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Time adjustment for additional ribs?

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Tcwfalcon
Tcwfalcon Posts: 24
in EggHead Forum
So, I have to cook about 8 racks of spare ribs on Saturday. I usually use the Franklin method (2-2-rest @ 275) and have always had amazing results, but I'm used to cooking 2-3 racks at a time. In adding additional meat, have any of your cooks required additional time? That is, it seems like it will take more energy to cook more meat, but that shouldn't matter as long as the temp is the same. It just might take a little more fuel to maintain that temp. Is that correct?
Austin, TX
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  • TexanOfTheNorth
    TexanOfTheNorth Posts: 3,951
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    You'll have to consider possibly reduced air flow, as a result of more ribs, that may affect your normal settings for your target temp. Also, where ribs are touching you may see some slight increase in cook time. Variations in the individual racks like size, fat content will probably account for more variation in cook time than anything.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
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    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
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  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,842
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    Yes.  If you can get some space between the racks they should cook at the same time. 

    With that much meat, it can really slow/block hot air flow such that by the time your done temp hits 275, the heat hitting the bottom of the meat is excessive and you can burn the bottom side.

    Any meat that overhangs the platesetter (or whatever you use to block direct heat) is definitely at risk for overcooking/burning.  Even if you block all direct heat, the ribs in the center will usually not cook as fast as the ribs on the outside.  You can accommodate for this by rotating the ribs every hour or so to get more even cooking.

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

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  • SMITTYtheSMOKER
    SMITTYtheSMOKER Posts: 2,668
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    When we go 8 slabs on the XL (layed flat on 2 levels) we add 1 hr of cooking time to a 4 hour method that we typically use.  We rotate one time top layer to bottom layer.

     

    -SMITTY     

    from SANTA CLARA, CA

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  • Darby_Crenshaw
    Darby_Crenshaw Posts: 2,657
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    recovery time is the only real worry i think.  all that cold meat will take longer to return back to dome temp than a single slab of ribs

    [note: anyone else refer to the entire set of ribs as a "slab", while the smaller sections cut from it are "racks"?  just me then? ok ]
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  • Tcwfalcon
    Tcwfalcon Posts: 24
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    Thanks for advice. I'll be sure to rotate and watch the dome temp once they go down.  B)
    Austin, TX
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  • bboulier
    bboulier Posts: 558
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    I cooked 5 slabs on  KJ classic + another on a medium BGE this last weekend.  I use the turbo method - usually around 300 for 2 hours and then saucing for another 15 to 30 minutes.  Before this time, the most I had cooked was 1 slab at a time.  For this cook, I had one slab (cut in half) on a lower level and then 4 slabs on a Brinkmann 4 slab rib rack on an extender.  It took slightly longer for the grill to resume the desired temperature than usual, but the overall cook time was probably only 15-30 minutes longer, if that.  The ribs on the rib rack cooked faster, because they were higher in the dome than I normally cook.   I did move the inside ribs on the rack to the outside and also turned them upside down about halfway through the cook.  I highly recommend the Brinkmann rib rack.  Nice size, sturdy, and easy to clean.
    Weber Kettle, Weber Genesis Silver B, Medium Egg, KJ Classic (Black)
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