Digital Ribs

AleBrewer · August 2012

I was planning on doing a brisket today, and I wanted to check out my new DigiQ2. But, the wife informed me that we have other dinner plans tonight, so it looks like brisket will have to wait till tomorrow.

Anyhow, I still wanted to check out the new Guru, and I wanted some ribs for lunch....so I was out getting some painting supplies(painting kitchen and living rooms, not art)...and I stopped and got a couple of racks. I know the Guru is bit of overkill for a rib cook, but I just had to try it out and make sure it's working ok.

Came home, fired up the Egg, scatter some peach wood chunks in with lump, put the Guru on and set it for 275°. Came inside, opened up ribs, rinse, remove membrane, slather with yeller mustard, and apply Dizzy Dust.

Egg was ready at 275° grate temp by then.....on they go, close lid, and see you in a few hours!

stike · August 2012

i would say it isn't overkill. it's a lo and slo cook for 5 or 6 hours. sounds like just the right application. looks good

your pics look like a magazine ad for the thing. i need a new camera!

(if it's overkill you are looking for, there are some who use the things on a one hour cook at 375. THAT's overkill)
:-<

AleBrewer · August 2012

Thanks Stike...it's a relatively new camera to me....still getting used to it.

Yeah, I guess it's a pretty good use of the Guru, even though I never have temp control issues during cooks like this. But, I can get busy painting and not have to run out and check the temp.(though I probably will anyway...just to be sure all is well on this first cook)

nolaegghead · August 2012

I have one of those, and here are a few things I've learned.

Don't forget about the damper on the pit viper. It should be about 1/3 to 1/2 open. General rule of thumb, if you're running hot, close it more. I run with the daisy wheel cracked just slightly. The fan can power through all the cracks and leaks on the top if you're running lower temps.

Grate temp can be higher than dome, so your cooking times may vary if you have it set to some recipe's dome temp (you might be cooking a little hotter than if you adjusted on dome temp). You can adjust it down, but you should be cooking meats to internal temp anyway, so it's not that important in the long run.

I find you can extinguish the lump by closing the pit viper damper and putting the ceramic cap on the egg. No need to pull the fan off and put the silicone plug in.

An Achilles heel to that system - if it gets wet, the thermocouples can give you a low bias and you can burn hotter than you want. Learned this the hard way - caught it in time, just an FYI.

AleBrewer · August 2012

Thanks for the tips nola.....I pretty much do all my low and slows by grate temp. I usually have a thermocouple meter right next to the Egg with a type K on the grate. I just didn't feel like getting out for this cook. I checked the Gurus TC's in an ice bath and boiling water last week, and they were very close to the thermapen readings.....close enough for BBQ anyway!

I have the fan damper 1/2 way right now, and the daisy wheel just cracked open. It's holding very steady.

LizzieSamps · August 2012

Wow, that Sounds really simple! I might have to think about that in the winter! I will have had the egg a while and could justify it just to keep from sitting outside in the snow and ice!

stike · August 2012

alebrewer: painting as in "painting the house" or painting as in "painting a painting"?

(illustrator and hack painter here, asking the question)

AleBrewer · August 2012

Just painting the Kitchen & Living Room. And the smell of the ribs cooking with that peach wood wafting up and in through the back door is driving me nuts!

hopkinsusmc87 · August 2012

That is my next toy, just have to save for it. Looks great

Dave in Florida · August 2012

It's a new toy. It don't matter how you play with a new toy as long as you play with it.

)

Griffin · August 2012

Nothing wrong with using your new toy to cook some ribs. I've done it before. Its especially nice when its hot outside and/or you are busy with something else and don't want to check on them.

smokinsooner · August 2012

The Guru pays for itself the first time you have a 17-20 hour cook overnight. Set it...forget it...sleep with no worries!

AleBrewer · August 2012

The Guru worked very well! No problems at all. Every time I peeked over the railing to look at the temp, it was locked in at 275°

I figured I would do pig as shots well....so I did these with kielbasa, bacon, cream & cheddar cheese, and some fresh crab meat. Sprinkled with Dizzy Dust. They came out pretty good. There was a few more, but those didn't make it for the pic.

Ribs turned out well I think. I took them past where I normally would. I like 'em with some pull, but these were a tad on the overcooked side. Certainly not dry, and not yet falling off the bone, but close. A slight glaze of Bone Suckin' Sauce. I took a bunch of them over to the family that owns the orchard where I got the peach tree from. They even gave me another 1/2 peck of peaches!

dlk7 · August 2012

I always use my digiq for anything over 4 hours. It has never let me down.

Digital Ribs

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