Kind fellow smokers...

I have ruined 2 sides of bb pork ribs in the last two weeks, and its killing me.

here's my process:
rub spices on ribs; then 2 hours at 225; 2 hours of aluminum foil sealed at 225; then one hour unwrapping at 250;

what's going on:
the ribs are tough and not falling off the bone. tough to eat, and embarrasing to serve to friends and family.

what I use:
side by side horizontal smoker, fire chamber on the left

any advice is greatly appreciated!!!

thanks!!

My guess is that your'e over cooking them. I have found that 2=1=1 is all it takes for baby backs and you need not do a whole hour on the last leg (depending) and not at 250* either. Do you have a pail of water in the cooking chamber and what are you susing for fuel. Did you tent the ribs for some time before serving?

I have never tried putting in a pail of water...how does that help?

I use charcoal in the left hand chamber, and add damp hickory and/or applewood to it throughout the process.

I do put the aluminum foil in a tent like position at the top?

thanks so much!

If you were burning wood you would not need water because of the moisture in the wood. You are using charcoal (what kind?) so there is no moisture available from the fuel. this will dry out your meat. You need to put a pail of water in the cooking chamber with your ribs. The tenting I'm talking about is after you are done with the cooking. You should foil the meat and let stand for at least 30 minutes before serving. You can find info for the reason on this site. If you intend to serve more than 30 minutes later you can foil and place in cooler wrapped in newpaper or towels this will keep the meat hot for 2-3 hours.

If you are burning wood blocks out of a package as sold @ Walmart and other such places or well seasoned hardwood, it will burn hotter than charcoal since the wood has little moisture. Even if soaked unless soaked overnight, the moisture does not saturate the wood very deeply. Lump charcoal such as Cowboy charcoal will burn a little hotter than briquettes such as Kingsford. I suspect your temperature is hotter than 225F during parts of the process than you think and or like George mentioned, staying on the smoker too long. 250F is too hot for anything on a smoker. - cooks too fast not allowing fat and other meat parts to break down and tenderize as well as dries meat out

The water pan adds some moisture as well as helps stabilize the temperature of the smoker

I have never foiled my ribs but will operate the smoker with a water pan @ 220F - 230F with a clean whiff of smoke during combustion (careful control of fuel air mixture). I dont like the smoker to belch smoke and soot like a steam engine or someone burning tires. The whole process takes between 4 hrs-5 hrs when having 4 racks of baby-backs on the smoker depending on outdoor weather conditions. I usually put my finishing sauce on when the meat temp reaches 180F - 185F and remove the ribs 10-15 min later after the sauce carmelizes.

Many people foil their ribs after 2-3 hours on the smoker (including a couple of competition pit bosses) which does allow cooking without drying the ribs out or overdoing it with the smoke. Again, I have not foiled my ribs during cooking. I will tent them in a pan to keep them warm when waiting for other foods to finish.

Here's my take on it. I read about 3-2-1 and how this is the way. The thing is, this is probably more for spare ribs. Baby backs cook faster. Food isn't done when the time is up, it is done when it is done. The best test for done ribs is to pick them up with tongs from one end and if they are done, they will bend down easily. Timing is more llike 2-1-20minutes or something like that for baby backs. Keep an eye on the ribs. Don't let them burn. Make sure your temps are at grate level. Don't sauce at least until you wrap them. Make sure there isn't too much heat directly under the meat, even after they are wrapped. The last cooking to carmelize the ribs is to do just that. Remember, it's not about time, it's about done. Make them look nice, cook them until they bend easily and enjoy some great ribs. Practice makes perfect! Good luck and post some pictures so we can see your plated ribs!