I tried to smoke ribs with hemp twine instead of butcher's string

I wanted to be more eco-friendly, so I used hemp twine to tie my ribs for smoking. Halfway through, the twine started to burn and smell weird. The ribs fell apart into the coals, ruining the batch. My buddies still bring it up whenever we grill. Guess some green swaps don't work on the pit.

3 comments

3 Comments

troy_ross19d ago

That vinegar soak trick from michael_burns saved my bacon last time I smoked a brisket.

michael_burns29d ago

Man... been there with the twine burning up on me. What finally worked was soaking regular butcher twine in water with a splash of white vinegar for like an hour before tying. That extra moisture buys you time in the smoker. Held up for my last two racks of St. Louis cuts... didn't get that nasty scorched smell either.

anna_hill29d ago

But have you tried just managing your fire better instead? All that soaking seems like extra work for a problem that might not even be there with proper heat control. Vinegar in the smoker sounds like it could mess with the flavor profile too. Sometimes the easiest fix is just shifting the meat around or using a small foil shield for the knot.