Ribs on Bronson 20 Problem

[Jaina]

Hi, everyone:

I have a question about pork ribs and the Traeger Bronson 20 pellet smoker/grill. This has happened a couple of times. When I make ribs, they come out almost too cooked, falling off the bone in shreds. The flavor and smoke are great, but they seem to be overcooked, according to what I see on TV. You can't just pick up a rib and take a bite -- the meat just falls off. Anyway, I think I need to adjust my cooking times. Presently, I'm doing 3 hr smoke, 2 hr wrapped and 1 hour glaze. I add 1/4 cup apple juice and seasonings (brown sugar, squeeze margarine, honey, Tiger Sauce) to the wrap. I tried reducing the time to 2.5, 1.5 and 1. Same problem, just a tiny bit better. I don't really know which times to adjust. Your help would be greatly appreciated. BTW, I usually make a single rack, in the 3 to 4 pound weight range. Use Williams Rib Tickler rub and Traeger Sugar Lips glaze. Membrane removed.

Best regards,

Jaina

 

[whiscuz]

For what it's worth, I don't wrap my ribs. I like my ribs with a little bite and I've found wrapping causes the issue that you're describing. Try the unwrapped method and see what that does for you.

 

[GrillMeister]

Skip the apple juice when you wrap. Also, what temps are you doing ?

I do 3 hours on Smoke, then wrapped (no juice, but I add honey & brown sugar to the meaty side) 2 hours at 225, then unwrapped for about 30 minutes at 224. I then brush on sauce (one side) and wait another 10 minutes for it to set up. Never mushy, but good bite and a clean bone too.

 

[Seed]

I do about a 2.5/1.5 and tend to skip the last hour @225. Works well for me. As grill said, skip the juice. All that moisture just steams the ribs and they get mushy fast. Wrap tight. Not a fan of that style tbh. I'm a dry rub/rib guy.