Prepping for Ribs Tomorrow - Eggsistance Requested

Hey_Bulldog

Evenin' folks - I'm throwing 4 slabs of ribs on tomorrow (2 spares, 2 Baby backs).  Im sticking to my typical rib procedure, but this will be my first low and slow on the Large BGE and I just wanted to validate it with the professionals...

I threw a light smear of yellow mustard on them along with a good rub for a night in the chill chest...

I have my plate setter wrapped in foil, and I picked up a foil turkey roasting pan that I intend on using as a drip pan and water pan with about 50/50 Apple juice and water (I hear this is not really needed with the egg but its my SOP so I figure stick with it through the first cook).  

BTW - I was bending the pan up a bit to not block the vents in the back between the plate setter and the wall of the Egg - is that suggested or should I leave a little blockage there to cut the direct heat that might lick the rib ends?

I plan on 3-2-1 for the spares, 2-2-1 for the Baby Backs @ 225 degrees as my target.  My smoke will be Hickory / Apple (again - SOP).  My foil baste will contain honey, Apple Juice, and a little more rub.

last hour will be 30 mins drying up the ribs, and 30 minutes with sauce applied (to half the ribs for the guests who prefer it).

Any suggestions / corrections on the plan of attack?

Thanks for the help!

Wolfpack

Make sure you put an air gap between plate setter and the foil pan Other than that sounds like you are on top of it

Hey_Bulldog

Wolfpack said:

Make sure you put an air gap between plate setter and the foil pan Other than that sounds like you are on top of it

Thanks Wolfpack - I read a lot of folks mentioning that... is that needed with the liquid I was going to have in the pan?  I was under the impression the risk is drippings burning up if the pan was dry.

SGH

If you set your pan directly on the indirect piece, your liquid will boil away rapidly. This is not a concern if you are going to replenish it often. However the more sound choice is to use a air gap so you are not trying to steadily add liquid to a hot egg.

DMW

For a 5-6 hour rib cook, you probably won't run out of liquid in your pan. However, if you do, be ready for a quick temp jump. If the liquid all evaporates the thermal dynamics change and you may notice a sudden temp jump.

Another thing, 225* dome temp will be a long cook, I would go 250* dome. If you have a grid temp probe, go by that for ribs, and go with your go to 225*.

orbbq

I just did ribs tonight, was planning on the 3-2-1, but after reading the forum, i just kept trucking forward with the full time low and slow.  Used a drip pan sitting directly on the plate setter with apple juice, did not run it dry.  Threw in 3 decent sized chunks of applewood at the start.  Only opened dome twice to check them at 2hrs, 4hrs, and then twice to baste with sauce during the last hour.

I did notice the ends sticking out over the plate setter gaps did get a little more done than the rest of the racks, i'm going to have to get a vertical rack and cut them in half, or foil the edges next time.  I kept grid at 225 and it took 6 hours for 3 pretty meaty st. louis cut racks.  I did notice that the dome was tracking about 15-20 degrees different from grid, but sometimes hotter and sometimes cooler, the longer it sat the closer grid and dome got.  I kept getting super ansy playing with vents to keep it at 225, (was adjusting anything outside of 220-230) but then when i got in my head that anything 215-250 was ok, i stopped fiddling and it settled down much easier than constantly futzing with it.

Started basting with a sweet baby ray's and honey mixture twice over the last 60 minutes.

I also hit with mustard and rub the night before and chilled.

Tried 3 different rubs:  Dizzy Pig BBQ, Bone Sucking Sauce rub, and costco Kirland Sweet Mesquite.   Overall the dizzy pig was our favorite, followed closely by the bone sucking sauce rub.  The kirkland sweet mesquite had a little kick which was nice but was a bit overpowering, probably better on a roast or something with more meat to less rub ratio.

overall an awesome cook.