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How long can I hold a brisket in cooler?

60,580 Views | 19 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by SweaterVest
RebelE Infantry
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AG
Howdy OB. I put two ~11lb briskets on the kamado Joe last night at about 1030. I figured to be done around 1ish to serve around 2. It's 10 after 8 and they're just about finished. I checked the graph on the iGrill2 app and the temp stayed within 5 degrees of 250 all night and it seems that the briskets didn't stall.

My question is have any of you held a brisket in a cooler for more than 4 hours? Or should I plan to have some space available in the oven? Thanks!
BCO07
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AG
If you pack the cooler tight with towels and put the brisket in the middle of them, I bet it will make it. I've done 2. 5 hours and it was still too hot to handle
Burrus86
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AG
If you put a Yeti sticker on that cooler, it will stay hot for days!
RebelE Infantry
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Well lucky for me it is a yeti! I guess that means I'm a ***** haha
Hwy30East
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I've done the same thing Just as BCO said. I wrapped the brisket in multiple towels and kept it in the cooler shut tight for almost 4 Hours, and it was still almost too hot to hold.
agfan2013
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Yep, last one I just did finished a few hours earlier than I expected. I wrap in butch paper for the second half of the cook so it was already in that, I wrapped some foil around that with a few towels in a cooler and made it go 4 hours. Still was steaming hot when I pulled it out to cut and serve. You'll be fine.
RebelE Infantry
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Thanks fellas
YogiBeers
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I will lay an extra towel down in the cooler and a pot of hot water to keep the temp up. I've kept a briskets, porkbutts, chicken, sausage warm for 4 hours like that.
YogiBeers
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And they haven't dried out on me before either
drummer0415
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I've kept one in a cooler for 10 hours before and it was still warm.
RebelE Infantry
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Briskets were plenty hot when I pulled them out of the cooler after about 6 hours.

Thanks for the help.
jt2hunt
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I wrap em in foil, then a towel, and close the lid. Keeps for hours.
jsbaritone
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Just smoked 4x10lb briskets and left in rtic 40 hardside for 6 hours. The rest allowed for the moisture to soak back in and we had the most tender buttery brisket ive made to date. Its all about the rest!
SweaterVest
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Is the conventional wisdom still that as long as it stays above 140f a brisket can be rested 7 hours plus?

I threw a 15lb on last night and of course that sucker decided not to stall or something and was done when I checked at 5:30 this morning. Im serving lunch at noon and have it packed in a cooler. Think I'm ok to go 7 hours?
Mowdy Ag
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I've cooked two (13.5# and 14.5#) in the last two weeks (experimenting with Hot and Fast, thanks TexAgs). They stayed in the cooler 6 and 4 hours respectively before serving. They were the two best (of many) I've done.
SweaterVest
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AG
Mowdy Ag said:

I've cooked two (13.5# and 14.5#) in the last two weeks (experimenting with Hot and Fast, thanks TexAgs). They stayed in the cooler 6 and 4 hours respectively before serving. They were the two best (of many) I've done.


Thanks. I cooked at 240 instead of 225 to try to speed it up but had no idea it would cook that fast. 11 hours and when I woke up it was pushing overdone. Hope it tastes alright.
SweaterVest
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Also lesson learned, if you have WiFi temp monitor use it. I didn't think there was any way this one would cook that fast and my WiFi was having a connection issue that I didn't bother fixing. Luckily I woke up early and went out to check it, right at 203 in the point and 208 in the flat. Hope it isn't ruined. Maybe the long rest will help it out.
agfan2013
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AG
7 hours in a cooler should be no problem. I realize you already have it in and resting but some general tips for in the future:

-Preheat the cooler, pour hot water in first and let it sit for awhile, then dump the water out and store the meat

-don't open the lid until ready to slice, no matter how many guest/family members want to "just take a peek real fast"

-pack something like warm towels or some people even heat up a fire brick and stick it in the cooler too

-if it's summertime, leave the cooler outside. Will hold heat better in 100+ degrees outside than the 70 that's in your house

Just keep in mind you can have carryover cooking in the cooler too, especially if you stick multiple pieces of meat in the cooler together. Many times it's better to pull off the pit a fraction early if you are going into a warm cooler to hold for a long time.
SweaterVest
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agfan2013 said:

7 hours in a cooler should be no problem. I realize you already have it in and resting but some general tips for in the future:

-Preheat the cooler, pour hot water in first and let it sit for awhile, then dump the water out and store the meat

-don't open the lid until ready to slice, no matter how many guest/family members want to "just take a peek real fast"

-pack something like warm towels or some people even heat up a fire brick and stick it in the cooler too

-if it's summertime, leave the cooler outside. Will hold heat better in 100+ degrees outside than the 70 that's in your house

Just keep in mind you can have carryover cooking in the cooler too, especially if you stick multiple pieces of meat in the cooler together. Many times it's better to pull off the pit a fraction early if you are going into a warm cooler to hold for a long time.


Thanks. It's in wrapped in pink paper and towels as usual. I didn't think about pre warming it but I did fill up a hot water bottle with near boiling water and put it in there with the towels. I'll check the temp a couple of times this morning to make sure I don't need to put it in a warmer.
rootube
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AG
drummer0415 said:

I've kept one in a cooler for 10 hours before and it was still warm.


10 hours seems absurdly long for resting in a cooler. Also I'm not a food science expert but isn't warm what you are trying to avoid.
SweaterVest
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You are looking for hot or cold. If internal temp stays above 140 it should be safe. If it drops below 140 you'd want to eat it within a couple of hours.

Mine rested almost 7 hours today and it was one of my better briskets.
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