Put brisket right into fridge?

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newbienick

Fire Starter
Original poster
SMF Premier Member
Aug 4, 2015
45
28
NW Ohio
I'm smoking a full packer brisket right now, and it should be off here in the next couple of hours. I'm not serving it until tomorrow afternoon. Can I take it right off the smoker and put it in the fridge to rest and keep for tomorrow? Do I need to rest it in a cooler first?

Thanks for the help.

Nick
 
I would still let it rest, not necessarily in a cooler but wrapped on the counter... if you take a it into the fridge hot, it will condensate alot and you rest the meat becoming mushy... let other chime in on the topic though
 
I think that might be best to let it "cool down" while wrapped in foil on a counter and when it gets close to room temp then put in in the fridge for the night and reheat in the oven next day.
 
Wrap and rest till it gets to 140° and then straight into the fridge/freezer.
140° is minimum safe holding temp, from there it needs to be cooled as rapidly as possible to 40° or lower.

Your meat will not get mushy from condensation if wrapped in foil, but your bark may.
 
Thanks for the feedback, all! It's taking a countertop nap for now and then into the fridge. Based on your feedback, I'll put the wrapped brisket into the oven tomorrow morning for a reheat before I slice it. I saved plenty of juice from the drippings to put over the slices after the reheat.
 
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