Got up at 7am to prep the ribs, pulled the membranes off the 2 slabs.
Cut along the ribs to separate the rib tips from the bones. Seasoned one
rib section with new rub I wanted to try. Did the other rib and both rib
tips with my usual.

Started up a can of my homemade lump charcoal to get a base of coals
going quick, then apply kindling sticks to keep a good base of coals going.

Temperature is around 30 F and getting a slow steady stream of ice
pellets falling and covering the ground in places.

This is the first time I have tried cooking this way with my new cooker
configuration. If you'll remember, (pics are on my link; the practical
bar b q'r) I bricked over a metal vertical cooker leaving a space
directly under to lay coals and wood, after cutting a hole in the bottom
of the cooker.

The wood is from an oak we took down last year and the smoke smells suweet!
--
Mike Willsey (Piedmont)
"The Practical Bar-B-Q'r!"
http://groups.msn.com/ThePracticalBa...ewwelcome.msnw

Charities; Oxfam GB: http://www.oxfam.org.uk/about_us/index.htm,
Operation Smile: http://www.operationsmile.org/

If you or a loved one has thyroid issues, please have their thyroid
checked for radiation levels!

Piedmont wrote:
SNIP
> The wood is from an oak we took down last year and the smoke smells suweet!

The ribs are done! And safely inside our tummies! The new rub from Bruce
A's cookbook was too salty and too strong, staying with my ole stand by.
--
Mike Willsey (Piedmont)
"The Practical Bar-B-Q'r!"
http://groups.msn.com/ThePracticalBa...ewwelcome.msnw

Charities; Oxfam GB: http://www.oxfam.org.uk/about_us/index.htm,
Operation Smile: http://www.operationsmile.org/

If you or a loved one has thyroid issues, please have their thyroid
checked for radiation levels!

Piedmont said on 1/29/2005 2:26 PM:
> Piedmont wrote:
> SNIP
>
>> The wood is from an oak we took down last year and the smoke smells
>> suweet!
>
>
> The ribs are done! And safely inside our tummies! The new rub from Bruce
> A's cookbook was too salty and too strong, staying with my ole stand by.

So you didn't have to chip the ice off the door to get to them? <grin>

New cooker worked OK? Looking at it, you just load it where the two
bricks are at the bottom in the picture and start the fire?

ToLo wrote:
snip
> New cooker worked OK? Looking at it, you just load it where the two
> bricks are at the bottom in the picture and start the fire?

Yes, for burning wood and coals, the fuel goes into the lowest opening
in the bricks, or I can place a pan of coals insde the metal, which is
under a pan of water like most uprights.

The lump seemed to burn up too fast, it kept me running down to add more
wood which made it run too hot, so I started up extra cans of lump along
with tossing unlit lump on top of the coals.

I kept a piece of sheet metal in front of the opening to attempt a
slower burn. I will say that when I dumped in the very first batch of
coals, the temp climbed right up to 250 and held until it cooled down
and I had to start placing wood in, then of course the flames raised the
temp too high to suit me.

Next time I'll try a larger bed of coals and bigger wood, stepping it up
to fireplace sice split wood vs the kindling size that I used.

--
Mike Willsey (Piedmont)
"The Practical Bar-B-Q'r!"
http://groups.msn.com/ThePracticalBa...ewwelcome.msnw

Charities; Oxfam GB: http://www.oxfam.org.uk/about_us/index.htm,
Operation Smile: http://www.operationsmile.org/

If you or a loved one has thyroid issues, please have their thyroid
checked for radiation levels!