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FTC question for you guys...

has anyone had a bad experience with the ftc method?  for pork shoulder, brisket, etc?  i am trying to find out if anyone has a time frame they think is too long for the meat to sit in a cooler.  thanks for any insight.  this forum is so helpful!

Comments

  • tgkleman
    tgkleman Posts: 216
    I just FTCd a pork shoulder this past week.  FTCd at noon, and drove 4.5 hours to beach and pulled for dinner.  It was probably in the cooler for 6 hours, and was still very hot when I pulled.  I didnt check the temperature but I am confident it was above 140.  The meal was excellent, and as an added bonus, nobody got sick... so I am assuming 6 hours is a safe number.
  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,795
    Based on what I have read here, I have concluded (maybe wrongly) that 6 hours is about the limit for FTC.  As a result, this weekend when I had 11 hours between a completed brisket and a party, I refrigerated the brisket and reheated it.

    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

  • robnybbq
    robnybbq Posts: 1,911
    I have done 5 hours on Pork Butts FTC.  The outdoor temps were in the 80's as well.  And still burned my hands.

    _______________________________________________________________
    LBGE, Adjustable Rig, Spider, High-Que grate, maverick ET-732, Thermapen,


    Garnerville, NY
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168

    Here's a great link on FTC and time- http://www.nakedwhiz.com/coolerholding.htm  BTW- his main site is a wealth of information for ceramic cooking and related topics.  Check it out sometime. 

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    Here is what I found, using a single butt, a vanilla Wal*Mart cooler, some foil and lots of beach towels:

    How Long Can You Hold Meat In A Cooler?


    image

    So, it was above 140 for just about 5.5 hours, but then of course, you still have a couple of hours after that
    The Naked Whiz
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    edited July 2013
    Posts passing in the ether! :)
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    Are we in ether?  Doesn't smell like it?  :))
    The Naked Whiz
  • hondabbq
    hondabbq Posts: 1,980
    Just did a 15 lb packer last weekend. Cut off the point for burnt ends and FTC'd the flat. First time doing the FTC thing, went 5 hours. Being curious took a temp with my thermapen and it was 134F. In a Coleman cooler Preheated with hot water from the tap half full for 30 minutes. Flat wrapped in 2 towels cooler lined with a towel. Don't have much faith in the length of time over a couple hours at best. Still ate it and all were well.
  • michigan_jason
    michigan_jason Posts: 1,346
    I personally have held a boston butt in a smaller lunch size cooler for 8 hours and pulled it with an IT of *150. I used a whole bunch of commercial grade foil and a few towels. Never had a problem with it. The smaller coolers seem to help holding the temp.



    "Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity, and are able to turn both to their advantage."

  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    edited July 2013
    It has always been my understanding the the internal temp of a chunk of meat is not the issue, it's the external temp. In other words, if you stick a T-pen into a butt and it reads 140-150°... what is the surface temp? 120°? Lower? There should be no bacteria in the middle of a butt. The outside? Maybe.

    Anyway, hare's a post from a guy who will generally eat anything!  

    :))

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut