Congrats on your first, and most importantly, successful smoke! I didn't tackle a butt when I started smoking until after I successfully completed some easier smokes like salmon, chicken, and SLC spare ribs.
The initial rise in temp can be quite fast and it surprises lots of new smokers, especially when they are expecting a long smoke. Caught me by surprise on my first butts and chuckies. The first 120 degrees rise in temp from 40F can happen relatively quickly, in 2-4 hours. The last 40-45F can take hours and hours and hours after the meat stalls around 160F, + or - 5F, and it can stall more than once on the climb to the target temp.
Wrapping helps power the meat through the stalls, but it will impact the bark, making it softer or mushy. Some folks like a crispy, hard bark and that's only possible without wrapping. Some wrap through the stalls, then unwrap for the last hour to firm up the bark. Personally I'm not a bark guy so at the first long stall I wrap with very little liquid until my TT is reached, raising the chamber temp once I wrap to shorten the cooking time. Same flavor, soft bark, still descent smoke ring.
I think SLC (St Louis Cut) spare ribs are easier and more consistent than baby backs. I don't wrap my ribs, just letting them smoke at 225-235F for 5.5-6 hours. I put them on, ignore them, and sauce them for the last 30 minutes. I spritz them only a couple times. To me they are the easiest mid-length smokes I do.
Figuring our what you like best and how to do it is half the fun of smoking. Have a ball!
