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Seeking Brisket advice

Cooking a 14lb brisket this Friday for a family reunion.  Trouble is the reunion is a 12 hr drive on Saturday.  Planning on wrapping the brisket in butcher paper or foil wrap and putting it in a cooler.  Hoping it won't dry before I get there and slice.  Am I on the right track....anyone....bueller?

the city above Toronto - Noodleville wtih 2 Large 1 Mini

Comments

  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,708
    You want to gauge your finnish close to "time to leave" ...In this case, I would not let the Brisket "rest " before FTC but FTC right away...I would pull a bit sooner than normal and let it rise in the cooler..12 Hours is doable or go and buy a heated cooler, you will use it
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    I will offer a different approach given you will have access to an oven to heat the brisket upon arrival.  I would finish the cook just like I was gonna serve it at home (after a rest to stop the carry over cooking).  Then toss it in the fridge wrapped tightly in foil as I don't think you can reliably get a 12 hour+ FTC (although it has been done).  For the road-trip, place in cooler with ice.  Upon arrival, remove from foil, put in a pan then add some beef broth or water and wrap the whole thing in foil.  Reheat til you clear around 140*F or so, remove, slice on demand and enjoy.  
    Disclaimer-I have never tried the above but if confronted with your situation I would give it a go.
    Hopefully others will be along.  
    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.
  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,708
    lousubcap said:
    I will offer a different approach given you will have access to an oven to heat the brisket upon arrival.  I would finish the cook just like I was gonna serve it at home (after a rest to stop the carry over cooking).  Then toss it in the fridge wrapped tightly in foil as I don't think you can reliably get a 12 hour+ FTC (although it has been done).  For the road-trip, place in cooler with ice.  Upon arrival, remove from foil, put in a pan then add some beef broth or water and wrap the whole thing in foil.  Reheat til you clear around 140*F or so, remove, slice on demand and enjoy.  
    Disclaimer-I have never tried the above but if confronted with your situation I would give it a go.
    Hopefully others will be along.  
    Sound Advice!
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,667
    if you can slip something hot in there like a crock of beans it will stay hot longer, never gon 12 hrs though, maybe 8 or 9
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • gabriegger
    gabriegger Posts: 682
    @lkapigian @fishlessman  Thanks for the input.  Think I'll try @lousubcap suggestion.  I appreciate all your advice. I'll let you know how she works out.  

    the city above Toronto - Noodleville wtih 2 Large 1 Mini

  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,795
    lousubcap said:
    I will offer a different approach given you will have access to an oven to heat the brisket upon arrival.  I would finish the cook just like I was gonna serve it at home (after a rest to stop the carry over cooking).  Then toss it in the fridge wrapped tightly in foil as I don't think you can reliably get a 12 hour+ FTC (although it has been done).  For the road-trip, place in cooler with ice.  Upon arrival, remove from foil, put in a pan then add some beef broth or water and wrap the whole thing in foil.  Reheat til you clear around 140*F or so, remove, slice on demand and enjoy.  
    Disclaimer-I have never tried the above but if confronted with your situation I would give it a go.
    Hopefully others will be along.  
    This works very well - OK, I've done it once... but it worked very well.  I set the oven on 275 and it took about 90 minutes to get above 140F.  I didn't actually add any liquid as the brisket was moist enough.

    The key to all of this is to minimize the time below 140 and above 40.  Keeping it above 140 for 12 hours also works if you can be sure you can do that.  That's what Franklin does (takes his brisket off at 2-3 AM and serves it between 11 AM and 3 PM).  

    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

  • Keep in mind- if you are going to cool it then reheat there (which I agree with), you could cook it several days ahead so your aren't crazy rushed to get it off the smoker, cool enough to get in to the fridge, then in a cooler all while trying to pack up and leave. 

    FWIW- when I do a 50/50 brisket (cook until it stalls, rapid cool then finish later), I find room in the freezer for an hour to get it cooling quickly. This pushes it through the danger zone quickly and makes it safer and easier to cool down in the fridge
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • gabriegger
    gabriegger Posts: 682
    @The Cen-Tex Smoker Thanks for the thought.  Freezer is a good idea for a quick cool.  Of course this discussion would be unnecessary if my brother listened to me 6 yrs ago and bought his own damn Egg.  As Ma used to say, "some babies never learn."

    the city above Toronto - Noodleville wtih 2 Large 1 Mini

  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,951
    edited August 2017
    Fwiw- I have had good luck doing the 50/50 cook. I have finished 2 half cooked, refrigerated briskets off site and they were as good as any I have done in a continuous cook. I don't know why it would be any different just cooking one all the way and reheating there but I can say, the one time I did that, I didn't love the results. We ground it up and made sausage out of most of it. If you want to give yourself an excuse to poke around a grill for a few hours if he has anything serviceable, just par-cook it until is stalls, rapid cool it, wrap it, and finish there. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Eggscuses
    Eggscuses Posts: 399
    Fwiw- I have had good luck doing the 50/50 cook. I have finished 2 half cooked, refrigerated briskets off site and they were as good as any I have done in a continuous cook. I don't know why it would be any different just cooking one all the way and reheating there but I can say, the one time I did that, I didn't love the results. We ground it up and made sausage out of most of it. If you want to give yourself an excuse to poke around a grill for a few hours if he has anything serviceable, just par-cook it until is stalls, rapid cool it, wrap it, and finish there. 
    When you do the 2nd half of the cook, about how long and what temp are you cooking at?  Obviously you still want to hit the 195-205ish IT range.
  • Eggscuses said:
    Fwiw- I have had good luck doing the 50/50 cook. I have finished 2 half cooked, refrigerated briskets off site and they were as good as any I have done in a continuous cook. I don't know why it would be any different just cooking one all the way and reheating there but I can say, the one time I did that, I didn't love the results. We ground it up and made sausage out of most of it. If you want to give yourself an excuse to poke around a grill for a few hours if he has anything serviceable, just par-cook it until is stalls, rapid cool it, wrap it, and finish there. 
    When you do the 2nd half of the cook, about how long and what temp are you cooking at?  Obviously you still want to hit the 195-205ish IT range.

    I did them at like 275 wrapped in paper. You could do it in an oven (I did with one of them). Once it's wrapped, it does not matter where you finish it.

    Still looking for the same finish temp and feel as a normal cook. 

    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX