So, you have reached Step 4, and are clearly made of sturdier stuff than was apparent when you first came seeking to be my pupil. The majority of the 4th step is similar to previous WSM cooks, fire starting, amount of wood-- the main difference is that you are now moving up into slightly longer cooks that require a modicum of fire control.

• 2 racks of spareribs from Costco—not Niman Ranch ribs, not Whole Foods, that's one cryovac'd pack from Costco

• Distilled white vinegar

• Cheap yellow mustard

• BBQ rub of your choice

• Olive oil

• Cranberry juice

Plus: everything shown on the What You Need page

Spare ribs will take, at minimum, 4 hours and may, dependent on various factors such as ambient temp, wind, musculature of piggy, take as long as 6 hours. Spare ribs have more tough connective tissue and internal fat than loin back (baby back) ribs, therefore require a longer period of low and slow BBQ temp to yield their succulent goodness.

Ribs, or any meat for that matter, may have a slightly off smell when taken out of cryovac, this will dissipate within just a few minutes.

Rinse ribs with water, then wash with vinegar. When usimg the vinegar rub with your hands and really clean the ribs. What the vinegar does is, aside from removing any slight stickiness and or odor from residual blood trapped in the cryovac, is to act as a very mild antibacterial agent. The vinegar also has a (very) slight tenderizing effect on the ribs.

Give the ribs a light coating of cheap yellow mustard, this helps the rub stick to the meat and also provides a (very) slight tenderizing effect from the vinegar in the mustard. Apply a light rub of BigTimeBBQ Rub, which should be whizzed in spice grinder to reduce particle size.

Build the WSM fire exactly the same as the first two cooks. Fill WSM Waterpan to within 1-inch of the top.

Place 2-racks of untrimmed spare ribs, bone-side-up, on the top grate of the cooker. Orient the larger end (tip) end to the outside. WSM's are hotter at the very edge of the outside grate, due to heat coming up around the water pan, you always want the portion of meat most resistant to temperature fluctuations at the edge.

At the 2-1/2 hour mark flip spare ribs bone-side-down and refill water pan to within 1-inch of the top.

At the 4-hour mark check ribs for doneness, refill waterpan, spritz with 1/3-olive oil, 2/3- cranberry juice.

In a 1/2-hour after that, not sooner, check spare ribs for doneness, spritz with olive oil/cranberry juice. Repeat every half hour as necessary.

I have two learning suggestions. One is to place an oven thermometer between the two racks of spare ribs and check the temp when you check the ribs. Though if you use the oven thermometer remember that this is for informational purposes only, do not, and I mean do not, start futzing with the vents.

The second learning suggestion is, when you feel the first rack of spare ribs are done and take them off the WSM, leave the other rack on the WSM for an additional 30-45-minutes for comparisons sake. (Be sure to check water pan.)