I ran a small experiment on my pellet smoker to compare wrapped vs unwrapped pork ribs and filmed the whole cook.
Both racks were seasoned the same way and cooked side-by-side with the same temperature and smoke. The only difference was that one rack stayed unwrapped the entire time while the other was wrapped partway through the cook.
What I noticed was how different the bark, texture, and moisture turned out even though the process was almost identical.
The unwrapped rack developed a much firmer bark and deeper smoke flavor, while the wrapped rack was noticeably softer and a bit more tender.
Neither one was “bad”just very different results depending on what texture you prefer.
by Intelligent-Let-2527
12 Comments
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used, as it’s almost guaranteed one of the first questions you will be asked!
*What seasoning did you use?
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Nice thanks for sharing
I prefer unwrapped. Ill still wrap em for certain crowds but I like the bark texture much more when unwrapped. Also makes the cooking process much easier.
Gang
If I want my ribs to be saucy and mushy I’ll put em in the slow cooker for 8 hours and serve em over a bed of rice.
Nothing wrong with that either.
But the people that think ribs need to soft to be considered “good” need their brain altered.
I’ve do no wrap often, you get the internal temp correct with some high heat at the end, and I’ve had the juice squirt out when hit with a knife. That crispy skin seals it in perfectly
I go Unwrapped 7 hours at 225. Sometimes a bit more. Sometimes a bit less. Throw them in, go on the boat and come home to rib dinner.
Always wanted to do something similar to this to compare and see just what I’m missing. Thanks the effort!
Okay, good. Nice job. You figured out what everyone already knew since before my dad was born.
I just did ribs the other week where I had them unwrapped for a bit to get the smoke then wrapped with apple juice in the foil, then finish unwrapped with sauce on top. They were amazing!
225 five hours. Do not open your grill. Make sure you marinate with a dry rub for 24 hours previous.
Nice! I always wrap it up, just to be safe.
I do everything unwrapped, brisket etc.
Unless I’m running out of time I just ride them out.
I far prefer unwrapped. For me the wrapped ribs come out too chewy.