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St. Louis Cut Ribs (Pic Heavy-ish) -- With Temp Q's

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HendersonTRKing
HendersonTRKing Posts: 1,803
in EggHead Forum
After some forum surfing, decided to try St. Louis cut ribs.  Thought was they'd be a bit meatier and more substantial, and I could leave them alone on the egg to do their thing for 5 hours while I ran through my Sunday circuit with the chirruns (the 3 hour dive practice for the older one down at UD took a big chunk out fo the day).

Dizzy Dust on Saturday evening.  On to the home-brewed raised grid on Sunday at about 11:15 am, at a 235 dome temp using Nature Glo (isn't that just expensive Royal Oak??) and some pecan chunks. Left the house at 1145 with the temp holding steady and when I got back home around 3:15, the temp was just under 300 degrees in the dome.  Racks seemed dangerously close to being done, 3 hours from chow time.  Try as I might, couldn't get the temp down -- was down to the smallest openings on the daisy wheel and the bottom vent, but no dice -- temp was holding steady at just under 300.  Didn't want to spritz, hadn't planned on FTC, so I spent the better part of an hour futzing around til I decided to slather one rack with Bone Sucking Sauce and leave the other to stand on its merits, with sauce on the side.  By 4:30, they bent close to 90 degrees when I picked them up with tongs, so I went into FTC mode, where they sat til 630.  During the intermission, I applied heat (hot tub) and cold (beer) in an effort to free my mind from worry that I'd screwed up this cook.

All's well that ends well:  both came out of the foil and were great.  A little over for my taste, as I prefer them not to strip off the bone quite so easily.  But all in all, I was more than satisfied.  And the family loved them.

So, if you're still reading, I've got 2 questions:  (1) any idea why the temp rose from a stable 235 to a stable 295?  And, (2) what do you do to get it back down?  (This is the opposite problem from getting it up and keeping there, which fortunately I've not experienced.)

Thanks for reading and for any advice you might have.
It's a 302 thing . . .
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Comments

  • TexanOfTheNorth
    TexanOfTheNorth Posts: 3,951
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    Were you holding steady at 11:15 with the plate setter and other internals in the egg?

    How much temp drop did you see from 3:15 to 4:30? It can take quite a while for temp to come down.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
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  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
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    Hard to say. All i can suggest is get to know your settings. Take note of where your settings are next time you have it stabilized at desired temps. If it creeps make adjustment and take note of new settings. I have gotten to know my egg and 75% of the time I can lock it in with confidence. It took time but historical data is your best friend in this case.
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

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  • HendersonTRKing
    HendersonTRKing Posts: 1,803
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    Steady as can be at 11:15, plate setter in legs up.  Standard grid on top of that and my home-made raised grid on top of that.  At 1145, I was rock steady at 240.  Left the house thinking there was no reason it wouldn't hold til I got back.  

    So, when I returned to 300, I reduced the vent and daisy wheel as far as I could -- so much that I was worried that I'd snuff out the fire.  No movement at all from 3:15 to 4:00, which is about when I was opening and closing alot to sauce one rack (thinking that'd at least lower the temp).

    I had calibrated the thermometer 2 weeks ago, so I don't think that was it.  Also, fwiw, at about 9 am, I used the gasser on full blast to "clean" the plate setter and grates.  [That's what it's been relegated to since I got the egg, lol.].  By the time I lit the egg at 1030, the grates were ok to handle.  Plate setter was warm, but not terribly difficult to move.  
    It's a 302 thing . . .
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  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
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    Opening the dome will allow more oxygen to fuel the fire. Counter-intuitive at face value, but opening the dome frequently will not help things cool off.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
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  • ehummelman
    ehummelman Posts: 27
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    I feel your pain with keeping temps where you want them, but those ribs look mouthwatering in any case.  Also, I like your idea of hot/cold therapy. LOL.
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  • jrf316
    jrf316 Posts: 55
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    those ribs look awsome.
    Visca Barca
    Mes Que Un Club

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  • TexanOfTheNorth
    TexanOfTheNorth Posts: 3,951
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    Did you check your dome alignment and seal (i.e. dollar bill test)?
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
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  • HendersonTRKing
    HendersonTRKing Posts: 1,803
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    @DMW -- definitely understand what happens when you leave the dome open.  I was serially opening, applying sauce, and closing before the Gods of Airflow could make the fire lick its way around the PS.

    @ TotN -- I'm working with a new gasket -- not Rutland :( -- and think the seal is good, but will try the test.  Haven't felt the need to, but definitely a good idea.

    @ ehummelman and jrf -- I probably should simply work more therapy and quit worrying so much, b/c they turned out great.  There's a few leftover bones that I may snag if I get home before the 16 y/o.

    This is as much curiosity about the puzzle as really worrying . . . low temps haven't given me issues in the past and I have read that it takes a long time to bring the temp of a hot egg down, so maybe this is just an object lesson in that principle. 
    It's a 302 thing . . .
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