How do you cook SIX racks of baby backs at once?

Charcoal Mike

Hi all -[p]I normally cook 3 full racks of Baby Backs at a time. I cut these in half, and then I have six half-rack pieces that sit nicely in my V-Rack. I normally cook for about 3 - 3.5 hours indirect at about 325, and then go direct for about 20 minutes or so while I baste with my favorite sauce.[p]Tomorrow, I have 6 FULL racks - 12 half racks. How do I do this? This is going to be a bit different than usual. I was thinking about just starting REALLY early, do 3 racks and put them in foil and a cooler while I cook the other 3 racks. I can then get the originals out of the cooler and do them all direct to finish them off just before dinner.[p]Anyone have a tried and true method for doing this many at once, or am I on the right track ?[p]Thanks![p]- Mike

Basselope

While I was cooking my three racks of BB last night (more on this in a different post) I was thinking about how to do more than three racks.
How about this?
Instead of cutting the racks in half(50-50), cut them 70-30 or 80-20 so that the long piece will just fit on the grid and over the drip pan. Since my V rack has room for 6 partial racks the long pieces would fit into the slots. This would leave six small pieces that could be laid on top or where ever they would fit.
What do you think?

Unknown

Charcoal Mike, will full racks fit in your grill? When I do four, I can get three full racks in the main grill, then the fourth rack is cut in half and put on my extender. Push come to shove, you can overlap them flat on the grill (no V-rack), but make sure you turn and rotate them from time to time.[p]Good luck!

Elder Ward

Charcoal Mike,
Now for something totally different. I roll large quantities of rib racks in a circle pinning them with wet bamboo skewers every so often. Then stand the Crown of Ribs on edge and cook them. You can do a hugh amount of ribs all at one time. You could also line them up and pin them together like staking books side by side on edge and cook them. I like the circle method best because of the small amount of air space between racks causes them to cook quicker.
Hope this helps,[p]Elder Ward

Sundown

Charcoal Mike,
Roll'em up like Elder Ward says. The only thing he forgot was to tell you to put them on the grill thick end of the bone down. I've done them this way several times and it works just fine. I seem to remember doing 8 once...a little crowded and took a little more than the usual time about 5 1/4 hours.

Tim M

<p />Charcoal Mike,[p]Your options do diminish with 6 racks to do. Indirect is possible but it gets harder and you can run low on room. Pictured are 6 racks of baby backs in a rib rack cooking direct. You could add some firebricks and a drip pan and go indirect. Your choice.[p]Sorry about the low quality - this was taken in 1999.[p]Tim

Unknown

Charcoal Mike,[p]I did 6 racks on a V-rack, indirect, with a drip pan a couple of weeks ago. I shoot for 250 and use a variation fo the 3/1/1/5 method. They were a tight fit, but I did get the lid shut. It worked fine. It did take a little longer to cook, but they all came out very good. I did not cut them. [p]Mark

Mop

Elder Ward,There is a price you pay for that method and that is appearance, they don`t look near as nice as laid-out ribs and depending on how long you cook them, they tear apart when you open them....nice thought but they aren`t as nice as regular ones....better off to get a good rib rack where the tines are close together to allow several racks to be cooked....[p]in a pinch rolling is ok but not the greatest presentation, plus the meat on the outside of the roll is all stretched out......[p]Mop
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Elder Ward

Mop,
Point well taken. Presentation adds a lot to any meal.
Elder Ward

Earl

<p />Charcoal Mike,
Hi Mike:[p]Here is a picture with 8 racks of babybacks. Darren, one of the members of our cooking team done these up one night.[p]Earl

fiver29

<p />Earl,[p]I like this idea. Are the 3 on top just laying there on top of the 5? Or are they being held up by something?[p]By the way, I cooked 5 full racks this morning indirect without any problems. I used an inverted plate setter, put a drip pan on the inverted plate setter, then the main grid on the inverted plate setter. On the grid went a rib rack. They all fit into the large nicely. I bet I could have put 1, maybe 2 more full racks on, but that would be pushing it.

Earl

fiver29,
The 3 racks on top are resting on the 5 racks below. We did not rotate at all, left on for 4 1/2 hrs at 250, turned out great from what i heard. I never got to taste them.LOL Looks like you beter get some smoke on that new cooker of yours. You'll love how easy it will hold temp once you get into it.[p]Enjoy your toys.[p]Earl[p]

sdbelt

<p />Elder Ward,[p]I suppose you mean something like this. It's only 2 racks, but you can see there's a ton of room left in the cooker, plus it's an indirect cook...with tons of room left.[p]--sdb

Elder Ward

sdbelt,
Yes, but you could have continued in a single swirl by connecting the two as one. Where the first ended start the second at that end and pin the second to it. It requires more skewers but it can be done with a small amount of space between rib slabs.
Elder Ward