Pellet Fan
All Things Considered => General Discussion--Food Related => Topic started by: NewToQ on May 31, 2018, 05:00:11 PM
-
Hi all. New to the pellet scene and hoping you can help with my ribs. I have done 4 batches of ribs this year all slightly different as I am not getting results I want. For all cooks using my camp chef woodwind and competition blend pellets from Amazen products. Also on all 4 cooks using the smoke tube from Amazen with apple pellets. First batch I did St. Louis style from Costco unwrapped the whole time and dry brined overnight with salt. Ran on high smoke, about 225, the whole way and took off after 7 hours. They never got tender and were dry with limited smoke flavor. Next up was baby backs I did same method and pulled after 6 hours again same results. Last two cooks I did St. Louis again from Costco and 3-2-1 with brown sugar and butter in foil. The only difference between the two was one I basted every hour for first three hours and the other I spritzed. They were more tender but not much flavor and no smoke flavor at all. Any tips on what I should change?? I feel like I have experimented now quite a bit and not getting results.
-
Cook a rack of baby backs at 275° and don't open the grill until it hits the 3 hour mark. Test for your desired tenderness and cook no more than 45 minutes more. Report back on your results. That should solve your tenderness issue.
If it is not smokey enough for you, a pellet grill may not be for you. I would try putting a finished rack in the fridge in ziplock bags. Eat it the next day and see if you feel any different about the flavor.
-
Using 100% hickory pellets will help with smoke flavor. Pellet blends are lighter flavor IMO.
Cooking at 275 will require a smoke tube. You’ll get little smoke flavor at that temp without one.
If you do the 3-2-1 method at 225-250, spray with Apple juice and use a smoke tube it should be plenty smokey. If not, as Bar-B-Lea said, pellets may not be for you.
-
You didn't mention using a rub. I would apply a good rub if you haven't. Then glaze them with a sauce about 30 minutes before removing. This will add a lot of flavor for sure.
Wrapping can make them tender, but can make them fall-off-the-bone tender. Some like that, some don't. I don't. I do not wrap. I just let them cook, spritzing occasionally but not convinced that is required. I use the bend test after I see decent pullback up the bone, usually around the 5 hour mark. You can google up a youtube video on the bend test and what to look for if you aren't familiar with this.
My last batch of ribs sucked. It happens. Usually they are really good.
Good luck!
-
Thanks guys I will try the above methods and report back. Appreciate the advice!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
The spritzing adds moisture which attracts smoke but I’m not sure if it really makes the meat moist.
You’ll go through some trial and error.
-
Another vote for 275, although I sometimes start at 180 for the first hour. I am coming to the conclusion that the higher amount of airflow in a pellet grill can cause the surface of the meat to dry out - and therefore higher temps and faster cooks yield better results, for me at least.
100% hickory is the only pellet I buy anymore. It's the only pellet that gives me enough smoke flavor, and makes life much simpler.
Just curious, what does Amazen charge you for pellets? The prices listed on their website are ridiculously expensive.
-
Yes I’m familiar with the bend test and have used a variety of rubs from meatheads Memphis dust, killers hogs the bbq rub, 10 bones bbq rub, plowboys, etc. As for Todd’s prices at Amazen I had a coupon code that took 17% off. If you sign up for the newsletter you will get a code a month...guessing with Father’s Day coming up will get some discount
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
You should check for local Lumberjack dealers. I pay around $16/40 pound bag locally.
-
If you stop by the A-maze-n warehouse in Eagan he normally sells 40lb bags for $15.
-
If you stop by the A-maze-n warehouse in Eagan he normally sells 40lb bags for $15.
Dang I wish I lived closer...6.5 hours away in Illinois
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
I need to find that warehouse.
-
Don't dry brine. Just use rub before putting on the pit.
-
I used to put rub on the day before and put in a container in the fridge. Didn't really find a difference between that and putting on right before putting on the smoker. Now, I usually rub and put right on the smoker to save time.
-
Don't dry brine. Just use rub before putting on the pit.
please elaborate on the thought process here. Is this just for pork ribs? It's not that I haven't heard this suggestion before, it's that I don't understand it. I'm rub the night before the cook guy. Is it just a time saver as BBL says?
Thanks
DK
(you could probably convince me that rubbing an hour before the cook is fine, but rub and into the pit ... you're missing the ... I'm not even sure what to call it but the meat absorbs some of the rub, it kind of melts into the meat ... aka dry brine.)
-
To me, a dry brine implies a lot of salt. I think on a thin piece of meat, like ribs, a dry brine is going to pull moisture from the meat. Maybe a wet brine might somehow add moisture, but not a dry brine.
A rub, in my mind, does not have a high salt component -- probably more sugar, spices herbs. If you want a rub overnight fine. I still don't think overnight helps much because there is not a lot of penetration. But it is like many things bbq, folks have their own methods.
-
I used to put rub on the day before and put in a container in the fridge. Didn't really find a difference between that and putting on right before putting on the smoker. Now, I usually rub and put right on the smoker to save time.
+1.. I found absolutely no difference at all.
-
I've tried the 275 approach a couple times since seeing Bar-B-Lew talk about it and been pleasantly surprised. If your not having luck, it might be a good place to start and then work in subtle changes. Maybe even without the smoke tube first round.
-
I am also coming to the conclusion that the amount of air flow may be the issue especially when cooking a thin cut of meat like ribs. I have tried unwrapped, wrapped, 2-2-1, 2-1-1, and many other combinations. The best result I have gotten was ok and I only see a small difference in moisture between wrapped and unwrapped doing them at the same time with everything else being equal. I recently bought a Kamado Joe....did some babybacks, put some rub on them and threw them in the cooker and left them alone and pulled them at 4.5 hours. I glazed them and let them go 30 more minutes....temp was about 235 the entire time....They were the best ribs I have ever tasted. I can definitely see how a faster cook could be the ticket on a pellet cooker.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
I am also coming to the conclusion that the amount of air flow may be the issue especially when cooking a thin cut of meat like ribs. I have tried unwrapped, wrapped, 2-2-1, 2-1-1, and many other combinations. The best result I have gotten was ok and I only see a small difference in moisture between wrapped and unwrapped doing them at the same time with everything else being equal. I recently bought a Kamado Joe....did some babybacks, put some rub on them and threw them in the cooker and left them alone and pulled them at 4.5 hours. I glazed them and let them go 30 more minutes....temp was about 235 the entire time....They were the best ribs I have ever tasted. I can definitely see how a faster cook could be the ticket on a pellet cooker.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Did you use the deflector plate on the KJ for indirect cooking, otherwise likely a disaster at 4.5 hours.
-
To me, a dry brine implies a lot of salt. I think on a thin piece of meat, like ribs, a dry brine is going to pull moisture from the meat. Maybe a wet brine might somehow add moisture, but not a dry brine.
A rub, in my mind, does not have a high salt component -- probably more sugar, spices herbs. If you want a rub overnight fine. I still don't think overnight helps much because there is not a lot of penetration. But it is like many things bbq, folks have their own methods.
I dry brine almost everything if I have the time. The salt will initially pull moisture out - the moisture gets mixed with the salt and get reabsorbed, pulling the salt into the meat. If you use a rub, any other spices/flavors won't penetrate very far, but salt will.
-
I am also coming to the conclusion that the amount of air flow may be the issue especially when cooking a thin cut of meat like ribs. I have tried unwrapped, wrapped, 2-2-1, 2-1-1, and many other combinations. The best result I have gotten was ok and I only see a small difference in moisture between wrapped and unwrapped doing them at the same time with everything else being equal. I recently bought a Kamado Joe....did some babybacks, put some rub on them and threw them in the cooker and left them alone and pulled them at 4.5 hours. I glazed them and let them go 30 more minutes....temp was about 235 the entire time....They were the best ribs I have ever tasted. I can definitely see how a faster cook could be the ticket on a pellet cooker.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Did you use the deflector plate on the KJ for indirect cooking, otherwise likely a disaster at 4.5 hours.
Absolutely. This is also part of my point....It could very well be absolute luck they turned out great but I don’t know the pit yet, did nothing fancy, and somehow great ribs.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
Start smoker, Pull ribs out of fridge, take membrane off, add rub. Your pit is likely ready to cook in 10 minutes?? Once the ribs are tacky from the rub, put em on and let em go at 250-275 and start checking at 3 hours for bb’s and 3.5-4 hours for spares.
doesn't have to be any harder than this to make good backyard ribs
-
Cook a rack of baby backs at 275° and don't open the grill until it hits the 3 hour mark. Test for your desired tenderness and cook no more than 45 minutes more. Report back on your results. That should solve your tenderness issue.
If it is not smokey enough for you, a pellet grill may not be for you. I would try putting a finished rack in the fridge in ziplock bags. Eat it the next day and see if you feel any different about the flavor.
Bingo!!! I've been a pellet fan for 10 years & have tried every way, foil, no foil 321 blah blah blah. This is the simplest way to get consistency to your ribs every time.
Remove membrane, add your favorite rub, toss them on the grill as mentioned above.
-
I will try the low smoke for about an hour and then kick it up 275 to finish it off using hickory pellets. Seems like the low heat on the pellet grill could be drying it out. I’ve never been a fan of wrapping as, at least with my ribs, it seems to wash off a lot of the flavor from the smoke and rub
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
I typically salt and brown sugar the night before to make it have a nice sticky surface to apply rub to right before the cook. I don't use any salt in my rub to make sure I can lay it on heavy and not have it be salty.
-
I used to put rub on the day before and put in a container in the fridge. Didn't really find a difference between that and putting on right before putting on the smoker. Now, I usually rub and put right on the smoker to save time.
Ditto. Let me meat warm to room temp before applying the rub. I put the rub on about an hour before putting on the pit.
Z
-
Don't dry brine. Just use rub before putting on the pit.
The rub I use doesn't have salt in it, hence I dry brine with kosher salt the night before. Do all store bought rubs have salt in them?
-
Pork ribs do not need brining. Birds brine very well but pork ribs have all that fat so no need. They will start sweating within 20 minutes of getting rub.
My homemade rub has very little salt in it. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180607/433dcac6a03045f38933ce550e734a63.jpg)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
Pork ribs do not need brining. Birds brine very well but pork ribs have all that fat so no need.
Fat has nothing to do with it. The only brining mentioned in this thread is dry brininig, which is done mostly to add flavor, and helps retain natural moisture.
-
Only have bacon curing to go buy, but I have never seen the moisture go back into a belly once it is out!
I dry brine almost everything if I have the time. The salt will initially pull moisture out - the moisture gets mixed with the salt and get reabsorbed
-
Pork ribs do not need brining. Birds brine very well but pork ribs have all that fat so no need.
Fat has nothing to do with it. The only brining mentioned in this thread is dry brininig, which is done mostly to add flavor, and helps retain natural moisture.
Fat provides flavor and moisture. We brine when this is naturally missing. Not to mention ribs are too thin to handle a lot of salt.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
Pork ribs do not need brining. Birds brine very well but pork ribs have all that fat so no need.
Fat has nothing to do with it. The only brining mentioned in this thread is dry brininig, which is done mostly to add flavor, and helps retain natural moisture.
Fat provides flavor and moisture. We brine when this is naturally missing. Not to mention ribs are too thin to handle a lot of salt.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I would disagree. The amount of salt I add to anything is based on its weight, not its thickness. With ribs, because you get the entire profile (outside and inside) with every bite, getting salt on the inside may not be as important as other foods. Fat and moisture are two different things. Ribs have fat but not a lot of moisture. Salt helps retain moisture. It also helps tenderize.
-
Well I did ribs again today on the Woodwind. Using St. Louis cut from Costco. Rubbed them with 10 bones dry rub about an hour before putting them on and also removed membrane. Ran on low smoke (180) for an hour and 15 mins and also used a competition blend mojo brick on top of the heat shield (didn’t light all that well so next time will use on side of firepot). Also was running amazen products comp blend pellets. After hour and 15 bumped up to 275 and basted with 10 bones marinade every hour. Total time was about 5 hours until I took off. Ribs were so much better at 275 than previous cooks. Bark was a little too hard so will need to adjust something for next time. Also smoke flavor not what I was looking for but still need to try just hickory. Thanks for all the tips guys I think I am now on the right track!
-
With the better results I had at 275 do you suggest cooking all meats and not just ribs at this temp on a pellet grill?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
With the better results I had at 275 do you suggest cooking all meats and not just ribs at this temp on a pellet grill?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I make almost everything in the 250-275 range
-
Well I thought after my last cook I was on the right track however today my St. Louis ribs were dried out and little smoke flavor. Using lumberjack char hickory and a tube in the back running left to right I ran on high smoke for an hour then upped to 275 for the remainder. All in 5 hours and spritzed with apple juice and cider mix starting at one hour mark every 45 minutes. No wrap. I got the ribs at Costco and have two racks left to cook. No idea what to do next...
-
3 hours at 275°, bone side down, no Y for X before hand...Just 275° for 3 hours bone side down! Mine are never dried out! If there is not enough smoke flavor, pellets as a fuel for BBQ is probably not for you! It is petty much that simple!
-
why are you spritzing
-
why are you spritzing
After about an hour the exterior looked very dried out and started to split which is why I spritzed.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
Do you have a way to check the temperature at the grill grate level other than what you are reading on the controller of your grill? I suspect that it may be running hotter than the controller setting which may assisted in your problem.
-
'lack of smoke flavor' , could potentially result on any pellet grill, depending on what your expectations for smoke level are.
What I don't get is too dry. Only dry ribs I ever had on any pellet grill, were ones that just didn't have much fat content. I've made ribs on a variety of pellet grills, and I can't say that any one of them was any less juicy than the others were, hard to imagine anyway that the pellet grill itself could be to blame for such a issue.
-
Do you have a way to check the temperature at the grill grate level other than what you are reading on the controller of your grill? I suspect that it may be running hotter than the controller setting which may assisted in your problem.
Yep I was using the ThermoWorks smoke for grate temps. Actually held temp really well and I was quite impressed from that perspective for the lumberjack pellets
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
'lack of smoke flavor' , could potentially result on any pellet grill, depending on what your expectations for smoke level are.
What I don't get is too dry. Only dry ribs I ever had on any pellet grill, were ones that just didn't have much fat content. I've made ribs on a variety of pellet grills, and I can't say that any one of them was any less juicy than the others were, hard to imagine anyway that the pellet grill itself could be to blame for such a issue.
Yep the smoke flavor I will continue to experiment with. Thinking using the Amazen Maze with wood chips on top of the pellets.
As for the dryness I have heard convection can tend to dry things out but not sure the validity of that. I hit the mark the last cook upping the temp to 275 but did the exact same thing this time around and drastically different results.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
I've never had a dry rack of ribs off any of my pellet grills and probably made several hundred racks over the years. So, I don't believe convection has anything to do with it. In fact, one could argue the opposite that the movement of smoke and air all around the grill helps to ensure a more consistent cook from location to location on the grill.
You may want to try getting a needle probe for your smoke and placing it in between bones on your next cook. Somewhere between 190°-200° should get your a moist rack of ribs. I usually just go by the bend test after 3 hours and go from there. If they don't move, probably needs another hour. If they are starting to bend, probably 15-30 minutes longer. Of course, all racks are not the same so you may have to pull a rack off sooner than others.
-
'lack of smoke flavor' , could potentially result on any pellet grill, depending on what your expectations for smoke level are.
What I don't get is too dry. Only dry ribs I ever had on any pellet grill, were ones that just didn't have much fat content. I've made ribs on a variety of pellet grills, and I can't say that any one of them was any less juicy than the others were, hard to imagine anyway that the pellet grill itself could be to blame for such a issue.
I don't think the pellet grill is responsible for drying out the ribs, but I have noticed that the surface of ribs cooked on the pellet grill is dryer/tougher than those cooked on my kettle. I attribute this to airflow, but could be something else.
-
Cook a rack of baby backs at 275° and don't open the grill until it hits the 3 hour mark. Test for your desired tenderness and cook no more than 45 minutes more. Report back on your results. That should solve your tenderness issue.
I did two racks like this a couple of days ago. I did three hours and then added 15 minutes to set the sauce. They were good, but the bark was really tough. That may have been due to the rub I used. It was the first time I've used it and it may make more bark than we care for. I monitored the pit temperature carefully with a FireBoard. Its boiling water test checked out fine.
I'm going to do another run like this with a different rub.
-
If you have a rack that can sit above the grill grate, that may help reduce the amount of bark