grilling Want to smoke ribs on gas grill(need help)

SMOKIN ON A GAS GIRLL DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF BBQ I AM DRUNKED SO IA WILL SAY THIS NOW!!!!!!
 
I have never smoked before and need some tips for smoking some ribs on my gas grill. I know the how to set up the wood chips but need some tips for rubs and cooking times or if I need to precook the ribs at all?

No need to precook the ribs. 6 hrs, is average for spares using the 3-2-1 method, and 5 hrs. for BB's using the 2-2-1 method. You can get good results by using wood chips or chunks, you just have to know when to add more. No need for wood when the ribs are in the foil process. Keep your grate temp near 225°, so you can duplicate the low & slow method, you don't want direct heat. I'm not familiar with your grill, but if possible use a water pan to stablize the temps. Rubs can be anything that taste good to you. It's not the gas that makes the flavor, it's the wood used. I agree that just using gas is not reallty smoking ribs, unless you use wood. Good luck my friend.
 
If you have a grill like I do, with 3 burners front to back, I found those ribs racks work well. If I do them on my gas grill (never), there isn't enough space between burners to do 3-4 racks, like I usually do. The rib rack stands them up on their sides, and makes them more compact, so less of them is in direct heat. Lowes has them for about 6 bucks. You could probably make something out of tinfoil, if you were in a pinch.
 
Everyone has their way of doing it. You have lots of good info here from the post and yes YOU have to decide what you like best and experiment to find your way of doing it.
I have a Char-broil three burner grill. After cleaning and trimming the ribs, I use a mix of brown sugar and spices (cayenne pepper, salt, garlic powder, paprika, basil) all mixed together to make a rub. The rub is put on the day before and refigerated until the next day when you are ready to cook. I then set all three burners to control the temperature at 500, and sear-meat side down for 6-8 minutes, then the bone side down for 5 minutes.
This seals in all the juices. Then place in a large cake pan(my wife hates me for this) and place 1/2 cup of beer in pan, cover and seal edges with foil and turn off both outside burners and only use the center burner to control heat at 300. Let steam/bake for 2 1/2 hours with meat side down in pan. Then remove foil, add wet wood chips over burner to smoke for another half hour. Brush with melted butter, italian dressing, and hickory smoked sauce mixture allowing to smoke another 15 minutes. Works for me - Good luck on your method.
 
Hey Cowboy - if your method works for you dont change it but I am curious as to why you would sear it to "seal in the juices" and then braise it then smoke it ? If you add wood chips at the end it wont penetrate at all ? I would at least add chips in the beginning at some point to get some smoke penetration. Just my .02 and curiosity
 
Yeah, I won't question your method either, BBQ is experimentation and for fun.

But, I'd never sear anything first I was smoking. Like LD said, that's a seal, so you won't get a good smoke ring. Just some smoke flavored char. Searing is for steaks/burgers to seal in the juices.

I'd just smoke. If anything, I'd grill after, for a nice char, or glaze. The braising step, well, I'd personally save that for indoors, like for braised short ribs. That's a good step for when you can't Q.

Maybe the beer boiling breaks the sear down, but it still seems strange, and kind of backwards.

Just my 2c.
 
As I said, every body has a different idea of what works for em. I sear to keep juices in so as when it starts to heat up under the foil, it sort of self cooks internally with the internal juices steaming insise the meat and bones. Then as the beer steams it adds heat and a slight pressure to the outside and penetrates the seal to increase moisture inside. That sear does not stay in tack once the pans internal steaming pressure builds up under the foil (thats why it is important to make sure all edges are tight to the pan).
As for the chips and smoke at the very end- well my wife does not like heavy smoke flavor - just a tinge, thus the Zap at the very end, just to give it a trace of smoke flavor.
As for smoke ring - never was my intention in the first place -(thats why its covered with foil). If I wanted a true smoke ring I would smoke it and not bother with the pan. I just stated what I do and what works for me - to each his own.
 
I like hearing different methods, how about some pics?
 
I like hearing different methods, how about some pics?

I pretty much use 3-2-1 over propane. I don't use wood chips (yet). I get a nice flavor from past cooks.

I put on a simple rub an hour before cooking.
Set the heat to ~275 (all numbers approximate). Front burner is on, ribs are in the way back (indirect cooking).
2.5 hours meat side up
1.5 hours bones up, wrapped in foil, sometimes a bit of apple juice on the edges
45 minutes back out of the foil, 1 coat of BBQ sauce on each side when there's about 15 minutes left

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Since this thread is active with some new faces, here's a link to our first attempt at smoking on a gas grill. It really worked well, and we have done it several times since this was posted, tweaking things each time. We put a pan with wood chips over the low flames. You have to keep an eye on the pan to make sure it doesn't catch fire and burn instead of smoke, but we've figured out how to position the SS pan and keep the wood chips away from the direct heat of the flames, and using the indirect heat from the pan, the chips smoke nicely.

http://www.thehotpepper.com/topic/19581-first-time-smoker/page__p__412957__fromsearch__1#entry412957

Basically using the 3-2-1 method, it does great on the grill using one side for the burner and wood chip pan and keeping the meat on the other side.

some misc pics-

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