Holding brisket in Cambro for extended time

H

habaneromike

Guest
:noidea:What is the best way to hold a brisket in a Cambro for competition for four (4) hours?
With my past experience, I end up with a lukewarm brisket that is tough and dry based on competition standards as well as mine and…is it possible to have a moist brisket that is around 150 degrees)?

I have received the following answers from other competitors: (this is based on foil wrapped Brisket)
- Pull at 195 and through straight in Cambro
- Pull early and let it finish cooking in Cambro
- Let it stay out of cooker in foil (not vented) for about 10 min than put in Cambro
- Vent for 5 degrees then re-foil and put in Cambro
- cook to 202 Cut an large (X) at the top of the foil until brisket drops 10 degrees then put in Cambro

Any help are suggestions or would be extremely helpful as this is a big problem for me! Maybe the trick is to reheat?
 
If I put 2 briskets into a cambro that are 195F - 201 F and do not vent the foil then they will be mush in 4 hours in the cambro if it is sealed.

The cambro has a guarantee to hold temp for 4 hours so meat at 195 should still be 195 in 4 hours.
 
A hot fire brick can add to your hold time
Yes you need to vent the foil prior to placing brisket in the cambro
 
What is the difference between a brick and a fire brick? Where do you get one and I assume you have to heat it up first? If so do you keep it in the cooker with the meat so it’s hot?

Thanks,
Mike
 
Ford said:
If I put 2 briskets into a cambro that are 195F - 201 F and do not vent the foil then they will be mush in 4 hours in the cambro if it is sealed.

The cambro has a guarantee to hold temp for 4 hours so meat at 195 should still be 195 in 4 hours.
Click to expand...

But is you mush moist? I am actually serious about this question.
 
habaneromike said:
But is you mush moist? I am actually serious about this question.
Click to expand...
certainly is. Of course a lot depends on what goes in the foil when wrapping. you need about 8 oz of liquid.

It makes OK chopped brisket after it's unwrapped and firms up a bit but no way you can slice it.
 
I cook to 205 in a foil covered pan. When it goes in the cambro I vent the foil and leave the cambro door cracked. Comes out pretty good 4 hours later.
 
I put my brisket in the cambro rite off the pit whenits done, I leave the foil on the pan, no vent and it always perfert..
 
habaneromike said:
What is the difference between a brick and a fire brick? Where do you get one and I assume you have to heat it up first? If so do you keep it in the cooker with the meat so it’s hot?

Thanks,
Mike
Click to expand...


The bricks one would use on the inside of a fireplace are different
in their make up I am told
We lined our pit with them and have seen a marked improvement in performance


as to venting wrapped briskets
may be two different dynamics at play here
wrapped in foil and paned then foil covered

I certainly would defer on the subject of briskets to the Texas boys
 
Foil gets opened when the brisket comes out of the pit at 195-200* for 10 or 15 mins to help stop/slow down the cooking process. Then it gets rewrapped and placed in the cambro. Have never taken the temp after it being in the cambro for 4+ hours, but it is definitely too hot to handle without heat resistant mitts of some sort.
 
If the brisket is the only thing in the cambro, that might explain why the temp drops so rapidly. A cold cambro can allow the temp to drop a bit when only a single chunk of meat goes in by itself. One simple way to prevent heat loss is to prime the cambro first by pouring several gallons of hot water in there first and letting it sit for an hour or so. Then just empty it just before the brisket goes in.
 
roksmith said:
If the brisket is the only thing in the cambro, that might explain why the temp drops so rapidly. A cold cambro can allow the temp to drop a bit when only a single chunk of meat goes in by itself. One simple way to prevent heat loss is to prime the cambro first by pouring several gallons of hot water in there first and letting it sit for an hour or so. Then just empty it just before the brisket goes in.
Click to expand...

This is great information that I do not pay attention to and is so obvious. I guess if the Cambro is not primed it could suck the heat right out of the brisket as it equalizes. Thinking back, I think I have seen small temp gauges on some Cambroes at the events. :icon_blush:
 
Why would you cook a brisket and be done 4 hours early? What about putting it one a few hours later? I never cambro any meats, cambros IMO are for catering and thats all.
 
Jacked UP BBQ said:
Why would you cook a brisket and be done 4 hours early? What about putting it one a few hours later? I never cambro any meats, cambros IMO are for catering and thats all.
Click to expand...

If you have a limited amount of space in your cooker you may have to get some of the big cuts off early and hold them while the ribs and chicken are on.
 
Jacked UP BBQ said:
Why would you cook a brisket and be done 4 hours early? What about putting it one a few hours later? I never cambro any meats, cambros IMO are for catering and thats all.
Click to expand...

I cook with two WSM's so I have to use the same WSM as I cook the big meats on is relit for Chicken and to play it safe, I need to leave some wiggle room. Chicken with prep and everything that goes with it is about 2.5 hrs.

This does leave me with one question at home what would be the optimum way to let the meat sit and relax before carving? I normally vent for 10 degrees and let sit in the Cambro for an hour but….. not sure if this is the best way.
 
Keeping at holding temp of 150-195 is not resting. It is holding, the juices are still flowing at those temps. So actually holding that long in a cambro dries the inside of the meat out more. We have tested this many times.
 
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