Baby Back Ribs Tips for Moisture

[VegasSmoker]

Hey everyone, Im new to smoking and have purchased a Jim Bowie Green Mountain Pellet Smoker. I ran my first rack of baby backs through last week and found that the flavor was exactly where I wanted it. However, they were a little more dry than I prefer. I like the ribs to barely be pulled off the bone with the teeth and there needed a little effort. I smoked these at 190* for 4hrs, 190* for 1hr covered in foil/on a cooking sheet, and then the last hr at 225* while basting with sauce every twice in the first 30min of the last hour. Any tips you guys can give me to give or retain a little more moisture? I want to try another rack tomorrow so I can perfect it all before Labor Day.

Thanks in advance.

[Papa Tom]

Here is my method.

1hr @ "Smoke" 180° (or less)
1 hr @ 275° naked
1hr foiled @ 275° with 1/2 cup liquid I use Rhine wine but it could be apple juice, beer or water.
1 hr. naked again testing for done after 30 min and basting for glaze when skin starts to crack when lifted in the middle.
go another 30 min after glazing

Usually total time is close to 4hr.

[VegasSmoker]

Thanks! Do you brine at all or no?

[BobbyQ]

YES on the brine!!!!!!!!!!
I brine everything going into the smoker; chicken, turkey beef, pig, goat, mutton, dove rolled inside bacon.
Brining adds water into the meat.
Dissolve 1/2 cup pickling salt in 2 gallons of cold water. Pickling salt lacks the Iodine that causes an off-color to the meat. Place in 'fridge 8-9 hours, less if small meat. Pull out of 'fridge in the morning, place meat onto cutting board or into whatever else and allow meat to come to room temperature before going into the smoker. The meat comes out of 'fridge at about 39 degrees so that in combination with the salt on and in the meat will inhibit bacterial growth for the short period of warming to room temp. Keep out of reach of your Labrador Retriever (I have 3, one of which routinely jumps onto the kitchen island snooping for food).

I like Papa Tom's method of 1 hour "smoke" at 180 degrees. Too cool to actually cook but plenty time for smoke to ooze into the meat. Certainly mist with water a during the "Smoke" and "naked" intervals if one does not sop. I have found heavy sopping makes for a more beautiful end product but, alas!, the sop tends to be a barrier for more smoke to get into the meat.

Your thoughts Papa?

[Finatic]

Baby backs typically don't have a lot of marbling or internal fat. I usually cook spare ribs in 4 hours and cook baby's in a little over 3 hours. I cook them a little faster as the do tend to dry out a little faster. But those do look good!

[Txdragon]

They look good from here!

[Russ]

That glaze looks real larapin.

Russ