Cooler Temp Hold Test

Fidel

Today I had a mess of people over for a BBQ, and cooked 3 butts, all 7-8.5 pounds raw.

I finished them and moved them, tripled foiled, into an Omaha Steaks styrofoam cooler, topped with 3-4 sheets of newspaper. After 2 hours I pulled 2 butts and left the third in the cooler.

After eating, and about 1600 beers had been consumed, I remembered the 3rd butt was still in the cooler. With my wits about me I grabbed the thermapen and stuck it in the butt.

Six hours after the butt had been pulled (and this was the smallest of the 3) it still read 157* at the lowest point. Several places it read over 160*. It was pulled at 197*.

I realize the other two butts in the cooler assisted it a bit, but this should give a fairly good baseline for safety of holding butts and briskets. The styrofoam cooler is not the most thermally efficient, so if one were to use a good coleman or better cooler I believe even longer hold times could be achieved safely.

Just thought I would share what I found.

egret

That's good information, Rod. Thanks for the 'scientific' experiment. That should be most helpful to all of us.......

jamiemeyer

I like the beer count... are you saying that you "passed" the sobriety test??

Broc

Thanks for the info --

I regularly wrap roasts in HD foil, towels and hold in the cooler four+ hours. Never had a temp problem, and it seems the longer the roasts rest like that, the more tender the meat is.

~ Best

~ Broc

Grandpas Grub

Rod, thanks for the report.

I would venture to guess the styrofoam container would be as good or better than a hard side cooler with larger air space.

I have had simular hold times with the meat wrapped in foil then tightly wrapped in 2 yds of fleece blanket material. I have not themopened the meat but it is very warm to hot when touching.

Nevertheless, it is great to know with proper insulation the meat will hold pushing 6 hours and still be at 150° + mark. Thanks for sharing the details.

Kent

The Naked Whiz

Here's a link to what I found: Holding Meat In A Cooler

It is interesting how much the other two butts appear to have aided in prolonging the hold time in a styrofoam cooler. Thanks for the info!

Little Steven

Fidel,

Funny how discoveries like that often follow mass quantities of beer.

Steve