First Time Smoking Ribs on BGE - Ribs to Tough

CraftBeernBBQ

I am a new owner of the Large BGE and I decided to do ribs for my first smoke.

I got three racks and cut them in half and applied the rub.

I heat the BGE up to 230 degrees and smoked for 3hrs than wrapped in foil with some apple juice and smoked for 2hrs than for the final hour I removed the foil and applied the bbq sauce.

While they were good they ended up far to tough for me. I like them to be tender and falling off the bone.

I'm assuming I cooked them to long.

I'm open for what I did wrong and of course for some pointers on making the most tender, fall off the bone ribs.

Thanks in advance

WeberWho

What kinds of ribs?

3-2-1 Spares

2-2-1 Baby Backs

For fall off the bone go the whole last hour and maybe than some

250 degrees will help 

tarheelmatt

I don't think you cooked them long enough, personally.  

Per @WeberWho, bump your temp up.  

fishlessman

if you want to use the foil stage you cook them til they are falling off the bone if thats what you want =)timing doesnt really work, they will eventually fall apart in foil. one common mistake is not cooking them meat side down in the braising liquid, make sure its meat side down

tailg8ers

Sounds like you did everything correctly - way we've always done ours and the are always falling off the bone - but agree with others - you may not have had them on the egg long enough. 

gdenby

Tough ribs are almost always under cooked. Overcooked chew sort of like wood. Taste charred and dry.

If those were BBs, you can cook them indirect, dome 250, do the "bend test" at 4 hrs, and expect another hour. Spares, same set up, bend test at 5 hrs. Foiling is not necessary using an Egg unless you are pressed for time, and/or want to infuse the meat w. the braising liquid.

The braising liquid itself can turn into a sauce.

Sauce only in the last 15 min.  The sauce itself can get gooey enough if over cooked and the ribs end up too chewy because of a caramel coat. Better yet, have the sauce warm by itself, and coat ribs a few minutes before serving.

billt01

All cuts of meat are different, although you can develop a template it maybe different from rack to rack...

I will lather mine with margarine in a bottle and blended apple pie filling, then rub em down with dry rub and let them go for 2 hrs unwrapped

after that i will wrap them in a apple juice bath for one hour..

unwrap

Then I will slather my Bourbon Chipolte sauce that will cut down on the sweetness quite a bit and let them go for another hour or until the meat has pulled back from the rib bone about a quarter inch or so...the white rib bone ends are my "go to" for doneness

JRWhitee

Smoking ribs under 250 has never worked for me for some reason. I go 250-275 indirect for around 4 - 4-1/2 hours, do the bend test to when they flop over near breaking they are done. Tried the foil but makes them mushy IMO.

bh973

Did you remove the thin skin on the back side of the ribs?  If not that would also keep them from fall off the bone....

Chubbs

bh973 said:

Did you remove the thin skin on the back side of the ribs?  If not that would also keep them from fall off the bone....

Correct have to remove the membrane. As others have said you need to raise your temp. You could also check to ensure the thermometer came calibrated. You could be cooking even lower than you think. 

CraftBeernBBQ

Chubbs said:

bh973 said:

Did you remove the thin skin on the back side of the ribs?  If not that would also keep them from fall off the bone....

Correct have to remove the membrane. As others have said you need to raise your temp. You could also check to ensure the thermometer came calibrated. You could be cooking even lower than you think. 

Membrane was removed - I'm going with to low of temp and not long enough cook time.

CraftBeernBBQ

I appreciate all your feedback - I will try doing just one rack this week as a tester at the higher temp and 4- 4 1/2 hrs no foil.

Do you recommend using the rib rack or just laying flat on the egg?

Here is the photo of my last batch. Meat was pulled back just to tough

bh973

well from the pic it looks like they pulled way back on the bone.   They look perfect.   

rmr62

JRWhitee said:

Smoking ribs under 250 has never worked for me for some reason. I go 250-275 indirect for around 4 - 4-1/2 hours, do the bend test to when they flop over near breaking they are done. Tried the foil but makes them mushy IMO.

ditto that

rmr62

rmr62 said:

JRWhitee said:

Smoking ribs under 250 has never worked for me for some reason. I go 250-275 indirect for around 4 - 4-1/2 hours, do the bend test to when they flop over near breaking they are done. Tried the foil but makes them mushy IMO.

ditto that

I go naked with rub, indirect at about 275, usually 4-5 hour range, and bend test tells all

CraftBeernBBQ

rmr62 said:

rmr62 said:

JRWhitee said:

Smoking ribs under 250 has never worked for me for some reason. I go 250-275 indirect for around 4 - 4-1/2 hours, do the bend test to when they flop over near breaking they are done. Tried the foil but makes them mushy IMO.

ditto that

I go naked with rub, indirect at about 275, usually 4-5 hour range, and bend test tells all

What is the bend test?

DeltaNu1142

I usually do 3-2-1 or 3-1-1 at 225... today, I've got to rush them. I'm at 300 indirect, and we'll be ready to eat them at around 3 hours. I'll probably foil them about 2 hours in and leave them. No choice, really.

They're backing up some 1-1/4" ribeyes coming out of the bath and onto a skillet, so I'm going to have to accept them being a little on the tough side.

dmchicago

CraftBeernBBQ said:

rmr62 said:

rmr62 said:

JRWhitee said:

Smoking ribs under 250 has never worked for me for some reason. I go 250-275 indirect for around 4 - 4-1/2 hours, do the bend test to when they flop over near breaking they are done. Tried the foil but makes them mushy IMO.

ditto that

I go naked with rub, indirect at about 275, usually 4-5 hour range, and bend test tells all

What is the bend test?

Hard to do with half racks but pick the rack up at one of the ends with tongs. The ribs, if done, will bend almost 90 degrees and possibly "break" in half. 

gdenby

Or, if doing half racks, just grab a bone end and pull up. If the meat seperates, and the bone is looking dry, your in the zone.

Flat cooks easier. In a rack, the slabs need to be turned over for a more even cook.

Basic rule is don't cook to time. The bend or toothpick test is recommended 'cause its hard to take rib temps. Different reading just a few inches apart are common.  If possible, just let them go till they are ready. W. practice, you'll learn to tweak the temp to speed or slow to meet dinner time.

JRWhitee

I never cut the ribs in half either.

bhedges1987

I was going to say not long enough.... But judging by your picture there is a decent amount of pull back on the bones.  Try turning up the heat. as others have said.  Normally if I do 3-2-1 like you they are so mushy and falling off the bone just lifting them out of the egg.  230 dome, you very well may be cooking at like 190 grate.  

CraftBeernBBQ

bhedges1987 said:

I was going to say not long enough.... But judging by your picture there is a decent amount of pull back on the bones.  Try turning up the heat. as others have said.  Normally if I do 3-2-1 like you they are so mushy and falling off the bone just lifting them out of the egg.  230 dome, you very well may be cooking at like 190 grate.  

Do you recommend getting a temp gauge for the grate and use that for the cooking temp instead of the dome temp

lousubcap

Toothpick test for the win.  Best way I have found to determine the rib finish-line.  Insert into the thick rib meat-no resistance and you are there.  Solves the half rib rack issue as well.  FWIW-

Darby_Crenshaw

Dome temp is just that, dome temp, in most recipes. 

but you can cook by grate temp too. 

Just pick one strategy and stick with it. 

Dome at 250. Or you can try to figure out what 250 dome is at grate temps and convert everything. Or just go 250 grate. 

It's not a big difference. But big enough you should be consistent with which one you follow for all your cooks

if you see a recipe that says "325" though, it's dome temp