Please clarify 3-2-1 and 3-1-1 method

TDogg46 · August 2012

Trying ribs for the 2nd time...first time used Car Wash Mike's recipe and gonna stick pretty close to that again I think. I understand that the "3" is for the first 3 hours on the rib rack...where I get confused is the grill set-up for the "2" and "1" or the "1" and "1". Obviously, the middle number is when you wrap in foil...do you wrap the ribs and put them back in the rack while foiled? And then the last hour....do you take the v-rack, plate setter and drip pan out and cook direct or just simply take the v-rack out and place ribs bone side down over the plate setter and drip pan? Thanks

Mayberry · August 2012

My take: 3 hrs flat on grid with plate setter in, legs up. 1 or 2 hrs wrapped in foil, same setup. I usually add some apple juice, cider vinegar, a little extra rub and some honey when I wrap them. The last hour is the same as the first 3.... Direct on grid, still with the plate setter in. From what's understand, some just leae wrapped for an hour and some wrap for two. I normally cut the difference and bump the temp a little to 250-275. Then, do 2.5, 1.5, 1. I can't tell a difference and save myself some time. I sauce (when I sauce) only in the last 15 minutes. Hope this helps.

crmilt · August 2012

Car Wash Mikle's method does not call for wrapping does it?

TDogg46 · August 2012

No it doesn't...but I wasn't 100% happy with how they turned out...coulda definitely been something I did...I was just looking at other methods and looking for clarification.

gerhardk · August 2012

Meat side up 3 hours, wrapped meat side down 1 to 2 hours, meat side up 1 hour saucing last half hour or so. The difference between 1 and 2 hour foiled is were the meat falls off the bone after 2 hours if foiled for 1 hour it has a bit more texture left.

Gerhard

lousubcap · August 2012

X-X-X-Basically ribs are cooked as usual (bone side down for me) for the first X hours. Then they are removed from the cooker and wrapped with liquid (Q sauce, some other liquid for flavoring etc) in a foil pouch with the meat side down. This becomes step -0- mentioned above. The sealed ribs are then returned to the cooker. At the end of the "0" time-frame, the ribs are removed from the foil and then put back on the BGE for the final "0" time-frame. This is when sauce is added if your desire. X-X-X defines the cook cycle. Those of us X-0-0 run without any of the above extras. It's all in what you like-experiment and enjoy the journey.

fishlessman · August 2012

the middle number is the foil stage, it is sometimes inconsistent from rack to rack so check on it at the 45 minute mark and every 15 minutes after til they are about to fall apart. if using liquid in the foil add it hot, cold liquid screws with the times and you want the meat side down in the liquid so its braising. third number is no foil, its to firm the meat thats falling apart back up.

70chevelle · August 2012

Are you doing spares or BB's? With spares I (generally) do 3-2-1 and for BB's I do 2-1-1. I have them in a rack for the initial smoke period, then foil (meat side down) with basting liquid (equal parts Sweet Baby Rays, Apple cider vinegar, and Franks Original), and finally I finish bone side down basting every 15 minutes and remove when they are done to my liking. Normally it doesn't take the full last hour.

Please clarify 3-2-1 and 3-1-1 method

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