fall of the bone ribs w/o boiling first

Unknown

I'm cooking some baby backs tomorrow and my ribs always come out too tough. Am I cooking at too high a heat ? I hate to boil them first, heard it is a BBQ sin, but I can't get tender like I like otherwise.
Lately I have been hearing about rapping them in foil the last hour ?
I usually stand them in a v-rack sitting in a drip pan and I have the whole thing settin' on the BGE indirect cooker stand/thingie. How do you know when it is time to wrap the ribs in the foil ? I just got a remote thermometer so is there a temp I would hit when it is time to wrap ? I love ribs, I make them slightly better than a Mcrib sandwich and I have an egg and everything. I will have to turn in my Georgia Cracker card soon if I don't learn how to 'Que better.
I know there are a lot of eggsperts out there, HELP !!!

Bobby-Q

Brill ,
If you want fall off the bone, which I personally believe is a little much but a lot fo folks love them that way then try one of the 3/1.5/.5 or 3/1/1 or even just plain old 3/1 and no finishing on the grill.[p]The 3 is time indirect in hours at 225° to 250° the next number is time spent in foil either back on the egg or in the oven at 350° and the last number is time back on the egg with sauce being added and browing up the ribs.[p]HTH[p]I just do my 5 to 7 hours indirect, sometimes even direct on a raised grid, depends on how nasty the platesetter is from the previous days cooks...lol.

Hasenpheffer

Brill ,
I just did 5 slabs this afternoon and they turned out great. I cooked them the 3/1/1.5 method which I discovered on the forum. I used a combination of Hickory and Apple wood for smoke. A little dry rub on each slap and the Vrack with drip pan.[p]1.Cook indirect the first 3 hours at 250 degrees. I had about an inch of apple juice in the drip pan.
2.wrap in foil for the fourth hour also cooking indirect at 250. I also added a little apple juice in the foil wrap.
3. cook direct the last hour 1/2 without the Vrack. You may want to add some bbq sauce the last 30-40 minutes. Hope this helps!

Bobby-Q

Hasenfeffer,
Yea, what he said...he said it a lot better and it sounds right on the money as opposed to the generally vague and possibly wrong technique I posted...lol.

Car Wash Mike

Brill ,[p]Good advice from those guys. It is a personal choice on how long to foil. I like 1.5 hours. Another tip when foiling. Use an aluminum pan, so those pesky little short end ribs don't pentrate the foil. Then cover with foil. I also add more apple juice than that and mix with a bbq sauce. Again choice.[p]Mike

Unknown

Bobby-Q and Hassenfeffer,
Thanks guys ! My mom won't even look me in the eye cause I don't bbq good ribs. Maybe this technique will allow me back into the family fold. I'll give it a try, sounds like a solid plan to me. I did say "fall off the bone" but I really just meant anything besides the rib jerky I been serving up lately.
Enjoy the weekend...[p]

Unknown

Hasenfeffer,
One last question, last hour and 1/2 direct...meaning
no foil, no drip pan and right on the grate like a burger ?
Or just remove the ceramic indirect cooker ?

Groundfish

Brill ,
i did st louis spare ribs last week. 3 hours at 220. they were falling off the bone when i put them in foil for another hour. that was it. long and low temp is the answer for falling off the bone ribs. i don't know if the last hour was even necessary.

Hasenpheffer

<p />Brill,
Believe me, If you try one of these slow cook methods you will not regret it. Problem is you may have to cook for your mom every weekend. Here is what mine looked like right before taking off the egg.

Unknown

Hasenfeffer,
Man, those look good. And I recognize that sauce from Barnesville GA. And I see a bottle of chef marinade as well !

Hasenpheffer

Brill,
The Chef Marinade is the most important ingredient. HA!

tach18k

Brill , Mine go on indirect above a plate setter, 4 hours straight (3 racks cut in half on a vertical rib rack)
Pull them off the rack lay them down and sauce them up. Then server. I use no foil and no pan of liguid, a mix of hickory and cherry chuncks. Beautiful dinner

Unknown

tach18k,
thanks for the advice, I will let everyone know how they come out even if I manage to mess them up. I'm feeling the love, though. think they will be awesome...
Picked up some $7.79 12pk long neck PBR's today, logging off and looking for the goody's powders I will surely need tomorrow.
Happy 'Queing !!

Dixieland Delights

Bobby-Q,
4 hours on rib racks over the place setter with a white vinager and garlic filled drip pan made my wife and friends weep with joy. The addition of some homemade mustard/vinager sauce the last hour was not needed but gave it the signature we all love. I used Apple chips soaked in the High Life to sweeten up our Low Life.[p]Goober,
Un-named Possum

Hasenpheffer

Brill,
Sorry, missed your question somehow.[p]Yes, to all of the above. For the last hour I remove the foil, drip pan and plate setter and cook direct like a burger. I do tend to bump the temp up a little during this phase (from 250 to about 300)

Unknown

Brill ,
I know the weekend is over and you've had plenty of advice (which I'm going to try too). But I thought I would throw in the technique taught to me at the Texas Eggfest last month. I'm a new egghead, and I had never cooked on one. I brought some baby backs I had rubbed the night before and said "...show me how to use this thing". (I got a demo egg at the fest). What I was shown was a direct cook, no plate setter, no drip pan, no grid extender. An hour and a half direct at 225, turning every half hour. Another hour and a half wrapped in foil. That was it for dry ribs, and they practically jumped off the done into your mouth. Truly amazing for my first try with egg. Since I have added an additional half hour brushing on sauce.