Coolers

Aebs · 12-08-2004, 04:05 PM

Hey Gang, I'd like some input from y'all on coolers. Do you have a favorite type? Styrofoam or plastic? How big a cooler do you use, other than big enough. Do you try to fill the cooler full, or do you have a larger cooler with plenty of dead air in it? Does it matter?

Thanks in advance.

BBQchef33 · 12-08-2004, 05:38 PM

guess any size will work, but the smaller the better to hold the meat in it because ya need to fill dead air with dry towles or newspapers. I've heard some people even use styrofoam peanuts. Using one of thos e150quart coolers on a brisket is a little overkill.

I used a medium and a large igloo cooler . the medium will hold 2 briskets. The large you can get in 3 and a butt.

chad · 12-08-2004, 06:03 PM

I agree with Phil - it depends on how much meat you are needing to keep hot.

For competition Tim and I use a 50 quart - one of the new 5-day ice models. We also have a couple of larger coolers if needed - one 70 and one 105 quart - the 70 usually carries the raw meat and the 105 carries spare ice. We have a couple of small "personal" size coolers for breakfast food, the lettuce, coffe cream, etc.

So, the answer is: the smallest you can get all your normal cooked food in - get a good one from Igloo or Coleman -- they solid styro ones are ok but hard to keep clean. WalMart has some nice small to medium sized cooler for around $18.00 or so.

Heath · 12-08-2004, 07:08 PM

And a really cool thing to do. If your having a party, put the meat in the cooler and then store it near where everyone is. When it's time to eat, open the cooler before you remove it from the area everyone is at so they can smell whats coming. By the time you cut/pull/shred and get ready to serve it you will have people standing in puddles of drool.

I did it this last summer with a couple pork butts and left the cooler and newspaper open on the back deck. I had people yelling at me to hurry up and they were coming in and stealing it as I was pulling it. After we killed of the pulled pork people were coming up and taking a hit off the cooler.

Bill-Chicago · 12-08-2004, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBQchef33

guess any size will work, but the smaller the better to hold the meat in it because ya need to fill dead air with dry towles or newspapers. I've heard some people even use styrofoam peanuts. Using one of thos e150quart coolers on a brisket is a little overkill.

I used a medium and a large igloo cooler . the medium will hold 2 briskets. The large you can get in 3 and a butt.

Don't listen to Phil

okay, listen but take this caveat.

I agree dead air is bad, but you want a large Igloo

Santa is bringing me a bigger cooler.

I have a normal Igloo Playmate that will forever smell like butts and brisket. But you just cant fit full slabs in there.

So Santa is bringing me a bigger cooler.

$80 from Cabelas. I saw the confirmation email

hornbri · 12-08-2004, 08:35 PM

Quote:

$80 from Cabelas. I saw the confirmation email

shhhhhh dont spoil the surprise

Bill-Chicago · 12-08-2004, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hornbri

Quote:

$80 from Cabelas. I saw the confirmation email

shhhhhh dont spoil the surprise

I'm drunk, so I didnt see anything

hornbri · 12-08-2004, 08:49 PM

Quote:

$80 from Cabelas. I saw the confirmation email

shhhhhh dont spoil the surprise

I'm drunk, so I didnt see anything

Whewww that was close

Aebs · 12-08-2004, 09:42 PM

So dead air is to be avoided. That's what I figured. It takes longer then for the meat to cool down and it can continue cooking. The solid plastic coolers would also be easier to clean, an obvious and important point that I had forgotten. Thanks for the tip.

parrothead · 12-08-2004, 10:48 PM

Coleman extreme is the cooler to have. 5 day ice keeper.

Bellybro · 12-09-2004, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Coleman extreme is the cooler to have. 5 day ice keeper.

I have one of these and they are awesome!!!

cheez · 12-09-2004, 11:54 AM

Guys on the fishing boards I read say Icey-Tek coolers are the best for keeping ice (or in our case, heat). I even read one review where a guy said he filled one with ice and kept it inside, in a 75-degree room. Said the ice was 2/3 gone after 10 days, but the temp inside was still the same. I still haven't convinced myself to spend $200 on a 95-quart cooler though................

Bill-Chicago · 12-09-2004, 08:52 PM

Cheez likes frozen fish

pass it on

Samichlaus · 12-09-2004, 09:40 PM

Those Colemans are really nice. I would guess the best value. The Icey-Tek coolers are great but big buck$! They are very popular with fishermen. I remeber when I saw a 70 quart at Anglers Center for $180!

Solidkick · 12-10-2004, 12:13 AM

I think the trick is to wrap in 2 towels, holds the heat in before you get to the dead air...........

12-08-2004, 04:05 PM	#1
Aebs Got Wood. Join Date: 10-27-04 Location: Germantown, WI	Coolers Hey Gang, I'd like some input from y'all on coolers. Do you have a favorite type? Styrofoam or plastic? How big a cooler do you use, other than big enough. Do you try to fill the cooler full, or do you have a larger cooler with plenty of dead air in it? Does it matter? Thanks in advance.

12-08-2004, 05:38 PM	#2
BBQchef33 Grand Poobah and Site Admin Join Date: 08-11-03 Location: Long Island, NY Name/Nickname : Phil	guess any size will work, but the smaller the better to hold the meat in it because ya need to fill dead air with dry towles or newspapers. I've heard some people even use styrofoam peanuts. Using one of thos e150quart coolers on a brisket is a little overkill. I used a medium and a large igloo cooler . the medium will hold 2 briskets. The large you can get in 3 and a butt. __________________ Site Administrator and Grand PooBah CBJ with a Fuzzy Blue Hat, 18 Foot Competition Trailer, Customized Klose BYC, Custom Built Shirley built to feed our Veterans(A.K.A "Abrams"), 1 Double Barreled Lang 84, 1 Heavily Modified Bionic Bandera, 1 Custom Super Medium Stickburning Spicewine w/stoker, 2 XL BGE, 1 Mini BGE, 2 Pit Barrel Cookers, 3 WSMs, 3 Weber Kettles, an NB Hondo, A Modified Brinkman Horizontal, DCS 48" Grill, a Broilmaster P3, a Blackstone 36 and 17, a covered, pellet pooping FEC100, and our duck died. :( News Flash: "A mans worth is judged by the weight of his integrity " You know your getting older when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy Smoke on KC. WWW.BBQ-BRETHREN.COM

12-08-2004, 06:03 PM	#3
chad somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 08-13-03 Location: Clearwater, FL	I agree with Phil - it depends on how much meat you are needing to keep hot. For competition Tim and I use a 50 quart - one of the new 5-day ice models. We also have a couple of larger coolers if needed - one 70 and one 105 quart - the 70 usually carries the raw meat and the 105 carries spare ice. We have a couple of small "personal" size coolers for breakfast food, the lettuce, coffe cream, etc. So, the answer is: the smallest you can get all your normal cooked food in - get a good one from Igloo or Coleman -- they solid styro ones are ok but hard to keep clean. WalMart has some nice small to medium sized cooler for around $18.00 or so. __________________ Dave Southern Brethren BBQ Competition Team "It's all about getting paid!" - Myron Mixon "I love being hated in my hometown!" - David Hair KingFisher Gator Rotisserie cooker (RIP), WSM (RIP), Stainless 5 burner with IR gas grill (RIP), Turkey Fryer, Weber JD Commemorative grill (RIP), Masterbuilt 40" insulated ELECTRIC smoker (new heating element), Pit Boss Tailgater pellet pooper.

12-08-2004, 07:08 PM	#4
Heath Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 08-11-03 Location: Brier, WA	And a really cool thing to do. If your having a party, put the meat in the cooler and then store it near where everyone is. When it's time to eat, open the cooler before you remove it from the area everyone is at so they can smell whats coming. By the time you cut/pull/shred and get ready to serve it you will have people standing in puddles of drool. I did it this last summer with a couple pork butts and left the cooler and newspaper open on the back deck. I had people yelling at me to hurry up and they were coming in and stealing it as I was pulling it. After we killed of the pulled pork people were coming up and taking a hit off the cooler. __________________ Heath in Brier West Coast Chapter Washington Division Party Crew Bandera(Highly modified), Hasty Bake, Weber Gold, Unmodified SS hot water tank, an old wood burning fireplace insert, 2 buckets, and a hole in the ground. HeHe

12-08-2004, 10:48 PM	#10
parrothead somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 08-13-03 Location: Port Saint Lucie, FL	Coleman extreme is the cooler to have. 5 day ice keeper. __________________ Greg American Picker Blog

12-08-2004, 09:42 PM	#9
Aebs Got Wood. Join Date: 10-27-04 Location: Germantown, WI	So dead air is to be avoided. That's what I figured. It takes longer then for the meat to cool down and it can continue cooking. The solid plastic coolers would also be easier to clean, an obvious and important point that I had forgotten. Thanks for the tip.

12-09-2004, 11:54 AM	#12
cheez Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 08-11-03 Location: Canton Ohio	Guys on the fishing boards I read say Icey-Tek coolers are the best for keeping ice (or in our case, heat). I even read one review where a guy said he filled one with ice and kept it inside, in a 75-degree room. Said the ice was 2/3 gone after 10 days, but the temp inside was still the same. I still haven't convinced myself to spend $200 on a 95-quart cooler though................ __________________ Cheez Canton, OH New Braunfels Bandera, 22.5" WSM, Weber Ranch Kettle, 5 or 6 other Weber Kettles, Party King tailgate grill, and a modded "pizza grill" that is falling apart. Self-proclaimed President of the Canton, OH chapter, Weber Rescue Society.

12-09-2004, 08:52 PM	#13
Bill-Chicago somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 08-11-03 Location: Chicago Southwestern Burbs, but always south of Madison Ave. Name/Nickname : Professor Dickweed	Cheez likes frozen fish pass it on __________________ . Bill-Chicago The death of "willkat98" Me: If you aren't woke, that means you're still sleeping, right? Kid today: That's racist! Bandera, M-BGE, WSM, Gold Kettle, Kenmore Gasser, 36Qt Turkey Fryer, ECB, Dutch Oven, Black Iron BBQ Viper-M, Blackstone 36" Griddle

12-09-2004, 09:40 PM	#14
Samichlaus is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 09-22-04 Location: North Sentinel Island Name/Nickname : samichlaus	Those Colemans are really nice. I would guess the best value. The Icey-Tek coolers are great but big buck$! They are very popular with fishermen. I remeber when I saw a 70 quart at Anglers Center for $180!

12-10-2004, 12:13 AM	#15
Solidkick somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 10-21-03 Location: Bandera Owner in Missouri	I think the trick is to wrap in 2 towels, holds the heat in before you get to the dead air........... __________________ Mr. Kick ------------------------------------------------ *Belly Brothers BBQ Team* "Sister Flame" Spicewine Trailer Smoker,Modified Bandera, Uni-Flame Chicken Cooker with a Spicewine Thermometer mod,Kingsford Barrel cooker and a super fast RED thermapen KC always said "fat cap up!!

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