Keepingmy butt warm...

[tom knotek]

Just wondering how long will my finished bubutts stay warm if I wrap in foil and towels then throw in a cooler? I need to cook them overnight and finished around 10am but not serve until 6.

 

[jarjarchef]

It really depends on the quality of the cooler and how insulated it is. How many times it is opened after it is put in there. The amount of meat vs. the amount of open space.

There is really no set answer to how long it will hold. The important thing is the holding temperature. By Florida State Guidelines you will need to maintain 135°F or higher at all times. If you have a remote thermometer, you can stick your probe in and wrap up with the meat to monitor the temps without opening the cooler.

8hrs is a long time to hold, just need to make sure to monitor the temps. There is no way to reheat it where you are going?

 

[tom knotek]

Ideally I would like to keep warm in cooler until about 3 or 4 then pull it and then I can keep warm. Because of other issues I won't be able to do until then. Usually when I make it I let it rest like this for an hour or so. I guess I'll just hope for the best. Thanks for then reply.

 

[jarjarchef]

How much meat are you smoking?

 

[tom knotek]

I have about 18# of pork. It will be going in a Coleman cooler than usually does well for me, also will be kept inside out of cold

 

[jarjarchef]

Remeber the meat will keep cooking as you are holding it.

Be careful with the temp when you go to serve it. I would check it and if you are too far out of the safe zone, I would opt out of serving it. Hard choice, but better to be safe than get others sick.

 

[demosthenes9]

Ideally I would like to keep warm in cooler until about 3 or 4 then pull it and then I can keep warm. Because of other issues I won't be able to do until then. Usually when I make it I let it rest like this for an hour or so. I guess I'll just hope for the best. Thanks for then reply.

In an ideal world, you are looking at holding for 5 or 6 hours which shouldn't be that much of a problem with butts that come out at 200 degrees plus.    Wrap well and put them in your cooler with some towels.

That said, if the butts finish early, then you might start running into issues as the hold time would have to increase.    

If possible, can you give more details about your day/schedule as there may be some alternative things to try.  For example, could you put the butts in a warm oven to hold ?   Could you slow the cook down so that the butts finish later and don't need to hold as long ?    The more details you provide, the better.

 

[timberjet]

I have had butts in the cooler for 5 or 6 hours before and they are still too hot to handle but 8 hours, I don't know. If you have 18 pounds of Butt you will end up with around 9 pounds after smoking. Might fit in a big crockpot or 2 if you can get it pulled by 3 or 4. I sometimes use an electric turkey roaster my mom has for this. Keeps things moist and hot real good.