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Brisket safe to eat? Food safety help please...

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Ron Burgundy
Ron Burgundy Posts: 20
in EggHead Forum
I'm running two Eggs for a church function - pork butts on one and two 18lb briskets on the other. Only one BBQ Guru to go around so I used that on the butts and took my chances overnight on the Egg with the brisket. When I went to bed at 2am the pit temp was 250, but when I woke up at 7am it had dropped to 160 and the internal temp was still only 130 on the meat.

I got the pit temp back up quickly to 250 but I'm worried about food safety. The meat has been on since 11pm, so that's 8 hours below the 140 "safe zone" on the internal temp, but the pit temp has been 160 or higher the whole time. I'm inclined to trash it as I don't want to take any chances with a church group, but I don't want to overreact. 

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated! 
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  • Hans61
    Hans61 Posts: 3,901
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    My guess is it's fine
    the temp was 250 when you went to bed, 5hrs is the window of concern, my guess is the pit temp was only under 200 for an hour or so, that being said there's others who are much more knowledgeable than me on this topic
    “There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.”
    Coach Finstock Teen Wolf
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  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
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    You're fine, cook on. Don't toss it.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
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  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
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    My understanding is the danger zone rule applies to the ambient temp (the egg temp).  At 160 you were above the danger zone and still cooking.  Just very slowly. 

    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

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  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,834
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    I would finish it and serve it. It's not ground meat. The bacteria are on the outside. They've been at temps that kill bacteria for many hours. And the internal meat will soon be at temps that kill all bacteria and will stay there for many hours. 

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

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  • JethroVA
    JethroVA Posts: 1,251
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    ^ what they said
    Richmond and Mathews County, VA. Large BGE, Weber gas, little Weber charcoal. Vintage ManGrates. Little reddish portable kamado that shall remain nameless here.  Very Extremely Stable Genius. 
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    Its fine.

    Rub and smoke kill off surface pathogens by themselves. 1st layer of safety. Assuming the brisket was not pierced by a tenderizer, all the pathogens were on the surface, and the initial heat most likely wiped them out. The pathogens start dying above 126F, albeit very slowly. That's why it is safe to cook meat SV at 133F for 6 - 72 hours.

    As above, 160 is fine. I've extinguished the lump in my Eggs, and measured the temp drop. With vents completely closed, it takes over 1 1/2 hours to drop to 140.
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  • Ron Burgundy
    Ron Burgundy Posts: 20
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    Great info - I can always count on the expert input around here! Much appreciated!
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  • Biggreenpharmacist
    Biggreenpharmacist Posts: 4,341
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    Theres nothing like giving the whole church group the sh!ts. 

    Little Rock, AR

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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 17,171
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    Biggreenpharmacist said:
    Theres nothing like giving the whole church group the sh!ts. 
    Or killing them like that lady did with that sauce a little while back. 

    OP: you're fine. Rock on. 
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  • GATraveller
    GATraveller Posts: 8,207
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    Eat up. Just be sure to say a prayer first.  :)

    "Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."
                                                                                  -Umberto Eco

    2 Large
    Peachtree Corners, GA
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  • Biggreenpharmacist
    Biggreenpharmacist Posts: 4,341
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    DoubleEgger said:
    Biggreenpharmacist said:
    Theres nothing like giving the whole church group the sh!ts. 
    Or killing them like that lady did with that sauce a little while back. 

    OP: you're fine. Rock on. 
    Oughta be a sure fire way to keep the preacher from running long if he's running outta the pulpit every 15 minutes. 

    Little Rock, AR

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  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,344
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    Biggreenpharmacist said:
    Theres nothing like giving the whole church group the sh!ts. 
    Must be God's will - Sorry! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




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  • GrillSgt
    GrillSgt Posts: 2,507
    edited April 2017
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    Eat on. 

    Why do do you think the temp didn't hold?
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  • GATraveller
    GATraveller Posts: 8,207
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    HeavyG said:
    Biggreenpharmacist said:
    Theres nothing like giving the whole church group the sh!ts. 
    Must be God's will - Sorry! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    Nothing to apologize about. His plan is perfect. 


    "Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."
                                                                                  -Umberto Eco

    2 Large
    Peachtree Corners, GA
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  • Ron Burgundy
    Ron Burgundy Posts: 20
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    GrillSgt - the temp got hot on me before I went to bed - clearly I closed the vents too much to compensate. You'd think I'd be better at this after 15 years!  :|
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  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 19,037
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    Ron Burgundy said:
    GrillSgt - the temp got hot on me before I went to bed - clearly I closed the vents too much to compensate. You'd think I'd be better at this after 15 years!  :|
    Drink more, sleep less.  No more problems.
    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
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  • thetrim
    thetrim Posts: 11,357
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    I don't think I've ever seen  a post that recommends throwing it out.   
    =======================================
    XL 6/06, Mini 6/12, L 10/12, Mini #2 12/14 MiniMax 3/16 Large #2 11/20 Legacy from my FIL - RIP
    Tampa Bay, FL
    EIB 6 Oct 95
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  • milesvdustin
    milesvdustin Posts: 2,882
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    A lady killed some people at church???

    2 LBGE, Blackstone 36, Jumbo Joe

    Egging in Southern Illinois (Marion)

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