Best set up for cooking ribs

[Bross1987]

Hey everyone, I'm planning on cooking 3-4 slabs of ribs on Saturday. I'm wondering what the best setup would be for doing this. Should I go with the snake method or the minoin method? How long should I plan on them cooking? Any advice would be appreciated.

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[TheDude]

What kind of ribs? Cook times can vary, from cut to cut. I don't like wrapping my ribs, so I plan on about sixish hours. I prefer a snake, but you'll have to rotate the grate a few times throughout the day. Minion takes constant feeding and I have a hard time managing the temps. Either way, you're gonna need a rib rack, or a couple kettles.



I'm assuming a WSM isn't an option.

[Bross1987]

What kind of ribs? Cook times can vary, from cut to cut. I don't like wrapping my ribs, so I plan on about sixish hours. I prefer a snake, but you'll have to rotate the grate a few times throughout the day. Minion takes constant feeding and I have a hard time managing the temps. Either way, you're gonna need a rib rack, or a couple kettles.



I'm assuming a WSM isn't an option.

I have the Weber rib rack that will hold 4. I'm planning on doing the St Louis style on my 22 inch Weber. Does the snake method take less over watch?

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[TheDude]

For me, the snake is less work. You'll have to rotate the grate a few times to avoid direct heat. With a minion, after the first couple three hours is constant feeding. Five or six coals every 30-45 mins.

[jmitchell418]

I used the snake method for the first time in my wsm 18 last weekend for ribs. After I ditched the sand in the water pan and then ditched the water (and water pan altogether) temps were rock solid at 230 the whole 6 hours (3-2-1 cook method). My snake was 2 coals wide and about 3-4 layers high with all but one intake vent wide open. Used a Weber rib rack. Plan on upgrading to the Weber hanging rack before next round.

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[kettlebb]

I use my slow n sear on the kettle. I never have to refuel. Get baby back ribs done in 5 hours with ease.


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[mshred]

Im curious about this as well as I was planning to do a couple racks of baby backs tomorrow as well. I have been undecided about whether to try the snake or the minion method, and also whether I should use lump or briquettes for the cook.

Seems from what I have read that the snake will hold temperature quite steady, but won't burn much hotter then 275 degrees if you so wanted it to....Not trying to hi-jack, just in the same boat as the OP

[Joetee]

I fixed ribs with a Slow n Sear. It smoked for 5 1/2 hrs without a fuel refill. About 225 -245 degrees using Stubb's.  22 inch kettle.
You put 12 hot coals in the corner. Fill the rest up with cold coals. Set your bottom vent to about 1/4 inch open, maybe a little less. Your top vent about 1/2 open. Maybe a little less. Use a thermometer like a thermoworks Smoke.

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[1buckie]

If you're using a rack, either way will work out OK....

I like keeping them flat, but have used racks in a pinch for space & available lit Kettles also....

Flat, just bank off to one side, keep it packed back away from the center as best you can so as to give the most non-fire cooking space as possible....change places with the flats halfway thru to get them evenly heated....



In doing that, I would dump a bunch of lit on top of SOME un-lit (this is not the Jim Minion Method, more later), keep the bottom vents pinched down quite a bit to burn slower & lower heat....top vent all open to freely exhaust...



That setup, you can run pretty low if you like, or all the way up to maybe 400f if needed.....


Different angle....





Racked.....same basic set, just keep the rack back from the heat & rotate them thru the rack a time or two during the cook....

This is St. Lou's, two upright, one on top, flat in a rack...




Snaked, you could load up a hefty ring of coal, start it with a dozen or more lit & keep the vents closed down some, top vent all open.....open lowers a bit more as needed to climb UP to the temp you'd like to cook at.....260~275 seems to be a good middle ground to me.....too hot & you can scorch things; aiming for 225, if your therm or therm placement is off by just a little, you end up cooking below the boiling point of water & stuff takes forever....

If you have other stuff going on (family, yard work, kids running around) then chain/snake will maybe take less attention, BUT pay attention to YOUR SETUP either way....then it becomes easy....
By setup I mean: setting up, starting the burn, heating the kettle, placing the food & waiting just a bit until the temp is stabilized.....then do other stuff....

Minion Method is a few lit on a pile of UN-lit, vents pinched to run low heat.....developed by him at a contest when he was in a bind.....electrically operated cooker took a dive & he sent the wife to get a brand new WSM & needed to play catch-up w/ the rest of the competition....

https://patronsofthepit.wordpress.com/2013/02/18/the-long-burnthe-method-of-jim-minion/

http://firefoodchef.com/smoke-low-slow-using-minion-method/

And the guy himself:

http://virtualweberbullet.com/fireup2.html

[mshred]

Great info 1buckie! I see you are using briquettes in your cooks...Do you prefer it over lump in longer cooks like ribs? I know lump is said to burn unevenly because of the variance in the size of pieces, just wondering how that would effect a smoke session over a few hours as I am only used to high heat searing of steaks and such with my kettle at this point

[1buckie]

Either one is basically just a heat source.....lump can burn hotter given the same amount of air....a little less air, same temp....
The possible problem w/ lump might be the 'contact' issue.....if it's not lit well, receives too little air at some point, or is not in contact with other burning coals, it can snuff out or burn unevenly....

[Bross1987]

Great info guys!. I appreciate all the input. One other question I have is, do you cook the ribs with the bone up or down when using a rib rack?

[1buckie]

Great info guys!. I appreciate all the input. One other question I have is, do you cook the ribs with the bone up or down when using a rib rack?

Not quite sure what you mean?

They are going to be at right angles to the cook grate, so.....?

If St. Louis cut, it wouldn't matter....full spares, maybe with the bone showing end down....backribs, either way, I guess?

[Joetee]

[Bross1987]

[/quote

Nice looking ribs!