A lot of us us the 3-2-1 method. Three hours unwrapped, two hours wrapped and then one more unwrapped. When I cook spareribs I cook them about three hours unwrapped or until I can see some bones poking through. I then add some sauce (or some liquid) wrap with foil and cook them about two hours more. I say about because cook times can vary depending on grate temp, thickness of the meat, and how you prefer them to be cooked. Some like fall off the bone while others like a more comp style so you can get that "perfect bite". I run my grate temps from 250 to 275. Also don't trust the lid thermometer. Get a device that has probes that attach to the grate or you can get an oven thermo which work very well. Hope this helps