To spritz or not to spritz ribs

Weekend Warrior

How many of you do this and what mixtures do you prefer if you do? Thanks, Mark

hayhonker

Weekend Warrior,
I've done it and I've not done it.
50/50 apple juice and cider vinegar.[p]If you do a foil stage during your cook, add some to the package and let it steam your ribs tender.
I think it helps a little bit, but you can still get great ribs by keeping it simple and not doing it.

Unknown

Weekend Warrior,
I'm a spritzer. I do it every 30 minutes or so during the first three hours. Some say that you shouldn't ever lift the lid on the egg, but I don't think this little bit hurts. I use cider and apple juice, but I've been thinking of experimenting with the wishbone salad spritzers.
http://www.wish-bone.com/dressing.asp?kind=ss&dressing=ss_balsa

Metalhead

hayhonker,
I use apple cider vinegar/water[p]50/50 mix[p]but I agree that putting ribs in foil w/liquid kind of voids spritzing[p]Jan

Weekend Warrior

Metalhead & hayhonker, Thanks for the replies. I searched the archives on the subject before I posted and there didn't seem to be a clear consensus one way or the other. It seems to be just a case of personal preference. Great ribs can be made with or without spritzing depending on the cooking method used.

stike

Weekend Warrior,
i always thought spritzing grew out of the desire to keep ribs moist when cooking in a metal offset or pit, where much heat is radiated outward and which has a tendency to dry out the meat. dunno if that's true or not.[p]the egg keeps things so moist (sometimes even TOO moist, like chicken skin) that i don't think you need to do it at all for the sake of keeping the meat moist. but if it is a flavor preference, it probably doesn't really hurt to spritz.

gdenby

Weekend Warrior,[p]As stike said, spritzing/mopping is somethings that's often necessary in metal cookers. It's less needful in the Egg. If cooking indirect, I don't seem to get to much drying out. If going direct, I usually do spritz. In any case, its only during the last half of the cook. Because I like the extra flavor that can be added, I usually use any occassion when I need to turn the ribs as an opportunity to give 'em a spray.[p]Here's something I've tried recently that works well. If going for dry ribs, about 15-20 minutes before the finish, I sprtiz them, and dust with a little turbinado sugar. The sugar partially melts, and gives a little bit of added crispiness.[p]gdenby