Not getting smoke ring I want on Ribs!

Getting smoke and getting a smoke ring are not necessairly the same thing.

The smoke ring can be elusive, but if you cook with smoke you should be getting the flavor.

I prefer hickory for ribs and have some small-med chunks on top of the lump that will get involved as the fire developes.

If you are set on a smoke ring, be sure that the meat is cold (gives more time before the temp is reached where the reaction stops. Have your temp lower in the beginning and add a little curing salt to your rub and let it work in before you cook.

Start out with cold pork. Mix chips into lump or put several wood chunks in lump while building fire (no soaking). Let temp stabilize for at least 45 minutes, then put cold pork in BGE.

I never cook babybacks less that 5 hours, sometimes do 3 hours, then 30 mins foil, then 1.5 hours+ until rack is limp.

That should give you better smoke rings, and I generally use a mix of pecan and cherry. Good luck.

Yeah, I kept warming up the pork like the beef until I finally tried it cold based on advice here. Seems to make a difference.

I alway let beef warm up, but not pork or chicken. Enjoy and let us know how it works out. I'm interested to see if you think the cold pork makes a difference, and I know the longer cook will make better ribs.

I do mine for at least 6 hours, typically with apple or cherry- 4-5 chunks, and get a good smoke flavor.

Are you throwing your wood on right when you put the food on? If not, then try that. That's the way I do mine. Also keep you ribs as cold as possible before putting them on. I have rubbed mine and put them in the frezzer for about 20 minutes before cooking. Good Luck!

I generally cook at 250, indirect, for 5 hours. I generally do not wrap them.

Don't try to blast the ribs with smoke or rush geting to the pit when you see white smoke, all you will do is give your ribs a bitter flavor. One thing to consider is that you may not notice an actual ring because sometimes you have pushed it through. In other words the entire 3/8" cross section of the rib is a ring.



That said, several things help with ring formation:

1. Cold meat

2. One or two briquettes on top of your lump (they contain more nitrites/nitrates than lump) will make a nice ring. Sea salt also helps and was most likely used on this one. (it has more nitrates than other salts)



3. Nitrites in another form.

The first two tricks will usually work. The third method will always work, hands down every day of the week, inclucing Sunday. (actually, I can pull a smoke ring in the oven with a doctored briskee.... Heheee. Here is a flat that has been TQ'd for 10 or 15 minutes, rinsed.... rested, and cooked as normal.



You can do the same with ribs.