ribs first smoke. results surprising

[seahag]

Set the SN as per general guidelines.
At this point very impressed. Grill temps measure with a maverick at grill. Held tepms at 225. Perfect.

Cooked for 2 hrs and the rub in spots was still dry. Looked very uncooked at this point.

I added more fuel and continued on.
After 2 more hrs. Ribs looked uncooked And very rubbery looking. (I've smoked ribs with out smokenator. With and without wraping them in foil and they have never taken this long)

At this point. I stopped adding water. Temps went up and I adjusted. And the ribs started to bark up. After 2 more hrs I deamed them ready as they were starting to crack when lifted with tongs. All in all nearly 6.5 hrs and the results are as follows.

Baby back. Small end perfect. Heavily smoked. But delicious. Tender and NOT fall apart

The big end another story. Like a dried out pork chop.

Any insight on whats happend here?

[neight]

I have never had a bad result with the setup that you describe. I keep mine at 225 measured with same temp monitor. Main difference is that I have never smoked my ribs for less than 4-5 hours and usually leave them on for near 6. Once I see the meat start to pull back from the tips of the bones I glaze them with sauce and leave them on for around 30-45 more minutes. Also, I keep water in the pan for the entire cook. Halfway through the cook I will flip the ribs...I use a Weber Style rib rack.

[ncsmoker]

Wow that is a strange result. I would have thought the small end would have been the dried out end. How often did you turn the ribs. I usually turn them every time I stir the coals. Stir the coals hourly to knock all the white ash off and push them up against new coals. Do not add new coals until the 4 hour point when you empty the ash from the kettle, see page 8 of the instructions. This can cause fluctuations. I also take the water out the last 30 min. to get a good bark. The time varies but the 4-5 time line is good. The moisture in the SN slows things down a little as well as lifting the lid to stir the coals. The one thing I have noticed is that because of the moisture the meat does not retreat down the bones as much as when I smoked using the Weber baskets and smoking with them. I also check the temp of the meat between the bones after about 4 hours to see where I am with an instant read Thermometer. Good luck on your next smoke and let us know how it comes out.

Love using the SN with everything from bacon to ribs to brisket.

[seahag]

Thanks for the tips. Possibly not enough cook time

It was really cold out