I just bought my first pellet grill (Weber Searwood) and I tried smoking some baby back ribs. I tried the 3-2-1 method starting at 225. Cut my slab in 2 so that I can try two different seasonings. I had wrapped it in butcher paper with apple juice and butter. After nearly 6 hours the internal temp was only around 165. I wrapped it again and kept it going. I increased the temperature to 250 and then to 275. After 8 hours I got impatient and ate one half even though it was only at 170 or so. Even after 10 hours the other half wasn’t fall off the bone tender. I feel like one side of it kinda was around 190 but the rest was under 170 still. I gave up after that. What did I do wrong ?
by TechnicalWolverine85
11 Comments
You started with them wrapped? If so, I’m guessing that you spent a lot of time and pellets getting the apple juice up to temperature instead of the ribs. I’ve been using the 3-2-1 method for years, with no issues. These days, during the 3 hour portion of the cook, I’ll set it on smoke boost for the first hour, then raise to 250 for the last two hours. I’ll wrap in foil and leave it at 250 for the next 2 hours. Then unwrap, and raise temp to 300 and sauce immediately, letting it sit and become a glaze for that last hour.
250 for 3-4 hours no wrap no fuss. You don’t temp ribs either as the bones are so close you don’t know if you hit a bone which will throw off your temp. Use the bend test to know when they are done. Also use foil for the 321 method
Watch How to BBQ Right (Malcom Reeds) YouTube channel. Taught me a whole bunch when I first started out.
Just do EXACTLY what it says in this link. Obviously you can use whatever rub and binder you want.
https://www.traeger.com/recipes/3-2-1-baby-back-ribs
3-2-1 is way too generic and actually way too long in the wrap in my experience.
I generally do 3 to 3 1/2 unwrapped at 220°, until the color looks the way I like. Then wrap for 1 hour or 1 hr 15 max, checking for tenderness. Once tenderness is right, I pull them out of the wrap and put them on the grill bare for about 10 minutes, then sauce for another 20 minutes. I am usually around 5 hours total.
Set smoker to 250, remove membrane from ribs and season. Put ribs on smoker for 3.5 hrs, no wrap, no spritz, don’t even open smoker door. Apply bbq sauce to ribs and smoke 30-45 minutes more. Pull ribs off smoker and loosely tent with tin foil and let rest for 20-30 minutes. Cut and enjoy!!
I did baby backs yesterday. Here was my timeline after they had been seasoned:
Put on the smoker @ 275°
Rotate slabs after 2 hours.
After another 1.5 hours, sauce ribs.
Pull after another 30 minutes.
Total cook time 4 hours, no wrap.
To me those look more like st Louis ribs not baby backs personally. They’re very meaty for baby backs.
3-2-1 is sort of what I use too for baby backs. 3h on smoke, 2h wrapped, and less than 20 minutes unwrapped. All at 225.
I suspect a less meaty cut first to learn on. Those are very thick.
Skip the wrap. Too much work for mushy overcooked ribs.
My favorite way to cook ribs is off the Meat Church website. Set the temp at 275 and place the seasoned ribs on the racks directly and cook for 2.5 hours. Then bring them in and wrap placing them in a bed of brown sugar, honey, some butter pats, and more seasoning. Wrap them in foil, not butcher paper and put back on the smoker for 1.5 to 2 hours.
Get the internal temp close to 200, unwrap (have a garbage can with a bag in it close by because the foil is a gooey mess) and put the ribs back on the grate and start applying BBQ sauce. Let it caramelize for 5-10 minutes, and pull them. let them rest for a few minutes and carve. Don’t let them get past 205 degrees internal though. They will dry out. 4.5 hours is all it takes.
https://preview.redd.it/os9kmhfo4smf1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ae7e2929e175c215185d22cb26241718ea7ea411
I just made them yesterday for my whole family and everyone loved them!
When I do ribs I smoke at 225 until they hit 160ish degrees or they stall for a long period. Every rack is gonna be different sometimes I wrap at 155. From there I go until they’re probe tender or 200-205 internal. At that point they’re done and can be rested and eaten or if you like to sauce them hit them with the sauce and let it tack up. Definitely don’t need an hour for this just want the sauce to get tacky, remove from heat for 30mins to an hour and eat up