Cutting your time in the foil probably won’t cut down your total cooking time, though. In fact, it may increase it a little (30-60 minutes, tops, but they’re done when they’re done).

As others have mentioned, also look at reducing your temperature. Because ribs are so thin and have so many tapered areas, they can much more easily dry out around those tapered edges. Some folks actually like that, but it sounds like you don’t.

As for smoke, I have learned that smoke from sawdust in an electric smoker is VERY potent. You don’t need to add new sawdust every hour because you don’t want a steady stream of that thicker sawdust smoke (and you can’t get a steady stream of that barely visible or even invisible smoke like you might see with a stick burner–they are two different animals–and a pellet cooker is another sort, as well). That thicker smoke can get pretty heavy pretty quickly.

Also, keep in mind that some of what you want from smoke is invisible and keeps on happening after the thick, visible smoke has gone away. That sawdust is doing something until it’s ash.

I think we need a contest. I’ll send a pecan pie to the person with the most votes.

Let’s start now. Name the smoker.

It is important to note that our section on drink of choice is more important than the details about the smoking. The entire problem just may have been not having the proper beverage to help you during the smoking process… LOL