You or anybody else can wrap and put Smoked Meat in a cooler as long as it stays at or above 140*F. For a single Brisket or Pork Butt that is about 5 hours. For a Turkey or a couple Racks of Ribs, maybe 2-3 hours, as they are not as hot as the brisket or butt going in (200*F) and they have an overall lower mass. The most important issue with Poultry is we only smoke to 165*F. This is technically " just " at the recommended temp for the elimination of Bacteria. If your thermometer is off, if the probe is too close to the surface or bone, a portion of the meat may be under temp. If you begin to carve and find undercooked meat you can correct the situation immediately. But if that same bird just spent 12 hours in a cooler and cooled to under 140*F any residual live or spored up bacteria can multiply and cause issues. Does this guy or that guy in competition engage in risky behavior? Sure, but that don't make it a good idea! Yes, in a perfect world the meat going in the cooler is Sterile and the towels are clean and bacteria free and the cooler is air tight so there is very little chance it will become contaminated and there is no issue even if it cools below 140*F...BUT...We don't live in a perfect world, thermometers can be inaccurate, towels, even if clean, can still harbor bacteria, clean coolers can still contain bacteria in seams and scratches and coolers are not always air tight...You will not find anyone here that will say what you plan is safe...JJ
