Rib Taste Question

LEGGACY

I wonder if y'all have a tried and true method as to when to put ribs on?  I have so many variations from cook to cook with either the lump charcoal and/or chunk of wood have heated up too long or short affecting the degree of smokey taste the ribs absorb.  I tried but never felt comfortable with the idea of waiting for the blue smoke to stop prior to putting meat on.  Thanks for any suggestions!.

PigBeanUs

I mix wood chips (or chunks or whatever) into the lump, in the middle and up through the center. 

I light the lump, and when the smoke smells good (when the charcoal is burning clean), i add the meat. 

With new lump, you have to wait until the VOC smell is gone. With old lump, the VOCs long gone, I can put the meat on fairly quickly as it is coming up to temp. 

I often jam a new chunk right on top of the coals when adding the platesetter and meat. 

I don’t buy into the “white smoke is bad” thing. White smoke is steam. 

If the smoke smells good, the smoke will taste good. 

Smoke doesn’t get absorbed by the meat. It basically lands on it. And it will add flavor at any time during the cook, not just before the (exterior of the) meat hits a certain temperature. 

LEGGACY

Thanks for the help!

PigBeanUs

Someone has to try to answer a question around here once in a while. The rest of the guys are arguing about the quality of the car Tiger was driving. 

mEGG_My_Day

I am with @PigBeanUs - I don’t look for the smoke color as much as I do the smell. I do not like heavy smoke on ribs - that is a personal thing.  I like the taste of the pork, with just a hint of smoke.  So I use a mild lump - usually Rockwood. Once I have the pit temp I want (275 dome in my case) I will just place a couple of fist sized chunks of a mild hardwood in the lump before putting the ribs in - it is usually apple - maybe pecan.

There is no one correct answer, so go experiment and have fun.

mEGG_My_Day

Oh - and welcome to the forum !! 

jdMyers

Welcome to the club.  Added to that.  Does everyone SOAK their wood chucks, chips or just toss em in right out the bag so speak.  Not foregoing proper placement, lean angle, or bark side up or down

PigBeanUs

No need to soak in a BGE 

they can’t catch fire

fishlessman

after hovering over an egg cooking ribs the cook gets desensitized to the smoke, try staying away from the grill as much as possible. try leftover ribs the next day and you will taste the smoke.

dmchicago

fishlessman said:

after hovering over an egg cooking ribs the cook gets desensitized to the smoke, try staying away from the grill as much as possible. try leftover ribs the next day and you will taste the smoke.

Excuse me?

lousubcap

Nothing to add about the rib cook but welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Above all, have fun.  
In most cases whenever you ask a question you will get a few different answers/approaches.  They will all work so, as mentioned above experiment (changing one variable at a time) til you land on something you like.  FWIW-

fishlessman

dmchicago said:

fishlessman said:

after hovering over an egg cooking ribs the cook gets desensitized to the smoke, try staying away from the grill as much as possible. try leftover ribs the next day and you will taste the smoke.

Excuse me?

used to have them when they sold the full spare rib rack but only see st louis cuts now. that upper part was for me and the dog for morning walks. i dont serve that and its better cold