3 2 1 Ribs?

Ok, first let me say that when it comes to ribs, I am still just a humble beginner.

I just read a reference to 3 2 1 ribs. Could someone explain that to me?

its a method ..
3 hours on the smoker 225 ish
2 hours wrapped in foil 225ish
1 hour out of foil 225ish ..
best used for spares ..
more like 2-2-1 for baby backs ..

Copied and Pasted! Thanks!

I'll let you all know how they turn out the next time I do some ribs.

Good luck...this method helps them come out super tender and falling off the bone.

Love2"Q" said:

its a method ..
3 hours on the smoker 225 ish
2 hours wrapped in foil 225ish
1 hour out of foil 225ish ..
best used for spares ..
more like 2-2-1 for baby backs ..

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The range you want to keep the ribs is 200-250. 225 is pretty ideal. If it is hotter then cut down the cooking times, lower increase them.

I don't believe that meat takes on any more smoke flavor after a couple of hours so I only smoke for 2 hours. Smoke wood is too damn expensive to waste for that third hour.

When I do ribs with the 3-2-1 method I apply a liberal rub at the beginning of the process but have plenty of extra rub. When it is time to foil I slather the ribs in honey or syrup. Sounds nuts, but trust me. Then add more rub. Into the foil for a couple hours. When the ribs come out of the foil the rub will be mealy and gritty. Back into the cooking chamber for another hour or so to firm up that rub into a nice bark.

If you don't want the extra bark just slather in honey or syrup and foil.

Here is a pic of some baby back, bone side down getting slathered:


If you plan on saucing your ribs with BBQ sauce then do not add any more rub.

My dad has poured wine or beer in with the ribs in the foil which is pretty awesome too...

thats another big debate.... does meat take on more smoke flavor after a couple of hours...lol

IMHO.... i think it still does... bbq a pork butt for 2 or 3 hours and then cook it in the oven to finish... then Q it in a pit for the whole time.... see if you can taste the difference

i have done both and yes the one in the pit has alot more smoke flavor...

3-2-1 or 2-2-1 is basically a guide..... you need to watch the meat more than anything... when the meat pulls back from the rib bones that is a sure sign that it needs to be wrapped... i also dont keep it in the foil for 2 hours, i find that they fall off the bone too much and is not my desired effect but that is just the way i like my ribs

I have actually taken meat out and looked at the smoke rings after 1, 2 and 3 hours and find little to no difference much after 1 hour if it is done at a consistent heat. I do leave mine 2 hours as that is how long one load of wood lasts on my smoker.

I hadn't heard a couple hours, but I read over 140F the pinkness or ring won't increase. And the smoke causes the ring. So maybe that's around 2 hours to reach that temp? I threw all my notes away because they seemed like a complete waste of time or I'd know (lol).

Anyway, I was doing a butt one time and threw some ABTs on late, so I added more chips to flavor the ABTs. I did not like the taste of the bark on the butt at all. It tasted like surface smoke. It just wasn't right.

I have read some where that the meat can only take smoke flavor to a point based on the temperature of the meat itself.

joec said:

I have read some where that the meat can only take smoke flavor to a point based on the temperature of the meat itself.

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i have read the same thing but didnt believe it.lol

i am trying to find that article and another discussion we had on another forum about the same topic

It had something to do with the meat breaking down as a given heat is what I got out of the article at the time. It sounded resonable to me but I did test it out and found little to know difference in the smoke ring between 1, 2 and 3 hours.

3-2-1 = 6 hours. For ribs?

That seems way too long to me. My spare ribs are falling off the bone tender in about 4 hours. I never foil them either. I use a water smoker and a mop which is a 50/50 ratio of apple cider vinegar and oil. The “mop” I keep in a large spray bottle and just mist the meat.

I got careless once and let a rack cook for 5 hours. They were TOO tender. I could barely slice them as the friction from the knife caused the bones to fall out. You could actually hold the bone in your hand, shake it, and the meat just fell off the bone in a pile. That is TOO soft.....more like pulled pork. I like a little texture to my ribs.

Baby Backs I only smoke for 2 – 3 hours. But often, I’ll just grill them over low coals as they are tender enough as it is.

At what temp are you doing it at Keltin? The reason I ask is I've done them in my house oven in 2 hours where they fall apart also but more like 325 - 350 degrees. I do smoke mine though about 225 deg.

joec said:

At what temp are you doing it at Keltin? The reason I ask is I've done them in my house oven in 2 hours where they fall apart also but more like 325 - 350 degrees. I do smoke mine though about 225 deg.

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I running at 225-235. It stays pretty steady at that range. I put a thermometer on the rack next to the ribs and can see it through the vent hole on top so I don’t have to take the lid off to see the temp.

Could be that the water smoker (moist cooking air) and the wet mop I use is speeding things up. I mist the meat about every 45 minutes.

Keltin said:

3-2-1 = 6 hours. For ribs?

That seems way too long to me. My spare ribs are falling off the bone tender in about 4 hours. I never foil them either. I use a water smoker and a mop which is a 50/50 ratio of apple cider vinegar and oil. The “mop” I keep in a large spray bottle and just mist the meat.

I got careless once and let a rack cook for 5 hours. They were TOO tender. I could barely slice them as the friction from the knife caused the bones to fall out. You could actually hold the bone in your hand, shake it, and the meat just fell off the bone in a pile. That is TOO soft.....more like pulled pork. I like a little texture to my ribs.

Baby Backs I only smoke for 2 – 3 hours. But often, I’ll just grill them over low coals as they are tender enough as it is.

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I can do that at 275 every time. If I keep it under 225 then it takes close to 6. Like I said earlier, I like my ribs chewy and still stuck to the bone so I go for about 5 hours.

I use a water smoker also but not the wet mop. I close mine and don't open it till the meat hits the desired internal temp.

joec said:

I use a water smoker also but not the wet mop. I close mine and don't open it till the meat hits the desired internal temp.

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So you don't use foil either?

Nope not as a rule I don't but often spend 5 to 6 hours with ribs. I have done with foil but don't see much advantage to it in my smoker but usually do in the oven.