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Here's a quick FTC tip for ya...

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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    It's (cotton) higher than air, at least by volume.  If you don't have an air-tight cambro (or cooler), it would help slow down hot air stealing your heat.  If you do (have an air tight cambro (or cooler), it's just another piece of mass to heat up and rob heat from your meat.
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  • SenecaTheYounger
    SenecaTheYounger Posts: 368
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    I don't use towels.  I have a small cooler that fits about a six pack.  I put the butt in that (in foil) and it cleans up easily.

    Towels make no sense to me.


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    Copia ciborum subtilitas impeditur

    Seneca Falls, NY

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  • MaskedMarvel
    MaskedMarvel Posts: 3,142
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    Preheating the towels avoids them sucking up heat.

    I'd like to try wrapping with one of those Boy Scout emergency blankets...
    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    MaskedMarvel said:
    Preheating the towels avoids them sucking up heat.

    I'd like to try wrapping with one of those Boy Scout emergency blankets...
    That's a radiant barrier, same as foil.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • MaskedMarvel
    MaskedMarvel Posts: 3,142
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    nolaegghead said:
    MaskedMarvel said:
    Preheating the towels avoids them sucking up heat.

    I'd like to try wrapping with one of those Boy Scout emergency blankets...
    That's a radiant barrier, same as foil.
    hey Nola - check your Drafts for that deleted post you were going to make.  
    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


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  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
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    Little Steven said:
    You probably know the heat absorption rate of cotton, I don't. Seems it would be lower than air no?
    Having layers of towel insulates by trapping layers of air.  Would you have insulation in the walls of your house or just a pocket of air?
    The Naked Whiz
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    I wish I had insulation in the walls of my house! 
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    MaskedMarvel said:
    nolaegghead said:
    MaskedMarvel said:
    Preheating the towels avoids them sucking up heat.

    I'd like to try wrapping with one of those Boy Scout emergency blankets...
    That's a radiant barrier, same as foil.
    hey Nola - check your Drafts for that deleted post you were going to make.  
    wha?!
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • MaskedMarvel
    MaskedMarvel Posts: 3,142
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    nolaegghead said:
    MaskedMarvel said:
    Preheating the towels avoids them sucking up heat.

    I'd like to try wrapping with one of those Boy Scout emergency blankets...
    That's a radiant barrier, same as foil.

    teh internetz says it's Mylar and reflects up to 97% radiated heat. Sounds like a loooooong FTC (MTC?) to me!
    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


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  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    edited May 2014
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    Whiz, the cooking on the way up in temperature breaks down collagen and it continues on the way down.  I've cooked brisket at 145F in SV until it most of the connective tissue broke down.  I can't help but think because the temperature is decreasing, the same reactions from cooking aren't arrested. 

    I don't know for sure, but when the meat's temperature is decreasing, the meat is giving up heat.  There is no longer the energy input necessary to drive the cooking reactions, so I'd guess that they stop fairly quickly.  Whatever, the one time I FTC's a butt, it came out pretty much just like any other butt.
    The Naked Whiz
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  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,766
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    Towels or any thing to retain heat as in a fridge, one with a load will give something to absorb heat and stay cool longer. I warm my cooler with boiling water, and a warmed brick or 2. If I am cooking a second load on the egg, I throw that in the same cooler later.

    I did a brisket and was fine @ 8 hours- After 4 hours in the cooler , 4 rack of ribs went in- kept fine for another 4
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    lkapigian said:
    Towels or any thing to retain heat as in a fridge, one with a load will give something to absorb heat and stay cool longer. I warm my cooler with boiling water, and a warmed brick or 2. If I am cooking a second load on the egg, I throw that in the same cooler later.

    I did a brisket and was fine @ 8 hours- After 4 hours in the cooler , 4 rack of ribs went in- kept fine for another 4
    I agree - towels help - if you don't have an air-tight cooler. 
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  • MaskedMarvel
    MaskedMarvel Posts: 3,142
    edited May 2014
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    @nolaegghead @FearlessTheEggNoob image
    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    edited May 2014
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    The Naked Whiz said:
    Whiz, the cooking on the way up in temperature breaks down collagen and it continues on the way down.  I've cooked brisket at 145F in SV until it most of the connective tissue broke down.  I can't help but think because the temperature is decreasing, the same reactions from cooking aren't arrested. 

    I don't know for sure, but when the meat's temperature is decreasing, the meat is giving up heat.  There is no longer the energy input necessary to drive the cooking reactions, so I'd guess that they stop fairly quickly.  Whatever, the one time I FTC's a butt, it came out pretty much just like any other butt.
    The energy is heat - vibrating molecules.  The old model of the stall was the heat energy was converting the collagen into gelatin.  This has been debunked.  Whether heat is going in or going out of the meat, it's the actual heat that's doing the cooking.  Look at a steak cooked super hot to 130.  You pull it off, wrap it in foil, no heat added, but it still keeps cooking...sure it's being redistributed.  But there's no magic in the change in heat, it's simply heat that cooks.
    ______________________________________________
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  • MaskedMarvel
    MaskedMarvel Posts: 3,142
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    Hahaha. I got so wrapped up in the thread with Nola I just realized it was fearless who had the deleted post. Sorry bro. Cool green writing on that pic though, right? I tried to make it festive. ....... #-o
    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


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  • MaskedMarvel
    MaskedMarvel Posts: 3,142
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    I have to be approved to reply to my own topic now... image
    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    The Naked Whiz said:
    Little Steven said:
    You probably know the heat absorption rate of cotton, I don't. Seems it would be lower than air no?
    Having layers of towel insulates by trapping layers of air.  Would you have insulation in the walls of your house or just a pocket of air?
    Probably the dumbass Canuck in me but isn't the cooler insulated? The inside bit would be insulated just like my house is. Vapour barrier and all.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • SenecaTheYounger
    SenecaTheYounger Posts: 368
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    I agree with steven

    Air is an insulator.  The air in the cooler is too.  Heat from the butt transfers more quickly into the towels than it does into the air in the cooler, especially when the cooler is properly sized (not giant). So I don't bother with towels.

    Seems a waste of laundry. 


    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Copia ciborum subtilitas impeditur

    Seneca Falls, NY

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  • FearlessTheEggNoob
    FearlessTheEggNoob Posts: 888
    edited May 2014
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    Originally, I was under the impression that FTC would improve the end product. Like resting a steak, but taken to the next level. I no longer believe that anymore. I think that it's a dubious workaround for finishing your cook early. I figured out the maverick trick to monitor cooler temps a while back and would rest briskets in a nice snuggle of towels for 4 or 5 hours knowing what temp it was at. Sounds ideal, does it not?

    What I found was that the chunk I would cut off the flat to test the brisket was much better than what came out after a long FTC. It looked to me like I had took the rendering too far. Nearly all the intramuscular fat was gone. Still tender, but it gave the point a somewhat spongy appearance due to the voids. Flat was noticeably drier. I also took note of the significant quantity of oil, rub, and juices that would accumulate in the unwrapped foil. The end product while still good to my guests, was disappointing to me when compared to my previous sample.

    Then one time I hit my brisket finish time perfectly and set the chunk of meat on a cutting board and let it rest at ambient temp and sliced it after about 45min. I didn't lose nearly as much oil and juices, the bark (I like the bark on mine firm, but easy to slice and chew) was in better condition by not being disturbed by the foil. And the slices of brisket looked like they should with slight pockets of glistening fat when pulled apart.

    I haven't figured out timing yet so my new brisket policy is, "it's ready, when it's ready."
    Gittin' there...
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