them lest they dry too far out. The finished product was flavorful but a fairly hard to chew and break from the bone. I don't mind them like that but the family likes soft, tender ribs.
Attempt two today I tried 3-2-1. Three hours on 235, pull and foil wrap tightly, two more hours under foil with some apple cider added under the bone side also at 235, pull and cover in barbecue sauce and then finish for one hour unwrapped. After the first 3 hours we were at 155-ish. After the two hours of foil we were barely ten degrees higher! I resorted to dropping them foil and all into a 300 degree oven indoors for 50 minutes. That got them up to 190. I then basted them in BBQ sauce and put them back in the SI for an hour. I got the results I wanted but the workarounds are too much. I could not for example travel with the SI by itself somewhere and confidently cook ribs in 5.5-6 hours. I would be worried I needed the oven too.
Other info
I live in Massachusetts, and it has been 40-60 degrees. Sunny and calm first try, rainy and mostly calm on second (rolled the SI under a deck to protect it)
I heard since rib meat is thin and hitting bones can cause bad temp readings that you should not go off temp alone. I also used a fork test and holding the ribs with tongs by the middle rib and noting the sag. They did not get tender in the SI by any of these measures. Only after the oven bump.
Questions
I read in some places that ribs can stall. Is that what is happening here? If so why couldn't the SI break through the stall once I wrapped on the second day?
Should I have just let them keep cooking that first day? What would happen at say 9 or 10 hours with ribs? I would assume dry and tough and not more tender?
On the second day it seemed that the back half of the SI was cooking faster than the front half. Is it possible that I have a bum unit? I do not have an ambient temp measurement device but hope to soon (igrill). Is there any way I can test to see if the unit is holding temp correctly throughout? The analog temp dial/ results are not instilling me with confidence.
Does anyone find having a top temp of 250 limiting? It seems like with a 300 top temp in the SI that I could press through (but I would still have to foil)
Is anyone getting to 195 internal/very tender St. Louis ribs without the Texas crutch and just a 5-6 hour no peek? If so how are your variables different than mine?
I am reluctant to try a brisket or other more complex and longer-cooking meat until I get ribs right. Should I be?
Thank you in advance for any and all help.
In both cases I have prepared the smoker by lining the bottom in tin foil, poking a hole for drainage, lining the top of the smoke box with tin foil, using foil boats for the pieces of wood that I put in, and using a small loaf pan about three-quarters full of water pushed against the smoke box. I use about 3 ounces of hickory wood. I set the Smokin-It to around 235 degrees.
For the ribs, I am getting cryovac packages from a butcher. They are fairly meaty St. Louis ribs. I trim the flap, remove the silver skin, and apply yellow mustard then a rub. I refrigerate overnight in foil. The day I cook, I let them come up towards room temperature while I prep the smoker. I cook on the top two racks. I start with a cold smoker and cold meat and go straight to 235.
The first time I was trying 5 hours no peek. At 5 hours they looked nice but were just under 160 internal and not too tender. I put them back in another hour and checked. Barely any warmer or more tender. I went one more hour and after still not even getting well into the 170's, decided I should pull them lest they dry too far out. The finished product was flavorful but a fairly hard to chew and break from the bone. I don't mind them like that but the family likes soft, tender ribs.
Attempt two today I tried 3-2-1. Three hours on 235, pull and foil wrap tightly, two more hours under foil with some apple cider added under the bone side also at 235, pull and cover in barbecue sauce and then finish for one hour unwrapped. After the first 3 hours we were at 155-ish. After the two hours of foil we were barely ten degrees higher! I resorted to dropping them foil and all into a 300 degree oven indoors for 50 minutes. That got them up to 190. I then basted them in BBQ sauce and put them back in the SI for an hour. I got the results I wanted but the workarounds are too much. I could not for example travel with the SI by itself somewhere and confidently cook ribs in 5.5-6 hours. I would be worried I needed the oven too.
Other info
I live in Massachusetts, and it has been 40-60 degrees. Sunny and calm first try, rainy and mostly calm on second (rolled the SI under a deck to protect it)
I heard since rib meat is thin and hitting bones can cause bad temp readings that you should not go off temp alone. I also used a fork test and holding the ribs with tongs by the middle rib and noting the sag. They did not get tender in the SI by any of these measures. Only after the oven bump.
Questions
I read in some places that ribs can stall. Is that what is happening here? If so why couldn't the SI break through the stall once I wrapped on the second day?
Should I have just let them keep cooking that first day? What would happen at say 9 or 10 hours with ribs? I would assume dry and tough and not more tender?
On the second day it seemed that the back half of the SI was cooking faster than the front half. Is it possible that I have a bum unit? I do not have an ambient temp measurement device but hope to soon (igrill). Is there any way I can test to see if the unit is holding temp correctly throughout? The analog temp dial/ results are not instilling me with confidence.
Does anyone find having a top temp of 250 limiting? It seems like with a 300 top temp in the SI that I could press through (but I would still have to foil)
Is anyone getting to 195 internal/very tender St. Louis ribs without the Texas crutch and just a 5-6 hour no peek? If so how are your variables different than mine?
I am reluctant to try a brisket or other more complex and longer-cooking meat until I get ribs right. Should I be?
Thank you in advance for any and all help.
