Smoking ribs and chicken for the first time, need tips

[Blacklab]

The brining helps with not drying out. Getting the skin crispy is the challenge with low temps

[7mmfan]

The party went off without a hitch, and the meat was fantastic. I brined the chicken for 24 hours in the mix that 92xj used in one of his chicken threads. I used the Cabelas chicken rub, and honestly it was really good. Not overpowering, just great flavor. They smoked for a little over 2 hours to get to 165 internal, and then I threw them and the ribs on the grill for about 5 minutes to crisp up. Definitely the best chicken I've ever had/made. Thanks for the advice, it definitely helped.

[h20hunter]

Tell me you got a pic of those ribs sliced and sauced. If it wasn't for the iffy Chinese I ate Friday night I just might have made it for a sampling.

[7mmfan]

Buddy i didn't even sauce them. They were so moist and falling off the bone that they didn't need it. I know for some people thats almost a sin. I'm going to do another batch next week I think and I'll sauce those ones.

[7mmfan]

My lovely wife just informed me that we actually have a couple pieces left, how that happened, I'm not sure.  But I'm happy about it! I'll sauce them up eat them for lunch.

[h20hunter]

Well done. Good looking bbq for sure.

[lamrith]

Buddy i didn't even sauce them. They were so moist and falling off the bone that they didn't need it. I know for some people thats almost a sin. I'm going to do another batch next week I think and I'll sauce those ones.

Welcome to the meat needs no sauce group.  I do not put any sauce on the table when I make my ribs, and nobody complains or asks for it.

[92xj]

Im glad the brine worked out for you.  Congrats on the cook and the no problem party.  It's always a good feeling when everything with the cooking goes as planned and everyone enjoys your cooking.  The food looks amazing!  I sauce some of my ribs but for sure not all of them.  I would recommend using honey on your next rack.  Do whatever method you like to cook them but the last hour put some honey on one of the racks.  When I cook, I always do three racks.  All 3 get a dry rub, in the last hour, one will get a bbq sauce coating, one a honey coating and one I don't touch.  The honey one always goes first and is requested at every meal. 

[7mmfan]

The honey does sound really good. Will definitely have to give that a try next time.

[lamrith]

Man, gonna have to try that honey for sure!!

I usually do 3 as well (std costco package)  Challenge I have is that some like spicy, some do not.  I will have to figure out how to divide it up and honey one of them..

92XJ, do you do the foil on your ribs?  babyback or St Louis?  Doing BB, I have yet to give them a full 5hrs.  At this point I am even down to just under 4hrs on heat.  I was having issue with the lengthwise strip of meat getting dried out..

Ned to get a rack here soon and try out the new pellet grill now that I have a bag of pellets thru it!

[7mmfan]

Here is the next part I could use some tips on. What is the best way to clean the smoker after a meat fest like tha? The chicken left that thing a greasy disaster. Any tried and true tips or just elbow grease and some soapy water?

[92xj]

Here is the next part I could use some tips on. What is the best way to clean the smoker after a meat fest like tha? The chicken left that thing a greasy disaster. Any tried and true tips or just elbow grease and some soapy water?

I clean all my cookers the same way....
I don't touch the cooker itself.  The only thing I will do is clean the racks.  I will get my gas grill turned on and up to high temps, put the smoker grates on the grill and get them super hot and then just use my wire brush to knock the crispy stuff off.  As far as inside of the cookers, leave the walls coated in the greasy goodness.  Just clean the racks as needed.  Clean out the fire box, puck bowl and any of the standing fluids in the water pan, catch pan, the bottom of the cooker or anything else you have inside that will collect fluid or hold fluid. 

[92xj]

Man, gonna have to try that honey for sure!!

I usually do 3 as well (std costco package)  Challenge I have is that some like spicy, some do not.  I will have to figure out how to divide it up and honey one of them..

92XJ, do you do the foil on your ribs?  babyback or St Louis?  Doing BB, I have yet to give them a full 5hrs.  At this point I am even down to just under 4hrs on heat.  I was having issue with the lengthwise strip of meat getting dried out..

Ned to get a rack here soon and try out the new pellet grill now that I have a bag of pellets thru it!

I will cover my ribs sometimes and other times I won't.  The wife loves ribs to fall apart without the slightest tug. The best way to do that is with foil and some fluids inside the foil.  Personally I, and judges, tend to like a little tug of the meat off the bone.  Foiling takes this tug away so I will just cook them low and slow without foil for the whole cook. 

I cook all ribs, but mostly spare ribs and baby backs.  Ive smoked ribs low and slow for 5-7 hours and have also smoked them super fast for 2.5 - 3 hours on a hot cooker at 300 + degrees.  Both work very well and both are great.  Ribs are forgiving and can be cooked so many different ways and they all can turn out great.  The last ribs I did I cooked super fast for an experiment and I believe posted a thread on them here on huntwa.  I will try and find it. 

Ribs are ribs and will most of the time turn out great no matter how you cook them.  Experiment with all different ways.  I am by no means an expert and don't claim to be.  My way could be totally wrong for some folks so I just say play around.  I think for beginners the best thing to do is start with the 3-2-1 method and modify it time wise and temperature wise depending on your time frame and your own personal touch.

Hope that helps.  Keep asking question, there are tons of great cooks on here that will do all they can to help and answer.

[92xj]

7mm,
after looking at your pictures inside your bradley I would suggest one thing.  Put one of your grates on the lowest setting and make a tin foil bowl that fills it.  That will catch all your drippings and keep it from getting your heat shield in the bottom all dirtied up. Then just throw the foil away.  Don't just cover the heat shield with foil as that will cover the smoke holes.  Does that make sense?  It will save your clean up a lot.

[7mmfan]

That makes a lot of sense.  I will do that next time. I removed the heat shield and it's soaking right now. The rest of the smoker was actually in a lot better shape than I thought initially. Thanks again