Rib Wrapping

fishindoc

I guess I dont get it...why do so many expert rib bbqer's wrap their ribs and place meat side down for another 2hrs? I've done it twice and dont think I care for the fact that the ribs are now sitting in a soupy mess of grease/juice and of course my tasty rub is all gone and in the mix. Perhaps I should wrap and put back in meat side up?? I noticed even Franklin does it meat side down. Sorry Aaron

saluki2007

Most of them wrap because their smoker does not hold moisture inside as well as the egg does.  Therefore they do it to keep the ribs from drying out.  Some do it once their ribs get to their liking of color and texture.  As far as doing it meat side down, I can not answer because on the rare occasion that I do wrap its meat side up.

Arkysmokin

I just wrap mine for an hour with nothing in the wrap but the ribs. I only due it for color purposes.

smokeyw

Wrapping the ribs enhances moisture, limits the amount of smoke, prevents the ribs from getting too dark, and gives you the ability to add another layer of flavor. The ribs are wrapped and put back on meat side down so that the meat is in the juices, enhancing the flavor and moisture. It does wash some rub off but the rub has pretty much done it's thing by that time. We do hit them with a light dusting when we sauce them.

fishindoc

smokeyw said:

Wrapping the ribs enhances moisture, limits the amount of smoke, prevents the ribs from getting too dark, and gives you the ability to add another layer of flavor. The ribs are wrapped and put back on meat side down so that the meat is in the juices, enhancing the flavor and moisture. It does wash some rub off but the rub has pretty much done it's thing by that time. We do hit them with a light dusting when we sauce them.

Ok, that sounds reasonable..

CtTOPGUN

 On a traditional stick burner I can see wanting to limit the smoke and trying to retain some moisture via wrapping. On our Eggs neither is an issue. I much prefer my ribs left unwrapped. I do not like the texture the "steaming" creates.

    Jim

Miked125

I do more of a tent if I wrap, the top is loosely closed. It really depends on firm the rib is at the 3 hour mark. 

smokeyw

I always wrap my ribs because I do it in competitions and we do pretty well with them. I recently did some on the egg and didn't wrap them. Neither the wife nor myself cared for the texture. Maybe it is just because we have gotten used to wrapped ones. In any case, it will be wrapped for us from here on out.

SmokingPiney

If I'm cooking ribs on my Egg, I don't wrap. The Egg is a plenty moist cook environment. Smoking on my Assassin is a different story - I wrap when I get the color I'm looking for.