October 2021
Rookie Moves, Man. Rookie Moves.
Stew got home from Costco at 1 PM and decided — against all reason — to fire up the offset for pork ribs and belly bites.
Two hours of cleaning, prep, and coal bed. Four hours on the ribs before saucing. Forty-five minutes more after.
The dog put its paw in his groin at some point to demand attention. He obliged.
The belly bites came out. His daughter ate them like they were going out of style. Stew's take:
"These are h'orderves. You eat a couple. You don't eat a whole plate of these things."
The ribs were moist. The afternoon was actually pretty relaxing. Worth it. Still a rookie move.
The lesson: If it's 1 PM and you just ran Costco, call an audible. Fire coals directly. Save the offset for a proper morning start.
September 2021
500 Degrees. The Chamber. The Sauce.
First cook in the LSG Warmer Box. Pork loin ribs, hanging method, targeting 275°F.
Everything was going perfectly — smoke ring forming, no bitterness, good bark developing —
until it was time to sauce. Stew opened the main chamber door. Oxygen rushed the coal bed.
Temperature spiked above 500°F.
One rack fell during hanging. A secondary safety hook was installed.
It did not help the one that fell. The sauced ribs came out well.
Some dry-rub ribs were overdone. My guests ate everything anyway.
The lesson: "Next time, sauce at 3:00 and don't open the main chamber." Written in stone.
