ribs on a wsm

[bryanw21157]

So, the last time I attempted to cook two slabs of baby-backs on my 18-1/2 wsm, it took forever.  No bark at all, never really got past 150, tough. 

used water in the bowl and TWO chimneys of lit coals to get the smoker up to 300-325 

ended up setting the top half on the patio, moving the coals over to the performer and finishing them over direct heat.  Had a good crust then, but something
is nagging at me that I should have been able to do them entirely on the wsm.

I think the issue was the water.  Reading about other peoples experiences, they don't use water in the pan.  they put sand in them or pull them entirely and substitute a terra-cotta plate (similar to the mini-wsm build I have)

any thoughts / validation of my theory?    3-1/2 hours and two loads of coals is excessive to cook two slabs, agree?

[Troy]

What didn't get over 150? The temp of the ribs, or the temp of the smoker?

Did you start by adding lit coals on top of unlit coals?
Did you start with hot water or cold water?

I use water with ribs, but not with butts or brisket. I honestly don't think water makes any difference with moisture levels of the meat.

Water acts like a heat sink, training wheels for your smoker. If temps get too high, having water in the pan will literally consume heat and help lower the temps of the pit.
Sand or clay won't do this, they will simply absorb the heat and radiate it.

Baby back ribs are going to take 5 hours. You can do them in 4, but with a WSMs limited space you're going to have black and crusty ends.

[Harleysmoker]

I have a 22" WSM and have never used water, sand, or a terra cotta pan. I have no problem getting the smoker temp up to 350* for smoking turkeys, or hot and fast Pork Butts. I also don't have any problem maintaining a temp of 250* for many hours when smoking slower without water or anything in the pan. I just foil an empty pan for easy clean up.

[mrbill]

i've used my 18.5wsm with and without water in the pan. didn't notice any difference in meat moisture either way. however, when using water, the temps were more stable throughout the cook(water acts as a heat sink helping temps not spike or dip too easily). one thing to watch out for(that i learned the hard way) is that if your pan is resting on the lit coals, your fire can die. clean up with both of these methods can be annoying. while talking to a very experienced wsm competitor on another board, i was advised to forgo the water. in place of the water, fill the bowl with balls of foil and cover the top with foil. the foil balls will still act as a heatsink to maintain a steady temp and clean up of the bowl is as easy as replacing the top foil. i tried it, it works. temps hold more easily and clean up is a snap, just remove and replace the foil covering the top. when doing ribs, i form them in a loose coil and use skewers to hold in place. once they shrink enough to lay flat, i remove the skewers and lay them flat for the rest of the cook. as for bark, imo-ribs shouldn't really have a bark(they aren't meant to cook long enough to develop one). two chimneys of coals seems excessive to me for using a wsm. two things can happen. 1-lit coals are stacked too high and get crushed out once the bowl is in place. 2-temps will spike too high too soon and over cook your ribs. i fill the charcoal ring with briquettes/wood then take enough from the center to almost fill the chimney. light off the chimney and once the coals start to ash over(with a few in the center of the chimney glowing) dump back into the hole they came from, assemble the smoker and let it come up to temp. once at temp, add meat and let it ride(top vent should be wide open, control the heat with small adjustments of the bottom vents).

[addicted-to-smoke]

I've read several similar explanations of how to light and run the WSM but yours mrbill was nicely-said compendium. Thanks.

[1buckie]

Good observations by everyone.....

Almost smacks of dampened charcoal somehow........that's the kind of thing I'll run into once in awhile.......seems like a lot of coals going, but it won't catch onto the unlit well & seems to snuff out on some of the coals...two chimneys is a lot of burn.......just a thought, as sometimes it's hard to even tell if the stuff's picked up moisture.....

I see Harley's description as what it kinda should be like, or optimum, but not everyone's situation with outside humidity & such is the same.....I get away with murder around here (25 ft elevation, not hugely humid, warm even when it rains a lot of times)  as far as that kind of thing goes, but have to take others situation into account when talking about times, temps, burn setups..............

[mrbill]

I've read several similar explanations of how to light and run the WSM but yours mrbill was nicely-said compendium. Thanks.

just trying to concisely state what I've learned(firsthand experience and info gleaned from internet postings) in hopes it saves op or others some headache.

[mrbill]

Almost smacks of dampened charcoal somehow........that's the kind of thing I'll run into once in awhile.......seems like a lot of coals going, but it won't catch onto the unlit well & seems to snuff out on some of the coals...two chimneys is a lot of burn.......just a thought, as sometimes it's hard to even tell if the stuff's picked up moisture.....while it won't work for briquettes near the borderline, if you can crush/crumble a "dry" one in your hand, it's trash. from what I've read, if they get wet, but are dried properly, they'll be "okay" but won't burn as hot as coals that never got wet

I see Harley's description as what it kinda should be like, or optimum, but not everyone's situation with outside humidity & such is the same.....I get away with murder around here (25 ft elevation, not hugely humid, warm even when it rains a lot of times)  as far as that kind of thing goes, but have to take others situation into account when talking about times, temps, burn setups.............. unless you're in the tropics, ambient humidity most likely won't affect the effectiveness of your charcoal unless you leave it out in an unsealed container for months on end in a very humid climate

[1buckie]

Pretty much agreed on the 1st part, but part two is not my personal experience at all.......if there's high moisture in the air, that stuff will suck it up in no time......like overnite..............
A bag with just the top not rolled down will not light worth squat for the first 6" of charcoal then........it really is a moisture sponge......when people O. D. on alcohol & go to the hospital, they give them charcoal to suck up the liquid & get the toxic stuff out fast......not exactly the same, but a similar idea............

I've done this many times......forgot to roll the bag top down or otherwise store it away......like this AM early, humidity was 96%, thick air, but not raining.....that would have left coals too damp to burn well......they get going, but don't burn as hot, even & are much more likely to snuff in certain conditions.....lump seems even worse for me......