Turbo ribfail

gbvinla

I attempted my first turbo rib cook of the year yesterday. Sam's club Baby Backs,350 indirect with drip pan, lump filled to the fire ring. I began tooth pic testing shortly after 90 minutes. I halved the slabs so as to keep them over the plate setter. I checked about every 10 minutes with tooth pic, and as always, they were finishing at different times. My problem was that nearly half of them were too dry when they tested to be done, some beyond 2 hours. Where did I go wrong? I have had success with this method in the past.

Foghorn

Pics would be helpful.  However, I'll venture a guess as I have had some good and bad turbo cooks.

One challenge with cooking faster in any setting is that there is a shorter window where things are "done" but not "overcooked".

Another challenge is that the heat distribution is sometimes inconsistent - cooking temperatures can be 25 degrees different from the edge of your grate to the center.  

To counteract these challenges, I've found that fashioning a drip pan out of foil so that it is a larger silhouette than the ribs, is very helpful.  And it is also important that there be an air gap between the plate setter and the drip pan.  

On some turbo cooks I have had to rotate the 1/2 racks when the ribs in the periphery were cooking faster than those in the center.  I've also had to sometimes cut of 2-3 rib sections that are done and FTC them while leaving the remainder of the rack on the egg to finish the cook.

I hope that helps.

caliking

What did you use for your indirect setup? just the drip pan, or a ceramic piece/plate setter of some sort?

lkapigian

We’re they tough or tender? Hard to dry out ribs in a couple hours and I assume no foil...I go 300 @ the grate  3 hours on average .... calibrated thermometer?

Thinking not done especially if they were dry and tough 

PigBeanUs

Dry and tough, sticking fast to the bone are underdone. 

You can do the bend test even on half slabs. 

If they are dry and hard, pulling easily off the bone, then they are truly overcooked. 

Mark_B_Good

I don't mess around with pork ... keep it low and slow for me. 250F is the cook temperature, and that means it's gonna take 4.5h to 5h.  Did you foil wrap at all? I find after the first 3h indirect, needs to go into foil to prevent them from drying out.

YukonRon

Mark_B_Good said:

I don't mess around with pork ... keep it low and slow for me. 250F is the cook temperature, and that means it's gonna take 4.5h to 5h.  Did you foil wrap at all? I find after the first 3h indirect, needs to go into foil to prevent them from drying out.

This ^^^^, specifically with ribs. Turbo with ribs has always been such a disappointing crap shoot for me, relative to the success I have had with low and slow. 

My best results for turbo has been frequent flips/rotations, which with a ceramic oven cooker, most often defeats the purpose, as well as the preferred smoke profile, at least for me. I have found myself checking with a toothpick much more frequently than I ever would care to do, but it is required because I am OCD about ribs, one of my most favorite meals to cook, and serve.

I think I keep about 5-10 racks in my freezer, I cook for a lot of people, birthdays, medical recoveries, charity, and my house, which never seems to get burnt out on them.

Low and slow; I will typically wrap after 3 hours, let go for about an hour or two depending on the pick test, then if adding sauce do so the last 30-45 minutes.

It works out pretty well.

CPARKTX2

When I do turbo ribs (pork), I usually do a variation of the 3/2/1 method...3 hours uncovered at 275-325, 2 hours wrapped in foil with a TINY amount of liquid like apple juice, then 30-45 minutes unwrapped as I sauce.  

Faster than true low and slow smoking them, and I find that the wrap guarantees a slightly moist and very tender finished product.  Not falling apart, but bone slips out easily.  

Mark_B_Good

By the way, after you cook open for 3h, then wrap for 1.5h (normally what I aim for) ... let them rest and cool BEFORE you take them out of the foil again. This gives the meat a chance to tighten up and stay together, so you don't end up mutilating your ribs into pulled pork. They still might break apart a bit, so careful handling is needed when going back uncovered, with sauce, to get that nice glaze to bake on.

Mickey

done many and at 100 min's pull. never a problem.