1st cook on new Pit Boss Pro Series 4 Series Vertical Smoke
- Thread starter StuKatz
- Start date
Mike From R.I.
Well-known member
Did you wrap them after the first 3 hours?
yes. I smoked for 3 hours, wrq;pped for 2 with apple juice, brown sugar and butter, then an hour with sauce.
As they were exteremly meaty, I probably should have braised longer in the foil.
We also are them right away , should have let them sit for a half hour mybe
As they were exteremly meaty, I probably should have braised longer in the foil.
We also are them right away , should have let them sit for a half hour mybe
Steve In Pa
Well-known member
Couple of things, how are you measuring the temperature? I have that same model and I found that what reads on the digital display on the outside doesn't necessarily match what's going on in the inside.
Secondly, for the ribs that I've done so far I stick with one temperature all the way through. Something in the vicinity of 230 ish.
Desert_Smokin
Active member
I did baby backs on my series 4 about a month ago. Smoked them at 250 for about 5hrs with LJ pellets. Outstanding.
Dab942
Active member
I've moved away from 3-2-1. I do 2 hours at 275, then wrapped (I put them in a pan and wrap) for an hour with apple juice -- glaze and on back in for about ten minutes.
I got my best results when I stopped thinking 3-2-1, and instead: Smoke three hours at 200, then wrap and turn up the temp to 260 until tenderness I want (could be 2 hours maybe more), then I sauce and place on smoker until sauce sets (10 or 15 minutes) any longer and they are too mushy for me. Note: 260 works for me because the temp inside the smoker is 15 to 20 degrees hotter than the set temp.
DanStealth
Member
3-2-1 is one of the worst bbq memes.
You should be going by feel.
Wrapping for me makes them way to mushy,
I like clean off the bone but with a bite. I’ve found smoking for 3 or so hours and depending on how that goes I’ll wrap them for at most an hour, TIGHT, with some sort of liquid. I typically use butter with apple juice and honey but any liquid if fine. You could even use plain water if you want, you just want that steam to help braise the meat. After an hour I’ll pick them up and if they feel floppy and sag when picking them up they are good and I’ll unwrap and cook them for some more.
Honestly, if you keep the moisture up in the box, you don’t even need to wrap. I enjoy them just as much leavin them alone and just making sure I spray them every 30 min or so after they 3 hour mark and make sure they don’t look like they are drying out.
You should be going by feel.
Wrapping for me makes them way to mushy,
I like clean off the bone but with a bite. I’ve found smoking for 3 or so hours and depending on how that goes I’ll wrap them for at most an hour, TIGHT, with some sort of liquid. I typically use butter with apple juice and honey but any liquid if fine. You could even use plain water if you want, you just want that steam to help braise the meat. After an hour I’ll pick them up and if they feel floppy and sag when picking them up they are good and I’ll unwrap and cook them for some more.
Honestly, if you keep the moisture up in the box, you don’t even need to wrap. I enjoy them just as much leavin them alone and just making sure I spray them every 30 min or so after they 3 hour mark and make sure they don’t look like they are drying out.
Tym2Fish
Member
Like Steve said, check your internal temp. A separate monitoring temp probe is pretty mandatory if you ask me. I've got a 3 year old Samsung oven in my kitchen and it was off 17 degrees. That can make a big difference after an 18 hour smoke.
321 is a guide but you still gotta check and see if they're done. Look at your pull back on the bone and twist one or two with the tongs so you can tell how cooked they are. Fall off the bone is overcooked. This ain't Applebee's.
321 is a guide but you still gotta check and see if they're done. Look at your pull back on the bone and twist one or two with the tongs so you can tell how cooked they are. Fall off the bone is overcooked. This ain't Applebee's.
sharpersmokes
New member
Congrats on the new smoker. I have the same one and love it! I’m no expert but I would say 180/230 is too low for a total time of 4 hours, if I’m reading your description correctly. Also, I tend to ignore the 3/2/1 and focus more on color and tenderness before wrapping and making sure they’re probe tender close to falling off the bone and have good bone pullback before they come off. Also a long rest is your friend in my experience.
jshotsky
New member
Wrapping is steaming. You could do it in the oven just as easily and cheaper. I never wrap, and I take them off when they are DONE. They are done when they tell you they are done, and not before. Bones will protrude about 1/4 to 3/8 inch, the rack will start to break if you pick them up with tongs in the middle, or when your temperature probe goes in and out with no resistance. You do NOT COOK any low and slow meat to temperature, you are cooking it until it is done. You pulled yours too soon.
Thanks. So can you give a range of how long to cook them for to get them "fall off the bone" without wrapping?
I do mine at 225 and never change the temperature and wrap after 3 hours and make the liquid recipe up that is in the pitboss book for ribs and pour it on when I wrap it and it steams in the foil for 2 hours then unwrap it and put the barbecue sauce on and they always come out tender. You can tweak the recipe to suit you. I also have used honey,brown sugar and sliced up butter and put on it before I wrapped it and it came out good. But my family seems to like the pitboss recipe better on it I changed the apple juice to coke
Desert_Smokin
Active member
Last ones I did naked they were smoked at 250 for about 5 hours. Probably a little too long as the rack fell in 2 pieces as I pulled it off the smoker. Great ribs though.
jshotsky
New member
Fall off the bone is overcooked. I call it rib mush. No pit boss or pro would ever cook ribs that long.
But my ribs usually take between 4 and 5 hours, and I pull them when they are 'DONE'.
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