Holding Briskets for 12+hrs?

[cabrego]

Howdy all,

Now that we are cooking on a larger scale (for us at least), we would like to consider holding briskets and boston butts for a longer period of time.

The process would go something like this, put meat in at around 9 or 10 am, cook for about 12 hours, then let rest and hold at around 150-160. We would from about 10 pm to about 10 am the following day.

I've seen a few threads on this, and I've heard Franklin does something like this. Just curious if anyone has any practical experience with this.

Any thoughts?

[BigThicket]

It's pretty common to hold for 10-12 hrs. I do 10-11 all the time in a warming cabinet. I'd recommend holding at 145 if possible. If you hold too hot it can dry things out.

[cabrego]

Originally Posted by BigThicket

It's pretty common to hold for 10-12 hrs. I do 10-11 all the time in a warming cabinet. I'd recommend holding at 145 if possible. If you hold too hot it can dry things out.

Thanks for the quick response! I'm hoping this might help with our sleep schedule for some events that begin early.

When you hold, do you wait for the meat cool down to 165, before holding it at 145. Or do you let the meat cool to 145, then hold at 145?

I should also mention that we will transfer meat from the holding 'oven' to cambros and insulated coolers for transport at which point we could fire up the pit and hold at 145-150 or just leave in cambros/coolers for the 4 hr vending window.

[longwayfromhome]

For a year I commercially cooked bone-in pork belly, beef short ribs (especially) and some brisket on a Wednesday, finish about 6pm and hold in a CVap at 150F and setting 5 and then serve out of the CVap the next night. We all considered the beef to be as good or better than it was with a 2 hour hold, while the pork was, at its best, as good as direct from the cabinet smoker, or to my mind not quite as “fresh”, say 95% as good.

A CVap is a tremendous machine if you have to hold in a commercial situation.

[minAL]

I hold briskets for 12+ hrs every week. I let them cool to at least 150 degrees and then hold in warming cabinet at 140-145. In my mind it makes a quality product.

[BigThicket]

Originally Posted by cabrego

Thanks for the quick response! I'm hoping this might help with our sleep schedule for some events that begin early.

When you hold, do you wait for the meat cool down to 165, before holding it at 145. Or do you let the meat cool to 145, then hold at 145?

I should also mention that we will transfer meat from the holding 'oven' to cambros and insulated coolers for transport at which point we could fire up the pit and hold at 145-150 or just leave in cambros/coolers for the 4 hr vending window.

I will usually let them sit (wrapped) on the counter for an hour then put them in the warming cabinet. Sometimes I don't even do that, I just go straight in. I usually transfer to coolers an hour or so before serving and keep them there and pull as needed during a 3-4 hour serving window. It works out fine.

[PaulstheRibList]

Holding in a CVAP is no problem for that 12 hour window.

[cabrego]

Thank you all for the responses, I did not have notifications active. So, it has taken me a while to get back to everyone.

Since my original post, I have held Briskets and Butts for 12+ hours on two occasions. They came out fantastic!

I do not have a CVAP. I am using my smoker which has a PID controller set to 155. I found that it is extremely important to allow the meat to come down to temp before holding. I don't think this is news for most of you.

[Q_Done_Right]

Originally Posted by cabrego

Thank you all for the responses, I did not have notifications active. So, it has taken me a while to get back to everyone.

Since my original post, I have held Briskets and Butts for 12+ hours on two occasions. They came out fantastic!

I do not have a CVAP. I am using my smoker which has a PID controller set to 155. I found that it is extremely important to allow the meat to come down to temp before holding. I don't think this is news for most of you.

What temp are you allowing the meat to come down to before holding at 155? And are you holding tightly wrapped in a couple layers of heavy duty foil, butcher paper, food service film or some combination of a couple of these?

[cabrego]

Originally Posted by Q_Done_Right

What temp are you allowing the meat to come down to before holding at 155? And are you holding tightly wrapped in a couple layers of heavy duty foil, butcher paper, food service film or some combination of a couple of these?

Usually have I have been in quite a scramble so it has not been as controlled as I would have liked but, I believe my best results were when I let the meat rest down the 145-150 range then held at 160. It took a couple of hours to bring back up to 160.

[cabrego]

Originally Posted by Q_Done_Right

What temp are you allowing the meat to come down to before holding at 155? And are you holding tightly wrapped in a couple layers of heavy duty foil, butcher paper, food service film or some combination of a couple of these?

Oh and to answer your question, I wrap briskets in butcher paper and keep butts foiled in pans, or individually wrapped in foil depending on quantity. I try not to disturb anything that has been wrapped, by opening / rewrapping if not necessary.

I don't know if this is right or wrong, but it's what I do.

[Q_Done_Right]

Originally Posted by cabrego

Oh and to answer your question, I wrap briskets in butcher paper and keep butts foiled in pans, or individually wrapped in foil depending on quantity. I try not to disturb anything that has been wrapped, by opening / rewrapping if not necessary.

I don't know if this is right or wrong, but it's what I do.

Thanks for all your info!