I'm going to cook baby back ribs for the first time on my ys640. Two full racks. Looking for suggestions on temp to set grill, cook time, when too pull and wrap, what internal temp do you cook too, when to sauce, top rack/main rack, what's your damper set at, etc.... Having people over so I don't want to blow it! Haha 
New to pellet grilling/smoking
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Here is what I'm thinking....
Apple pellets in hopper with sugar maple pellets in my amaznsmoke tube. At 250 for 4 hours? Cook unwrapped the whole time. Sauce in the last 30 mins of cook. I'll have my Igrill plugged in to monitor temp.
Just throwing that out there to start convo.
I cooked ribs a lot on my old Weber but this is my first shot on the Yoder. Help me not blow it!!!!!
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- Location: Sitting Near a Yoder Smoker, Smelling Sweet Blue
At 225* my baby backs are usually done around four hours, but I don't peek and only sauce once, unwrapped for the whole cook. As always, situations and meat may vary.
Ditch the smoke tube. The YS640 will give you plenty of good smoke, no need to add dirty smoke to the equation.
Thanks!
When is the smoke tube a good option? High temp grilling when the fire doesn't give good smoke?
When do you sauce?
What temp do you pull them off the grill?
New to pellet grilling/smoking
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I only use the smoke tube for cold smoking. Some people like it for supplement smoke, but there is not need to with a Yoder. The smoke is not a clean smoke so while the food may be more "smokey", it's not in a positive way IMO.
I sauce about 20-30 minutes before they come off, when they are starting to show the final signs of being done.
I don't temp ribs, it's all by feel. When the bone starts to move independently from the bone, they are done. If you set a rack of ribs on its side so the exposed bones are up, gently twist the meat on either side of the bone. If the meat is moving around the bone and the bone is stationary, they are done. If they are still connected to the bone and the bone moves too, they are not yet done.
275 for 4 hours, */- 45 minutes (depends on the ribs). No rack of ribs will cook the same as any other rack.
Internal temp between the bones is about 192 for KCBS type ribs, the closer you get to 200, the more fall off the bone.
Ditto what Kirby said on the smoke tube.
Thank you very much! I'll put some pictures up on Saturday.
New to pellet grilling/smoking
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So it was to stinking cold this weekend to have anyone over... so I am cooking ribs this coming weekend.
I have read a lot about the 3-2-1 method.
3 hours at 225*
2 hours at 225* wrapped
1 hour at "a higher temp". --- What TEMP?
Thoughts on the 3-2-1 method?
New to pellet grilling/smoking
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I would leave the temp the same.
You might have to alter the times some for baby backs, maybe 2-2-1 or ???
I used to do this, but now cook them at 275, no wrapping. They take about 4 hours +/- 45 minutes, depending on the ribs. No rack of ribs will every cook the same as any other. Getting them right comes with experience.
Ribs turned out great! I forgot pictures! Went about 4.5 hours and temped at 190ish as best I could tell. Cooked at 250*. They were awsome!! The flavor was amazing.
They where a bit tuff, not bad at all, but a bit tuffer then I prefer. Would wrapping help? Cooked longer? Lower/higher temp?
Thoughts?
New to pellet grilling/smoking
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Just like all cuts of meat, they will tell you when they are tender. For ribs, 192 internal temperature is right about where the KCBS BBQ teams start checking for the right tenderness, in an attempt to try to hit the judging "bite" for ribs. The closer you get to 200 degrees, the more fall off the bone the ribs are. No 2 racks of ribs cook the same, so you can't go by temperature, except to know when to start checking for the tenderness you are looking for.
There is the bend and crack test. Use a tongs to grab the rack of ribs from the end to about the center. Lift them, and check how far they bend, and if the surface cracks or breaks. The closer to a 90 degree bend the more fall off the bone they are. The closer they are to fall off the bone, the more they will also crack apart.
The probe test. Use a round toothpick or temperature probe, and probe the meat between the bones at a few places from one end to the other. When you can probe the meat without any resistance, the ribs are done.
The bone twist test. When you can stand the ribs up on the edge, and grab a bone and slightly twist it and see that the meat is no longer attached, the ribs are done.
You will need to practice to find your personal sweet spot for the tenderness of the ribs. In your example, at 190 degrees, they needed more time to cook. The cooking temperature doesn't really matter, except to specify how quickly the ribs cook and become tender. You can achieve tenderness by wrapping and by not wrapping. Again, this is a personal choice you have to make.
Great info! Thanks!!!
New to pellet grilling/smoking
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Since you live in Wichita, I recommend that you take the ribs class at ATBBQ that Andy teaches. He has a lot of great info on ribs and a lot to learn and you can experience hands on. The next one is on April 16th if it works for you.
I cooked three slabs of St. Louis style yesterday on my YS640. I am using 275 degrees, 2 hours on top rack, pull off then wrapped for 1 hour and 30 minutes then, final 30-45 minutes unwrapped with sauce last 10 minutes before removing from pit. Came out real good for the second rib cook. My wife found the rub I am using is too hot but was perfect for me.
Going to do my second attempt at ribs this Sunday. Have read a lot of recipes and some use a rib rack. What's the actual purpose of a rib rack and should I use one? Do you guess use them?
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A rib rack allows you to cook more racks of ribs at once. Instead of lying flat on the grates, it is a stand that holds the ribs upright on the side.
Here is an example: http://www.atbbq.com/primo-rib-rack-xl- ... -slab.html
I own them, and have used them. Personally, I would rather cook the ribs flat on the grates.
Great to know. I was thinking that they where just for space on the grill. I will keep cooking them flat on the racks.... at least until i get more friends that want to eat my BBQ! 
New to pellet grilling/smoking
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Here is an example of rib racks. This is 15 baby back ribs on a YS640 (9 in the rib racks on the bottom shelf). I put 2 rib racks side by side to separate the ribs more evenly.
I have not bought a Yoder yet. Still deciding between the 480 and 640 (have eliminated the Rec Tec and Mak). If you are only cooking on one level, do you normally cook on the top rack or the bottom? How much temp difference is there between the top rack, bottom rack, and controller?
I have cooked top and bottom. I don't notice much temp difference at all. My controller, door therm and igrill all typically read within 10-12 degs of each other. I typically cook ribs on the top rack, pork butt/shoulder and brisket on the bottom. Why? Don't know. Lol.
New to pellet grilling/smoking
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I try to always fill the cooker up for efficiency. It costs the same to cook 1 rack of ribs as it does to cook a full cooker of ribs. If you haven't yet, invest in a vacuum sealer to freeze what isn't immediately eaten.
Thanks. I currently use a Foodsaver to freeze my cooks on the WSM. I know what you mean about cooking more and freezing. I don't think I would ever cook more that 3 briskets or 4 complete shoulders or 6-8 racks of rib at one time. If cooking chicken, a dozen breasts, two dozen thighs and two dozen legs at one time. Given that, would you recommend the 480 or 640?
The YS480 will do that nicely, but may be tight with 8 racks of ribs, and would depend on how big the briskets are.
For the $200 difference, the YS640 is the best bang for your money.
Thanks, I think you are right about the 640. The more I think about it, I bought a WSM 18.5 and soon found myself wishing I had ordered the 22.5. If I went with the 480, I would probably find myself wishing I had gotten the 640.
Yep, the 480 will crimp your cooks later. Once folks find out. I got the 640. I used to do 2 Boston butts, one for a friend once I first got it. Now I'm on my 7th cook of 7 Butts for friends and neighbors. I actually make a bit of coin, not really counting my efforts. If I'm cooking a butt or two, I spend $25 on pellets. Now I charge $7 over the cost of the meat (got Butts at $.87 a lb) so said $15. It's paying for my costs pretty much.
My Butt is free, they get a butt rubbed, panned/covered with foil to go with a 1/4 cup of my rub and recipes for my fav Cole slaw and sauce recipe.
I'm getting ready to prep the Butts for a tomorrow start at 10 PM. It's 10 PM here now.
It' more a labor of love to cook, and I like my neighbors.
Go big, 640 or go home. Got real $$? 1500, but too big for most back yarders, it's huge and for smaller cooks a lot of pellets. Big chamber. Once they know what you can do, you will be busy. Especially with pork and chickens. Brisket for back yard cooks can be dicey.
Started with 4 chickens. For use to vacu pack etc. Bones for amazing chicken stock. AMAZING!!! Having 6 bags 1 cup each of real good stock lifts so many foods to another level. Now I'm up to 9 chickens and pressure for more. I think I can go to 13/14. They always want more......
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