Dry run on my first Prime Rib on the smoker. Need to make some adjustments and changes.

[jumpinjoe]

Someone up above hit the nail on the head when he said something about how long the roast is under smoke. It's also important the amount of smoke during that time. And mesquite is the absolute hardest to control with certain meats.

Most meats will stop taking evidence of smoke internally when the outside reaches about 139-40 degrees. So most smoke after that outside temp will just lay on top in layers and build up a bitter bark. The temp during that time will also have an effect on it. And try to maintain a really faint pure white smoke. A dark, heavy smoke will also lead to some bitterness.

It looks like you're off to a good start, but if it's a little heavy on the smoke, try not adding anymore wood after the meat reaches about 140 degrees. If the cooker temp is about where it should be you'll be fine till the internal is around 125-140 for a rare to med rare. Good luck!

 

[BobT]

We take our BBQ seriously in Texas One of my neighbors built this:

He also cobbled together this 5 gallon ice cream maker powered by a "Poppin' Johnny" oil field engine:

 

[javbike]

We take our BBQ seriously in Texas One of my neighbors built this:

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View attachment 32491

He also cobbled together this 5 gallon ice cream maker powered by a "Poppin' Johnny" oil field engine:

View attachment 32492

Been to one barbecue place in Texas really good city market in luling Texas the best

 

[HayesGreener]

I learned a lot about BBQ when working in San Angelo, but only from watching and reading. The pit masters were pretty closed mouthed about their recipes and techniques. Understandable because of the BBQ competitions.

 

[Onewolf426]

I cook on my Big Green Egg several times a week. Of all the cuts of meat I have cooked over the past 10 years, I am most meticulous about prime rib. It is an expensive cut and really easy to overcook if you don't watch the temp carefully. No parsley sage or thyme, that's good for turkey.

I have found that some folks do not like mesquite smoke and it can cause stomach upset for some so I use BGE lump and some pecan scraps in my BGE. BGE lump is from oak and hickory.

I use Adam Perry Lang's prime rib recipe I smoke a prime rib at 275 and pull it at 125 degrees internal to get medium rare. It takes about 3.5 hours total. It will continue cooking for a bit after you pull it. APL recipes have a lot of steps and ingredients but it pays off. The crust from the glaze is wonderful. I think the beef paste is key. You can find his recipes on line.

Thanks Hayes! I will definitely look it up. I am very meticulous with everything I do. I do mostly pork on my smoker, as my wife is not a big beef eater. Most of the family are not big beef eaters.......which leaves more for me.

 

[Onewolf426]

I'll have to agree with Hans, that bark looks pretty heavy and the mesquite is the likely culprit. It and the combination with the Oak is a pretty heavy dose of smoke for something as delicate as prime rib.

What was your cook time (how long) and at what temperature...... for what weight of roast?

Yeah, probably the Mesquite. I usually use either post oak, pecan, cherry or applewood. The roast was @3 lbs, cook time was roughly 2 and a half hours at @ 250 to 260. I have to do some resealing on my smoker firebox as I am getting some leakage. I use a Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn 3 in 1 combo. I tried a different recipe from a bbq site that used hickory and mesquite and the rub. I should have just stuck with what I use normally, but wanted to try something different. I know that, due to the size of my smoker, when I do ribs I usually just do the smoke for 45 minutes to an hour, then the rest of the time is wrapped. Tried the 3-2-1 method, but was still too much smoke. Maybe if I just use mainly charcoal with one wood chunk or stick, it might go better. I use FOGO charcoal and wood quarters that I get from Fruitawood online.

 

[Onewolf426]

Someone up above hit the nail on the head when he said something about how long the roast is under smoke. It's also important the amount of smoke during that time. And mesquite is the absolute hardest to control with certain meats.

Most meats will stop taking evidence of smoke internally when the outside reaches about 139-40 degrees. So most smoke after that outside temp will just lay on top in layers and build up a bitter bark. The temp during that time will also have an effect on it. And try to maintain a really faint pure white smoke. A dark, heavy smoke will also lead to some bitterness.

It looks like you're off to a good start, but if it's a little heavy on the smoke, try not adding anymore wood after the meat reaches about 140 degrees. If the cooker temp is about where it should be you'll be fine till the internal is around 125-140 for a rare to med rare. Good luck!

Well, I took this up to about 130 internal. Might just try one stick and charcoal the rest of the way. Maybe wrap, then reverse sear after internal temp is reached. It came out medium rare, should have taken it out at 125 internal. Thanks for the pointers.

 

[Jfal]

Yeah, probably the Mesquite. I usually use either post oak, pecan, cherry or applewood. The roast was @3 lbs, cook time was roughly 2 and a half hours at @ 250 to 260. I have to do some resealing on my smoker firebox as I am getting some leakage. I use a Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn 3 in 1 combo. I tried a different recipe from a bbq site that used hickory and mesquite and the rub. I should have just stuck with what I use normally, but wanted to try something different. I know that, due to the size of my smoker, when I do ribs I usually just do the smoke for 45 minutes to an hour, then the rest of the time is wrapped. Tried the 3-2-1 method, but was still too much smoke. Maybe if I just use mainly charcoal with one wood chunk or stick, it might go better. I use FOGO charcoal and wood quarters that I get from Fruitawood online.

I admittedly have NEVER had success with 3-2-1 for pork ribs...

 

[jumpinjoe]

Well, I took this up to about 130 internal. Might just try one stick and charcoal the rest of the way. Maybe wrap, then reverse sear after internal temp is reached. It came out medium rare, should have taken it out at 125 internal. Thanks for the pointers.

That Longhorn is a pretty nice reverse flow cooker but can run a little hotter than the door thermometer indicates. there's a couple tricks you can do to it to help keep better control of the temps you might want to check out on 'Youtube' too. And that drum being the size it is is awfully easy to oversmoke most anything. Try to keep a real thin pale blue smoke moving through it and don't let the smoke stall and linger. Remember that smoke does carry some particles of creasote that can/will settle out on your meat since it's surface is a cooler temperature than the smoke. That will sure add to a bitter taste too.

How long have you been using the 'Longhorn' model? Just a tip here, but you might want to stop using any wood at all after about the first hour cooking at 250F. And from my experience, I wouldn't recommend wrapping any good roast, especially a rib roast. In fact I don't wrap anything and haven't in the past 20+ yrs. Saves on a ton of aluminum foil or butcher paper, and the bark will almost always be better/firmer. Well, on rare occasions I might wrap a brisket, tri-tip, or a heavy london broil through the stall if time is critical .... but that's about it.

Ooops ..... just went back to re-read some and realized yours is a 3-1 Longhorn and not the reverse flow unit. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. There are still a couple things you might want to consider in mods to your cooker. But all in all I think from what you're saying and from the dark bark on this first rib roast, I think you maybe just got a little too much smoke on it.

Unless you really like the taste of mesquite (I don't particularly like it myself), try using hickory alone, or most any Oak. Fruit woods are generally too mild to use alone, but some do and get good results. But that's the really good part of smoking/BBQ'ing, trying new things/methods. Go for it 1Wolf!!!

 

[KillerFord1977]

Half smoker. Half “oven”:
I get the grill to 400 degrees. My “oven.”Keeps mess outside on the grill instead of the kitchen oven. I use a roast rack
Sear the prime rib. Transfer to roasting rack
Reduce heat to 250. “Oven roast” on the grill.
Transfer to prepared at temp 250 degree smoker over oak until dome at internal temp.

My half/half method.

 

[jumpinjoe]

Man ..... I gotta say that looks good enough to eat!!!!! Wasn't it you that told me you help cook at the fire house for certain times of the year? It's been so long since that conversation I can't remember for sure.

 

[jumpinjoe]

Am I to understand your "LIKE" is an affirmative to my question above? I'm pretty sure it was you and it was obvious you knew what you were doing then !!!!

Edit: I see you're still using that Weber too !!! Good on ya son, good on ya'!!

 

[KillerFord1977]

Man ..... I gotta say that looks good enough to eat!!!!! Wasn't it you that told me you help cook at the fire house for certain times of the year? It's been so long since that conversation I can't remember for sure.

I’ve cooked for a few charity events and designated cook for our hunting groups.
I cook daily for the family. Smoker goes every other week end.
I have a bullet smoker, a half barrel and an electric/wood chip smoker. Depends on the meal what gets used.

 

[Annihilator]

View attachment 32472View attachment 32473View attachment 32475

 

[HayesGreener]

I admittedly have NEVER had success with 3-2-1 for pork ribs...

I smoke ribs in the BGE at 275 degrees. We slather with a mix of mustard, apple ciider vinegar, and whresyoursister sauce to make the rub stick. We like John Henry's Pecan rub. At 2 hours I pull them and wrap in foil with a wrapping mixture that consists of brown sugar, honey, and apple juice, back in the smoker for another hour flipping the packets half way through. Pull the packets and let them sit for a half hour. Remove the foil and back to the cooker with a dusting of your rub for a half hour. Now add BBQ sauce of your choice and cook another half hour. I like to finely chop green apple and mix with the BBQ sauce.

 

[Onewolf426]

That Longhorn is a pretty nice reverse flow cooker but can run a little hotter than the door thermometer indicates. there's a couple tricks you can do to it to help keep better control of the temps you might want to check out on 'Youtube' too. And that drum being the size it is is awfully easy to oversmoke most anything. Try to keep a real thin pale blue smoke moving through it and don't let the smoke stall and linger. Remember that smoke does carry some particles of creasote that can/will settle out on your meat since it's surface is a cooler temperature than the smoke. That will sure add to a bitter taste too.

How long have you been using the 'Longhorn' model? Just a tip here, but you might want to stop using any wood at all after about the first hour cooking at 250F. And from my experience, I wouldn't recommend wrapping any good roast, especially a rib roast. In fact I don't wrap anything and haven't in the past 20+ yrs. Saves on a ton of aluminum foil or butcher paper, and the bark will almost always be better/firmer. Well, on rare occasions I might wrap a brisket, tri-tip, or a heavy london broil through the stall if time is critical .... but that's about it.

Ooops ..... just went back to re-read some and realized yours is a 3-1 Longhorn and not the reverse flow unit. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. There are still a couple things you might want to consider in mods to your cooker. But all in all I think from what you're saying and from the dark bark on this first rib roast, I think you maybe just got a little too much smoke on it.

Unless you really like the taste of mesquite (I don't particularly like it myself), try using hickory alone, or most any Oak. Fruit woods are generally too mild to use alone, but some do and get good results. But that's the really good part of smoking/BBQ'ing, trying new things/methods. Go for it 1Wolf!!!

I have put gaskets on the doors and spot welded then sealed the seams. I have a Firebox electronic thermometer that I use for the grill temp and meat temp, plus I have the Perfect Draft Blower, which has a temp probe in the grill and has an adjustable temperature controller. I have gotten the ribs down. did a Bison Chuck Roast, a couple of Tomahawk Steaks, and some appetizers. I am a work in progress, and I am my own worst critic.
Yeah, a little heavy on the smoke, and this was the first time using mesquite, so I will save it for another time. I will stick with the post oak, cherry, apple, pecan, and maple woods. Will also add hickory into the mix. My wife got me this grill combo for Christmas in 2018. It is versatile and very useful if you need to smoke and grill at the same time. I like it. I would have preferred a real offset smoker, but can't justify the cost for how often it is used.

 

[HansGruber]

I have put gaskets on the doors and spot welded then sealed the seams. I have a Firebox electronic thermometer that I use for the grill temp and meat temp, plus I have the Perfect Draft Blower, which has a temp probe in the grill and has an adjustable temperature controller. I have gotten the ribs down. did a Bison Chuck Roast, a couple of Tomahawk Steaks, and some appetizers. I am a work in progress, and I am my own worst critic.
Yeah, a little heavy on the smoke, and this was the first time using mesquite, so I will save it for another time. I will stick with the post oak, cherry, apple, pecan, and maple woods. Will also add hickory into the mix. My wife got me this grill combo for Christmas in 2018. It is versatile and very useful if you need to smoke and grill at the same time. I like it. I would have preferred a real offset smoker, but can't justify the cost for how often it is used.

Cherry/Maple/Hickory makes a great smoke for pretty much anything, I’ve found. 1:1:1 ratio.

 

[Jfal]

I settled on hickory for everything. Except fish. Don't smoke fish.

 

[Bassbob]

I settled on hickory for everything. Except fish. Don't smoke fish.

Word. I tried to smoke a fish once. I couldn't keep the bong lit.

 

[Pitdogg2]

The mesquite might be the issue…it can be a particularly bitter smoke.

I'll have to agree with Hans, that bark looks pretty heavy and the mesquite is the likely culprit. It and the combination with the Oak is a pretty heavy dose of smoke for something as delicate as prime rib.

What was your cook time (how long) and at what temperature...... for what weight of roast?

A little Mesquite goes a looog way.
The rosemary can also have a negative reaction. I taste bitter or dish soap when rosemary is used in smokers.