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Using oven to hold brisket ?

Lynn Dollar

Lynn Dollar

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I charted my kitchen oven on warm today as I want to use it as a holding oven. Looks like its averaging about 155* , as it peaks at 165* then drops to about 145*.


Is this about right, or should it be more in the 145* to 150* range ?


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Yeah that is just about the range ours falls into also. Regular old kitchen ovens are not very steady. That’s why I gotta laugh when ever someone posts their concerns whenever their grill or pit temps fluxes more than 20 degrees.
 
What was your set temp? Looks normal to me. I’ve charted a couple different ovens. The heating elements basically cycle on and off to maintain an average temp of whatever you set it to, but it’ll fluctuate consistently up and down 20 degrees or so. Some higher end ovens may do a better job of a flat consistent temp but all the consumer grade ovens I’ve tested have a 40* or so swing peak to valley.
 
Set temp = " warm " , as low as the oven will go.


I'm more concerned if that's too high a temp to hold brisket without getting carryover cooking ????


I'm thinking it may be a bit high, but it'll work as long as I keep an eye on the IT of the brisket.
 
Nah, you just need to make sure it has vented for a while before putting in. I'd say you could hold half a day without any problem.
 
Burnt at Both Endz said:
Nah, you just need to make sure it has vented for a while before putting in. I'd say you could hold half a day without any problem.
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^^^ this and make sure it doesn't have that safety feature that turns the oven off after x amount of hours.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
Did exactly this method for Easter brisket. Put on at 7p and took off at 5:30am. Let it vent outside for about 10-15 minutes. Wrapped and into the oven using the "warm" setting. Put it at 170* (lowest it goes) and held it until we left at 11am. Put in the cooler for the ride and ate at 12:30. Was still plenty warm.

The brisket was ok. I do think there was some carryover cooking while in the oven. The way the brisket felt at 5:30am was great...nice a jiggly. Wasn't that way when I cut into it. Oh well...live and learn.
 
I've got lotsa questions ............



What temp do barbecue joints set their Alto Shaam's to hold brisket ?


Do Alto Shaams fluctuate the way my oven did ?


Do ovens have those temp swings at higher temps, like baking at 350* ? Or are the temp swings due to the oven not really being designed to operate at low temps ?



Do roaster ovens AKA turkey roasters have those type of temp swings ?



I'm thinking about buying a roaster oven if I decide my electric oven runs too hot.
 
Lynn Dollar said:
I've got lotsa questions ............



What temp do barbecue joints set their Alto Shaam's to hold brisket ?
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Probably 145-150*, whatever the health codes state. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable than I will correct me.

Do Alto Shaams fluctuate the way my oven did ?
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Mine seems to fluctuate 5-7 degrees in either direction, which the manual says is normal. It turns the heating element on and off, just like an oven. The main difference on mine at least is that the heating element is on all sides.

Do ovens have those temp swings at higher temps, like baking at 350* ? Or are the temp swings due to the oven not really being designed to operate at low temps ?
Click to expand...

In my experience yes, it's just a function of turning the electric element on and off like a switch. Maybe not all are like that, but the 2-3 I've tried were.

Do roaster ovens AKA turkey roasters have those type of temp swings ?
Click to expand...

Someone did a really detailed analysis of one semi recently, the temp looked pretty darn steady. Hopefully they'll chime in. I'm guessing the heating element in them isn't just "on" or "off".

I'm thinking about buying a roaster oven if I decide my electric oven runs too hot.
Click to expand...

Yours goes lower than any of the ones I've ever used - 170* is the lowest set temp I've been able to dial in. The nice thing about a roaster or separate warmer of some type is that you aren't beholden to the needs of the oven to use. Often times when I'm holding some meat I'll be using the oven for sides or some other purpose.
 
So watching Leroy and Lewis patreon, they go through this pretty in-depth. Long of the short of it is even a 200deg warmer can work perfectly fine. Key is doneness of the brisket before going in. In the 200deg warmer they just pulled them just before being done. Ie 190-195 and they finish up in the warmer.

The 145 degree warmer they take the briskets to done, let them sit at room temp for a while then hold overnight.

Both produced perfect briskets.
 
ECB said:
So watching Leroy and Lewis patreon, they go through this pretty in-depth. Long of the short of it is even a 200deg warmer can work perfectly fine. Key is doneness of the brisket before going in. In the 200deg warmer they just pulled them just before being done. Ie 190-195 and they finish up in the warmer.

The 145 degree warmer they take the briskets to done, let them sit at room temp for a while then hold overnight.

Both produced perfect briskets.
Click to expand...


I've thought bout that but don't wanna go there. They cook tons of brisket. I cook 4 to 6 per year. I have enough trouble hitting the done window without having to time it perfectly to go in a warming oven. That just won't work for me.
 
You have about the perfect oven temps in my opinion. Cook to done, let it cool a bit then throw it in the oven. If you are using butcher paper, maybe add a water pan to roughly recreate alto sham humidified environment. If you are using tin foil I would recommend removing and rewrapping without all the juices. I did a pulled pork this weekend wrapped in tin foil with 14 hr hold. The bottom that was sitting in the cooking juices lost all it's bark flavor goodness. The bark was still there but tasteless. The top was still fantastic.

Personally, next time I do a butt I'm going to remove from tin foil, wrap in butcher paper and add water pan. I cook briskets in butcher paper so those I'll just leave wrapped in original cooking paper unless the bottom is just a complete soggy mess then I might rerwrap that in new butcher paper as well. That's what franklin does but his briskets also seem to have a lot more intermuscular fat than what we can buy at costco.
 
Lynn Dollar said:
I've thought bout that but don't wanna go there. They cook tons of brisket. I cook 4 to 6 per year. I have enough trouble hitting the done window without having to time it perfectly to go in a warming oven. That just won't work for me.
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Their whole point is it’s not that complicated and the window is bigger than most people understand. If your oven can get to warmer temps ie 145-160 then pull it when done, if not just pull it early..

If your oven averages around 150 pull it when it’s done, let it sit out for an hour to stop carryover then hold in the oven.
 
ECB said:
Their whole point is it’s not that complicated and the window is bigger than most people understand. If your oven can get to warmer temps ie 145-160 then pull it when done, if not just pull it early..

If your oven averages around 150 pull it when it’s done, let it sit out for an hour to stop carryover then hold in the oven.
Click to expand...


Nope, not for me ........... that's just another variable I don't wanna play with
 
You'll be fine. Anything under 170 and above 140 holds briskets just fine—don't overthink it too much! : )
 
ECB said:
Their whole point is it’s not that complicated and the window is bigger than most people understand. If your oven can get to warmer temps ie 145-160 then pull it when done, if not just pull it early..

If your oven averages around 150 pull it when it’s done, let it sit out for an hour to stop carryover then hold in the oven.
Click to expand...

An hour? Guess that explains where I went wrong on the Easter brisket. I let mine sit out for about 15 minutes, then into a roaster set at 150. Soooo dry and crumbly.
 
TravelingJ said:
An hour? Guess that explains where I went wrong on the Easter brisket. I let mine sit out for about 15 minutes, then into a roaster set at 150. Soooo dry and crumbly.
Click to expand...


According to Max, aka Texicana BBQ , who worked for Franklin, they set their brisket out wrapped till the IT drops down to 145 to 150, then put it in the warmer.



That's what I've been doing and I'm happy with the results.


Here, this vid will start with Max resting the breeesket :)


https://youtu.be/xENXHjKa2wc?t=974
 
I stick a temperature probe in the thickest part of the flat, sit it out on the counter until it hits 160, then I put it it in my oven which is set to 160 (the lowest it goes). I’ve held for many hours this way and it comes out great. I leave it wrapped in butcher paper and don’t vent.

My oven temps don’t fluctuate- they are steady (perhaps because it’s a gas range, not electric) but I don’t suspect the fluctuations would matter that much. Briskets are big, it’s not going to go up and down internally with the oven fluctuations.
 
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