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How long is it safe to hold a cooked brisket pulled at 200 in my cooler before serving it?

winojeff
winojeff Posts: 67
in Forum Feedback
My 8.5 pound brisket flat is cooking so fast...I've turned down the smoker's temp, but it's gonna be ready at 200 degrees far too early. How long is it safe to hold it in a cooler and wrapped in towels, before serving it for dinner? 
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  • TEXASBGE2018
    TEXASBGE2018 Posts: 3,831
    edited February 2019
    winojeff said:
    My 8.5 pound brisket flat is cooking so fast...I've turned down the smoker's temp, but it's gonna be ready at 200 degrees far too early. How long is it safe to hold it in a cooler and wrapped in towels, before serving it for dinner? 
    What kinda cooler? If a yeti then probably 8hours+. If an igloo probably 4hours with warm towels


    Rockwall, Tx    LBGE, Minimax, 22" Blackstone, Pizza Party Bollore. Cast Iron Hoarder.

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  • winojeff
    winojeff Posts: 67
    Thanks. Phew!!
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  • TEXASBGE2018
    TEXASBGE2018 Posts: 3,831
    edited February 2019
    I like to rest mine for at least 2-3hrs in a cooler when possible. It actually makes it that much better.


    Rockwall, Tx    LBGE, Minimax, 22" Blackstone, Pizza Party Bollore. Cast Iron Hoarder.

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  • winojeff
    winojeff Posts: 67
    Thanks. I'd not exceed 3 the way it's going. Perfecto! Time for a couple extra brews before the company arrives!
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,318
    @winojeff - briskets are finished when the thickest part of the flat probes like buttah, independent of temperature.  Whenever you declare victory give it a good 15 minutes (more if a larger cut) rest on a cooling rack (stop carry-over cooking) before FTC. 
    And regarding how long with FTC-it depends as noted above but even with an el cheapo cooler pre-warmed with hot water I've gone 6 hrs.  Give the search function a look when not in extremis and you will find lots to read over.  FWIW-
    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.
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
    As stated above, it will be fine for a good few hours in a cooler .

    Prewarm the cooler, run some towels in the dryer to warm them to wrap it in, and fill any empty space with more warm towels or even newspaper. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • GATraveller
    GATraveller Posts: 8,207
    Like @lousubcap I've held for 6 hours.

    "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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  • TexasisBestest
    TexasisBestest Posts: 122
    Hypothetically as long as the brisket does not drop below 140 degrees it's considered "safe". Also depends if you're wrapping with foil or peach paper, towels or not, etc. You kinda can't go wrong honestly.
    Dallas Texas.
    2 x XLBGE 1 x LBGE.
    Tech:  EggGenius and Thermoworks Smoke w Gateway
    Lump: Rockwood/Fogo
    Wood: Cherry, Apple, PostOak, Pecan
    Meat: Costco, Deep Cuts
    Rubs: Meat Church, HardcoreCarnivore, John Henry's
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,958
    TexasisBestest said:
    Hypothetically as long as the brisket does not drop below 140 degrees it's considered "safe". Also depends if you're wrapping with foil or peach paper, towels or not, etc. You kinda can't go wrong honestly.
    Actually it would have to be below 140 for more than 4 hours to be considered "unsafe" in the food service world. It's still fine well beyond that but if you want to play it by the book, the book says 4 hours in the danger zone
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 19,022
    The Cen-Tex Smoker said:
    TexasisBestest said:
    Hypothetically as long as the brisket does not drop below 140 degrees it's considered "safe". Also depends if you're wrapping with foil or peach paper, towels or not, etc. You kinda can't go wrong honestly.
    Actually it would have to be below 140 for more than 4 hours to be considered "unsafe" in the food service world. It's still fine well beyond that but if you want to play it by the book, the book says 4 hours in the danger zone
    Does the time spent during cooking between 40 and 140 count? I thought I read the 4hrs is cumulative, but don't know if the cooking side of the equation counts.
    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
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  • Dwdude102
    Dwdude102 Posts: 13
    I would think not since that bacteria would not survive above 140. As some of our cooks here near 4 hours to get to 140, you would have no serving time! :(!
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,958
    Ozzie_Isaac said:
    The Cen-Tex Smoker said:
    TexasisBestest said:
    Hypothetically as long as the brisket does not drop below 140 degrees it's considered "safe". Also depends if you're wrapping with foil or peach paper, towels or not, etc. You kinda can't go wrong honestly.
    Actually it would have to be below 140 for more than 4 hours to be considered "unsafe" in the food service world. It's still fine well beyond that but if you want to play it by the book, the book says 4 hours in the danger zone
    Does the time spent during cooking between 40 and 140 count? I thought I read the 4hrs is cumulative, but don't know if the cooking side of the equation counts.
    No
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,958
    Dwdude102 said:
    I would think not since that bacteria would not survive above 140. As some of our cooks here near 4 hours to get to 140, you would have no serving time! :(!
    They actually won’t live above 130 but food service regs have always used 140 to be extra safe. Many municipalities have changed it to 130 and above now but the word has not trickled down to most civilians yet. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • winojeff
    winojeff Posts: 67
    You guys are amazing, and I thank you. Too bad, 5 years ago, I hadn't consulted you re my honeymoon!
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  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
    The Cen-Tex Smoker said:
    Dwdude102 said:
    I would think not since that bacteria would not survive above 140. As some of our cooks here near 4 hours to get to 140, you would have no serving time! :(!
    They actually won’t live above 130 but food service regs have always used 140 to be extra safe. Many municipalities have changed it to 130 and above now but the word has not trickled down to most civilians yet. 
    Which is why 130º is a popular temp for sous vide cooking.  The 140º does provide a safety margin when holding food for serving.  It is hard to be precise in a normal oven or a serving station.  Temps will vary a bit.
    Southeast Florida - LBGE
    In cooking, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than ‘that’s what everybody else does’ or ‘that’s what I have been told.’  Dare to think for yourself.
     
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