On 9-Jun-2008, adm > wrote:

> On 2008-06-09 15:58:05 +0100, Nick Cramer > said:
>
> > adm > wrote:
> >> > said:
> >> [ . . . ]
> >> Hi Charles,
> >>
> >> Hope the ribs turned out good. Here's a thought for the next attempt:

<snip a bunch here>

> >
> > Like 'adm' says, a dry rub is great. Jun sometimes marinates them, Thai
> > style, for a little while instead. You can add some cayenne to it if you
> > want. You can wipe down the ribs with CYM before rubbing them. It'll
> > help
> > the rub stick and you won't taste it. DON'T mop during the cook!
>
> (I agee with this - despite my earlier "if you like" advise to the
> contrary. Try to keep the lid down for as log as possible during the
> cook. Every time you lift it, you'll add 15-30 minues to the total cook
> time. KEEP IT CLOSED!
>

< and snip yet another bunch>

I just wanted to comment about that mopping and opening the pit part.
I've been running an offset smoker just five years as of last month, so
my opinion isn't the end all. I did a lot of messing around when I got
started in 2003. I destroyed quite a bit of dead animal pieces while
I was learning. Frankly, I damn near gave up on this offset. Then one
day, I just stopped messing with it. Next thing I knew, it didn't need
any messing with. Now everytime I cook, it seems like it takes less
fuel and is much less effort. I know what it's doing without looking
at it every fifteen minutes. I'm usually cooking a mixed bag of meat.
Usually ribs and butts both, but sometimes a chicken or two at the
same time. In the same pit at the same time, chickens take two hours
or less, ribs four and butts about seven.

If there's chickens in there, I'll check at one hour to see if they're
cooking more on one side then the other. Turn them around if need
be. If the pit is that full the ribs are probably stacked, so I'll shuffle
them at the same time. Based on how the chicken looked, I'll
guestimate when I should check again. It'll be at the 1-1/2 to 2
hour point for sure. I'll stab the birds with an instant read therm
when I check the second time. I check them in several places
because thermometers lie to me a lot. When I open the pit for
the third time, them birds are coming out. Well, at least one of
them is. With my luck, the other bird will want another half hour.
And that's the way it goes.

Birds in the pit is about the worst possible case. With just ribs and
butts, that lid won't open at all under three hours.
--
Brick(Youth is wasted on young people)