I tried to keep it at 225, but heat management was very difficult when it dropped. A thunderstorm came through and made things even worse. I ended up putting the ribs in the oven to cooked to internal of 200. I poked around different spots and was temping between 190-200 internal temp. Thoughts on the ribs? I still ate it and tasted great, but was tough and a bit dry.
by actuallylos
39 Comments
Those look undercooked. Don’t temp probe ribs. Use the bend* test.
on undercooked ANYTHING on the grill: the microwave oven is your friend.
before i serve anything, i cut into it and make sure it is done. especially cnicken
Your wife is an idiot. 200 internal is 200 internal. I think she reacted to your smoke ring. If it’s dry it’s due to being over cooked.
If it was probing between 190 – 200 it is cooked fully, however it may not be fully tender. As another commenter mentioned, use the “bend” test next time. Basically hold the rack of ribs through the middle and if the other side almost breaks, the ribs are tender.
Might need to try 275 next time on the smoker temp
They sound overcooked. Pork is safe to eat at 145 internally. Ribs need to hit 190 for maximum tenderness.
The bend test is basically what it sounds like, do they bend at more than 45 degrees? If so they are done.
I wrap my ribs for an hour and always check internal temp before I pull them off. You’ll find your process and will get better.
They need to pull away from the bone and if you pick them up and they crack they are done. 3 hours of smoke 2 hours wrapped in foil one our to firm up with sauce. Rest and serve.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQLGYF8cDCE
Watch da bone. When the about 1/4” is sticking out you’re close.
Yea man, I just made my first brisket today (the flat) and it was great in flavor but not tender and as juicy as I would’ve liked. But nonetheless the brisket is gone so it wasn’t too bad. There are so many things that I would’ve done differently but now I know for next time. Cheers mate
Maintaining low temps on a small (and cheaper) offset smoker is very hard to (I know because I have one too). And it’s especially hard when trying to avoid “dirty” smoke. And then in a rain storm too. Same exact thing happened to me during my first smoke. Did a pork butt. Had a hell of a time with fire management, then it shit stormed part way through. Took me 12 hours on the smoker I was awake until 3am. Then I put it in oven to finish it until like 4:30am. It was a rough experience.
I now just finished my 6th cook on my offset. Another pork butt. Started it at 2pm, took 6 hours on the smoker, wrapped finished in my oven.
Basically I’m saying, don’t let this discourage you. Smoking, especially in an offset isn’t just cooking meals, it’s really a hobby. And hobbies take practice. So stick with it! Its been a time investment, but made some awesome smoked bbq stuff recently!
I’d add an extension on that stack. Maybe your initial fire wasn’t hot enough? I burn it hot to build a good coal base first . Then bring it to desired temp. Adding chunks when needed. Ain’t nothing wrong a 225-275 range. No matter what anyone says.
First thing everyone has to start somewhere and probably was in your shoes it takes time so just get excited for the next one. You will get to a point where you don’t need to probe anymore and go by tenderness and the bend test. I created a small notebook and wrote down the positives and the things I could improve on for next smoke. The wife will get to a point where’s she begging for the Q. Learn to smoke your style of bbq, if it’s fall off the bone for ribs etc.
3-2-1
For temperatures, especially with the cold season coming, head to harbor freight and pick up a big welding blanket for $25 and drape it over it. It’ll protect from wind and temperature swing. You also need to smoke more on it to season it. Seasoned smokers are more stable than new ones
It’s not a failure of you eat it.
I don’t really worry any trying to hold 250 for ribs. If I can keep my smoker between 225-300 I call it a win.
The color looks like dirty smoke. This is what we do. We cook, sometimes we fail, we learn, and we cook again. Don’t be discouraged. Use this as a learning opportunity and crush the next cook!
Internal temps for low and slow imho are just guides. Once I get close to temp, I probe for tenderness. Some briskets are perfect at 203. Some need to go to 210
Your first fail was not buying a Traeger
Looks like a little too much smoke and not enough heat
I dont see even a little bit of meat pullback on the bones so I would say: safe to eat but not tender purely based on visuals.
I don’t understand why people want there temps so low all the time for everything
An offset smoker is a tough smoker to start out with. They’re cooked but not tender because they didn’t cook long enough to break down the collagen and things.
The link is smoke ring.. not raw meat
These smokers are great, but it takes a lot of patience and skill to get it right. Here are some tips that should help you.
1 – Size matters. Smaller fire box means smaller pieces of wood. Split your logs into 5ths or 6ths. Lay them in over the coals 2-3 at a time. You will get temp swings, but you don’t want them to be too big. If you’re shooting for 225F, swings from 200-250 are perfectly normal.
2 – Finishing temperatures are a suggestion. You use them to help guide you. Always go by feel. As someone said above, use the bend test for ribs.
Your brisket fat should be brown like caramel and sticky before you wrap (I prefer to wrap after it after it’s probe tender around 203F), but you know your brisket is fully done when the probe goes through like room temp butter.
3 – it’s done when it’s done. You can foil wrap as a crutch but you can’t rush it too much. It’s better to plan on it taking an hour or two longer than you think than having people wait.
Good luck!
Edit: formatting
Yea ribs gotta be felt by hand and bent to determine if they’re done. Did you wrap them at any point? Leave ‘em wrapped longer
I’m more concerned about what’s going on with your footwear…..
Looks like you go from one sandal with a barefoot, and a slipper with socks, to barefoot entirely. All in a matter of this photo op lol
I always cook to 200. Not 190, not 195…200. Not going to be upset if it’s a little higher. Then wrap em and keep em in cooler to rest until serving time (at least 1 hour). That’s when i sauce and broil them in the oven (3x)–about 10 min.
Wife doesn’t know
Your fire looks a bit dirty. You’ll likely have an easier time keeping the temperature up if your fire is healthier, which means it’s consistently oxygen rich and doesn’t have too much fuel to burn. I had this exact offset in the past, and often times I would use an air mattress pump to stoke the fire when it smoldered, since smokers like this can struggle with oxygen beyond a small amount of fuel.
Invest in a good quality temp probe
195F is my takeoff temp for ribs’
Thermapen is a good one
You will have better and worse sessions with your stick burner. Your good sessions will be incredible. Your bad sessions, well, you will learn to salvage bad cooks.
If you have meat left from this, strip it off the bone and cook it some more wet. For ribs maybe the crock pot, then you got some taco meat or sloppy joes. With some other cuts I’ve sliced it relatively thin, heated a frying pan up, dropped meat on so it sizzles, and then dump a half cup of water on it and keep it moving. The steam tenderizes it. Then deglaze the pan because some goodness will get stuck on there.
Another very good option is to take you too tough meat, chop some of it to small chunks, smaller than popcorn, bigger than Skittles (freedom units!), and boil them a bit, then use that water to make ramen. Smoked anymeat ramen is a treat.
Look into RecTeq smokers they are great and hold the temp even during a storm
Smoke ring looks like undercooked. Temp is great.
Smoke it, wrap it, stick that shit in the oven. Comes out delish
I used to do 3-2-1, it was just too much time, then I tried:
300°F
1.5h
1.5h wrapped in Aluminum foil
So much easier and in half the time.
Fucking fine
I did ribs today with the 3-2-1 method
Smoker at 250.
Ribs with a rub in smoker for 3 hours
Then pull them and wrap in aluminum foil with honey and brown sugar back into the smoker for 2 hours
Then unwrap ribs, place back in smoker for 1 hour
The family loved them, there were no leftovers.
I have no doubt you learned a lot, and when you get a better weather next session without rain it will be a world of bend-able difference.
Be sure to post your next smoke progress pics. We believe!