brisket and cooler times

I just did mine this way. it was safe in the cooler for 5 hours. the meat was almost too hot to handle when I pulled it out and unwrapped it. I wrapped some sausage that I had smoked too and threw it in so that surely added to the temp inside the cooler. Wrap it well and use thick towels.

I cooler my briskets at 195 - 200 F. The first time I did that the brisket went in the cooler at 198 F. 3 hours later the temp only dropped to 165 F. My cooler is an old Rubbermaid with good insulation between the plastic. It is a smaller cooler...just big enough to fit a packer brisket on the bottom. I also place towels on top of the wrapped brisket. Besides extra insulation I think the towels also absorb any steam that is released, keeping water off the bottom of the cooler. I don't recommend Coleman coolers. At least the old ones anyway. They have little to no insulation at all. Now I cooler my briskets for at least 4 hours and no more than 6 hours (can't wait any longer, LOL). I don't bother to monitor the temps anymore. I know they always come out hot and good to go.