Newbie question....Baby Backs

[NYBBQ]

I just bought a house and the first thing I did was buy a grill. Trying to smoke baby backs...read some recipes and how tos. Had them in the weber grill (gas) offset with water pan underneath, but they've been on for going on 7 hours and they're not done by any of the tests that I've read about.

Toothpick is rough going through
Don't bend
and thermometer reads 160

I have two thermometers in there and the one that reads the grill temp has ready 225 to 250 for the whole time. Just seems like a long time. For a note, the ribs were really meaty...they weighed over 3.5lbs. I don't know how much this plays into the smoking time. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[3 star redneck]

on my off set smoker at 250*...I cook baby backs in less that 4 hrs...fall off the bone...

gas grills ,,I have no clue...

[egghead]

7 hours at 225 to 250 sounds like a long time. Suggest checking the calibration of your thermos. I have never had BBs go past 6 hours and usually done in 5 at a grid temp of 240.

Good luck with it.

[NYBBQ]

Hey guys, I overcooked them. I'm going to stick with 5-6 hours at 225-250 and just go from there next time. Thanks for the help.

[js-tx]

No biggie, it's all part of the learning process. Another way to check for readiness is when the meat starts shrinking away from the edge of the bone. No peeking either!

[jtilk]

I usually cook mine at 225 for 5 hrs myself, if I'm on a time crunch I figure for every 25 degrees you increase it you can subtract an hr as an estimate. 4 hrs @ 250, 3 hrs @ 275, etc...

[RWBTEX]

200 degrees and 2 1/2 to three hours total

[egghead]

200 degrees and 2 1/2 to three hours total

That would never work for me - are you sure you thermo is calibrated?

Mine go 5-6 hours at 240 grate temp

[eltex]

200 degrees and 2 1/2 to three hours total

That would never work for me - are you sure you thermo is calibrated?

Mine go 5-6 hours at 240 grate temp

On my offset, I easily have a 50 degree change moving from the fire side of the grate to the exit side of the smoker. I will move the ribs a time or two during the smoke, and I typically use the meat shrinking on the bones as a good indicator of completion. When we smoke, we always do a few different items, to help justify the expense and time required for smoking. We vac-pack the leftovers and pull it out weeks later for some good chow. If the brisket is cooking too fast, I will move it to the cooler side and move the ribs over to the hotter side. I thought about having some sort of baffle system to equalize temps across the smoker, but then I won't have this flexibility in cooking different cuts.

[Gator]

NYBBQ, perhaps your cooking temp is much lower near the grate?

[jtilk]

200 degrees and 2 1/2 to three hours total

That would never work for me - are you sure you thermo is calibrated?

Mine go 5-6 hours at 240 grate temp

On my offset, I easily have a 50 degree change moving from the fire side of the grate to the exit side of the smoker. I will move the ribs a time or two during the smoke, and I typically use the meat shrinking on the bones as a good indicator of completion. When we smoke, we always do a few different items, to help justify the expense and time required for smoking. We vac-pack the leftovers and pull it out weeks later for some good chow. If the brisket is cooking too fast, I will move it to the cooler side and move the ribs over to the hotter side. I thought about having some sort of baffle system to equalize temps across the smoker, but then I won't have this flexibility in cooking different cuts.

I'm with Egghead on this one. Even @ a 50 degree difference I'd still have to cook longer that 2 1/2 hrs, and I use foil which tends to accelerate the cooking process. (I know, Go ahead and crush me for using the Tx crutch )