Smoking Ribs

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Virgin smoker here. Should I foil my ribs?

  • Yes, foil/3-2-1 method is the best. If you don't your stupid.

  • No, foil is cheating and makes mushy ribs. Real men don't use foil.

  • Both are fine depending on your preference. Everyone should just shut up about it.

Results are only viewable after voting.
D

danculwell

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So it looks like there are quite a few smokers on here so I have a couple questions.

I've grilled ribs before and I always use a rub but I have never marinated them. I don't know why; I usually marinade most cuts of meat. Is there any reason not to?

I'm planning on marinading in Apfelwein over night; then a rub with some salt, spice, garlic, and brown sugar; then some sort of glaze (maybe something with maple syrup and more apfelwein, I haven't gotten that far) every half hour or so while it's cooking all morning. Smoking with hickory chips soaked in apfelwein.

How does that sound?
 
I dont personally think a marinade is necessary but doesnt mean you cant do it. If you rub up the ribs and let them sit for a few hours on the counter it will basically turn into a liquid as it penetrates the meat.

My dad has been asking me about brining(sp?) ribs first. Just like the marinading I dont think it'll do much since there's not that much meat on the ribs.

What are you smoking on...Offset, UDS, WSM? The reason I ask is because if I were to open my Offset every 30 min to glaze it would take quite a bit longer to do my ribs (6 hours normally). Once I open that lid it can take a good 10-15min to come back up to temp.

Just throwing that out there...
 
Lots of people rub some sort of yellow/brown mustard on the ribs then apply the rub. So the acid in the mustard mixed with the rub is almost like a 'marinade-paste'. TBH/IMO, it seems the mustard creates a little barrier between your precious rub and the meat, why not add some dry mustard and vinegar to the rub mixture and mix it into a paste?
 
sounds good to me. if you have a water smoker, omit the marinading step and add the apfelwein into the water pan. i've done this a dozen times with homemade wines and it turns out great every time.
 
I'm not sure what kind of smoker, my mom is going to pick one up this week for the weekend. We are all smoker noobs so I dunno. Maybe I'll only glaze it once or twice, or maybe not at all.
 
The mustard is just to help the rub stick to the meat and create a nice bark (or crust) on the outside.

Check out the site artuto posted and look into the 3-2-1 method (if cooking spares or 2-2-1 for baby backs).

There's also this thread with a bunch of info.

Remember, it's just like brewing...you feel like a major noob at first but with some practice, reading and asking questions you'll quickly improve on your skill.
 
Man, I just don't understand how someone can talk about about bark in one sentence then advocate the use of foil in the next... (blech face here)
 
I use the 3-2-1 method and get exceptional bark on my ribs...almost too crunchy sometimes. All I put in the foil is butter and some brown sugar and a spritz of ACV and AC. They come out of the foil still crusty and then have another hour of smoke to crisp up even more.

The first time I did it I was directed to but some apple cider in the foil and the meat was mushy...so I know what you're saying. Ever since then I dont add the liquid and have tender, pull off the bone meat and a crispy bark.
 
meat contains liquid. you're trapping that liquid with the foil. hence boiling. steaming qould be more accurate.
 
You dont think most of that liquid has already been lost after 3 hours on the smoker?

I have tried not foiling my ribs and they come out tough and dry. I find when I only foil for 1 hour it makes the world of difference and I still get a nice bark and tender (not boiled and mushy) meat.

To each their own...just like brewing there's a number of ways to get the same result. One might prefer the outcome while another might not. I think we've managed to do enough damage to this new smoker's thread with very little guidance.
 
If I am doing baby backs I apply the rub and onto the smoker they go, if I do spare ribs I brine overnight , rinse, apply rub and then smoke. I tried the foil method once and ended with dry ribs and a ton of liquid that once was in the ribs now in the foil. since then, no foil for me and my ribs turn out fantastic!
 
SOB said:
I think we've managed to do enough damage to this new smoker's thread with very little guidance.
Click to expand...


au contraire, you SOB. Foiling is a highly contested topic in smoking.

There are those of us who know what we're doing and those who use foil as a crutch. (evil face here)
 
SOB said:
You dont think most of that liquid has already been lost after 3 hours on the smoker?

I have tried not foiling my ribs and they come out tough and dry. I find when I only foil for 1 hour it makes the world of difference and I still get a nice bark and tender (not boiled and mushy) meat.

To each their own...just like brewing there's a number of ways to get the same result. One might prefer the outcome while another might not. I think we've managed to do enough damage to this new smoker's thread with very little guidance.[/QUOTE

No one is saying you're wrong. but everyone is snobby about something, this is one of my few snobish principles.

i think the op's questions were satisfied several posts earlier, but here's a tip anyway: i like to slice up an orange an lay it over the meat. the juices drip into the meat very slowly over and really add a nice layer to the flavor.
Click to expand...
 
arturo7 said:
au contraire, you SOB. Foiling is a highly contested topic in smoking.
Click to expand...

I understand that but what was said against foiling other than "foiling is boiling" and other comments that give the OP no background or reasoning whatsoever?

arturo7 said:
There are those of us who know what we're doing and those who use foil as a crutch. (evil face here)
Click to expand...

Baby steps my friend...I didnt jump right to AG brewing either! I had to build up to it. Right now I (and others) are more than satisfied with the little time my ribs stay foiled and havent had success and other way.

:mug:
 
FromZwolle said:
No one is saying you're wrong. but everyone is snobby about something, this is one of my few snobish principles.
Click to expand...

I respect that but maybe think of a better, more informative way to bring that across next time?

FromZwolle said:
but here's a tip anyway: i like to slice up an orange an lay it over the meat. the juices drip into the meat very slowly over and really add a nice layer to the flavor.
Click to expand...

OMG...that sounds like an awesome idea. That would go great with the coriander I put in my rub. I'll have to give that a try. Thanks!
 
Meh. Rub them and slap em on the grate fat side up with silver removed.

Smoke em slow and low. Baste with diluted wine.

Just don't fall asleep and let them go for 16 hours. It's that last detail that I struggle with.
 
SOB said:
I respect that but maybe think of a better, more informative way to bring that across next time?

i had the need to rhyme. next time i'll keep that to a neutral comment.


OMG...that sounds like an awesome idea. That would do great with the coriander I put in my rub. I'll have to give that a try. Thanks!
Click to expand...

that should mesh nicely.:mug:
 
You know how some people, when talking about brewing techniques, will say something like; "I do X and never had a problem"? Yet you know damn well it's a 'bad' technique. Same goes for other things as well. Hell, people in Memphis and Kansas City both claim to be BBQ-masters but one is dry and one is slathered in sauce (usually).

You could give some folks a mushy rib that won't even hold onto the bone at all and they'll tell you it's the best 'fall-off-the-bone' rib they ever had. Not the way I like 'em but if that's the way they like them then fine. Some folks might get a rib/whatever with great bark and think the bark is ruining the whole rib, they expect no bark and mushy meat.

There are prob a LOT of myths in BBQing just as in brewing. 'Fat side up' is one that I heard had been 'debunked, for example. But if someone has been making their ribs fat-side-up for 20 years and telling everyone else that's the best/only way to do it, you can imagine they won't be easily swayed.

I obv took option 3 in the poll. But this is not to say I'm not snobby about certain foods (see buffalo wing thread). Make and eat 'em how YOU like 'em.
 
Well I ended up making 2 racks, I foiled one and didn't foil the other.

I didn't marinade but I made a goopy rub with brown sugar, mustard, apfelwein, and various spices.

The foiled one came out much better tasting, moist, and tender. The unfoiled one was delicious as well but the foiled one was better. Neither one fell off the bone or was mushy. They were both tender and took a little chewing. I'll probably keep foiling.

Oh and here is some bbq porn

DSC00117.JPG


Foiled on right, unfoiled on left. And my wife made 2 apple pies. She makes the best pie.

DSC001282.JPG



DSC001292.JPG


A little of each on the plate
 
Oh man...both look delicious! Can we get some specs? Temps...time in and out of foil? Etc...

Anything you learned and\or want to change for the next time?

Good Work!
 
Now I remember. The last two pics are of the same plate of ribs with some of each kind.

SOB said:
Can we get some specs? Temps...time in and out of foil? Etc...

Anything you learned and\or want to change for the next time?
Click to expand...

I tried to keep the temp at 225-250 but I didn't really know what I was doing. It spent a long time between 100-150 (apaerently more fire == more heat :confused:). Then after that it fluctuated anywhere from 200-300. I got it down pretty good by the end though. Next time I shouldn't have any problems keeping it in a pretty tight range.

The one I foiled I used the 3-2-1 method. Three hours without foil. Then 2 hours with foil; then 1 hour without. It worked pretty good. Apparently if you do babybacks you should adjust it to 2-2-1.

I learned quite a bit about how to adjust the heat with that particular smoker. I also learned that you should really only smoke one rack on a surface that size. The ends got a little burnt and I couldn't do anything about it because the whole cooking surface was covered with meat.

Other than that I learned to wear shoes. If a small coal falls out and you step on it, it hurts.

Thanks for the complements. I'm pretty proud of my first smoking attempt. Now I just need to find another excuse to head out to my parents house.
 
the little burnt ends are my favorite parts.
it always takes a few tries to really dial in any particular smoker, but even the mistakes are tasty:D

looks like a great meal. good job.
 
Nice! Dude, those look awesome!

I don't usually marinade or brine ribs either, but the last time I smoked them (2 weeks ago) I put a sugarless rub on them then let them sit in Oatmeal Stout overnight. I was surprised at the amount of sweetness the stout lend to the meat. They smoked for about 5-6 hrs and they were crazy tender and hella yums! I'm totally doing that every time from now on!
 
I'd foil, but I don't mind my ribs being mushy. I also don't care much for bacon cracklings or whatever you call them. Anyway, I'd used foil a few times now and so far have not gotten what I would call mushy at all. In fact, so far they have been a bit chewy yet. I've tried to leave them on long enough for the meat to start pulling off the bone a bit, but not fall off completely. They've been pretty good, other than I'm still working on what kind of sauce and rub I like best.
 

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