Resting brisket!!

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diesel2578

Newbie
Original poster
Jun 8, 2015
3
10
Litchfield, Ilinois
Hey fellas I am supposed to smoke a brisket for a buddy's anniversary party tomorrow. The problem is I have double booked myself and have to throw a bachelor party tomorrow as well. My question is if they serve the brisket at four can I have it done around eleven or is that too much resting time?
 
As long as you maintain an IT of the brisket greater than 140° you are fine.
Keep in mind it will still keep cooking during the 5hr holding, so slightly under cook it.
 
It depends on the size and how well you store it. A large brisket in a good cooler filled with towels should stay warm for well over 4 hours.

As for it continuing to cook, I disagree with that. The internal temp will keep rising like it always does but once you take it off the heat it is technically no longer cooking. The internal temp rises as it equalizes with the higher temp of the exterior portion of the meat. Holding for 1 hour or 4 hours shouldn't change how you cook it.
 
I placed one wrapped in foil and then wrapped in a wool blanket into a GOOD igloo cooler at 10 PM one night to let it rest a couple of hours.  Fell asleep and checked it at 6 something the next morning.  Still hot and tasted great!

Wrap and insulate it and you're good to go.
 
 
It depends on the size and how well you store it. A large brisket in a good cooler filled with towels should stay warm for well over 4 hours.

As for it continuing to cook, I disagree with that. The internal temp will keep rising like it always does but once you take it off the heat it is technically no longer cooking. The internal temp rises as it equalizes with the higher temp of the exterior portion of the meat. Holding for 1 hour or 4 hours shouldn't change how you cook it.
Yes and no on the "technically no longer cooking".

You aren't cooking any more when the meat goes into the cooler.  That said, the Brisket is cooking while sitting in the cooler. 
 
Thanks I normally only do brisket in competitions but I am doing this one for a friend and I usually cook them to 200 degrees and let it rest in a blanket and cooler for two hours. I have never noticed a rise in the meat temp after removing it from the smoker though!
 
Thanks I normally only do brisket in competitions but I am doing this one for a friend and I usually cook them to 200 degrees and let it rest in a blanket and cooler for two hours. I have never noticed a rise in the meat temp after removing it from the smoker though!
If you pull a brisket from the smoker and put it directly in the cooler, the temp can continue to rise just a bit, especially if the brisket is wrapped in foil.   This is the same "carry over cooking" that you see when taking steaks off the grill, though the rise won't be as pronounced.
 
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