How long can a brisket sit??

[gazookas]

Hello All--

I'm having people over in six hours. Problem is my brisket is ready now. I've wrapped it in foil, and I've put it in my cooler wrapped up in a heavy blanket.

Is there any chance that it will retain enough heat for six hours?

Any advice?

[ecowper]

Turn your oven to 175F and put the brisket in there on a cookie sheet. I have held for 6 hours that way no problem. If the oven is in use, then maybe you can get your grill/smoker/bbq to run at 175F?

[Rob whatever]

Some ovens go lower than 175F and, if so, I'd go to 150F.

[ecowper]

That's true .... I do 175 mostly cause it seems to work better than the Warm setting on mine.

[STEbbq]

I actually think there is a very good chance it will be fine as is. Remember serving temp is 140-145 and you just took the meat up to 200 or so. ecowper ‘s suggestions will also work. Folks have held brisket overnight with no issues.

[ecowper]

likely it will be fine, but using the oven or a cooker to stay at 175 is a solid method that takes the worry away

[gazookas]

I've currently got it wrapped in foil in the oven on "warm". I figure that I will leave it in the oven until 2.5 hours before the guests arrive and then wrap it up in the blanket and put it back in the cooler.

Do you think that should work?

Worried about the bark getting soggy or coming off altogether.

[ecowper]

the bark will soften .... but you can always give it some direct heat to firm it back up right before you slice.

See my comment below. I gave this piece of advice based on what I read from others, not my own direct experience.

[HawkerXP]

That sounds like a good plan. Restaurants do this every day.

[gazookas]

Having never done this before, should i use the oven's broiler?

[ecowper]

Hmmmmm, I've never done that in the oven. I'd unwrap and see how I felt about the bark. I've never really felt like I needed to firm mine up after a long hold. But I've read folks that do that. Maybe someone that has done that will chime in. You've got plenty of time.

[Jerod Broussard]

If you have bark it will steam off and firm back up. Since I stopped wrapping at the stall I've never had to firm up bark. I take it out the foil and by the time I finish slicing it's firmed back up.

[realdocBBQ]

4-8 hours tightly wrapped in a pre-warmed ice chest. It'll stay plenty hot that long.

[jfmorris]

You'll be fine. I've dropped them in a cooler wrapped in foil and towels for 6 hours several times, but they went right in off the smoker, and were 203ish when they went. They would typically still be 150-160F hours later.

[Spinaker]

Like others have said. I do long holds like this all the time. You will be just fine.

[Alan Brice]

As others have stated, warm oven or half dzn hours in a faux chambro(cooler) well wrapped, insulated. Br oiler sounds like trouble to me. Enjoy the fruits of yer cook.

[RonB]

If ya have a leave in thermometer, use it. It the temp gets close to 140 F, you can put it in a warm oven, (from the cambro). But it should be OK.

[Smoked Transistors]

Foil boat that brisket and keep it in the oven @ 150-170 for hours. If you foil boat it you will keep your crunchy brisket bark you worked so hard to create in the first place