# haveing meats rest in a sleeping bag



## chris1237 (Jul 17, 2006)

I was watching a little of the all star bbq show down the other day and Myron Mixion said that you should not let your meats rest in a cooler because it will continue to cook them rather you should let them rest in a sleeping bag because it will not continue to cook them but it will keep them warm. Have any of you heard of doing this or have done it?

Chris


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## wittdog (Jul 17, 2006)

I saw the same show...


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## Finney (Jul 17, 2006)

I haven't see or heard of doing this.  But I've been telling you guys for years that putting a lot of hot meat in a cooler isn't _resting_.  Oh, I do it to, but I knew what I was doing wasn't letting it rest. :!: 

 *But, to qualify my statements (now and previously): once the internal temp starts dropping, the meat is starting to rest.  It just takes it much longer to get to that point in a cooler with several big pieces of hot meat.*

I still believe that there is benefit to the meat being wrapped in foil and in the cooler, or I wouldn't do it.  And yes... at some point it is resting, if it is in there long enough. 8-[


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## Smokin' U (Jul 17, 2006)

How long can you leave a pork butt wrapped in foil in a cooler?  I suppose the answer is until you approach the danger temperature zone.

How long can you let a pork butt sit around before you have to pull it?


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## LarryWolfe (Jul 17, 2006)

Smokin' U said:
			
		

> How long can you leave a pork butt wrapped in foil in a cooler?  I suppose the answer is until you approach the danger temperature zone.
> 
> How long can you let a pork butt sit around before you have to pull it?



It depends on how much meat and the size of the cooler.  Pretty much comes down to common sense.  If you have 1 butt put it in a small cooler, it'll stay hot and I mean *hot *for several hours.  If you have two or more put them in a bigger cooler and with the residual heat from the mass they're gonna stay hot for several hours as well.  I've kept butts in a cooler for over 4 hours and they're too hot to handle after that.  

Letting meat sit out?  Well that's a matter of common sense as well.  If it's outside and it's 95 degrees out, I wouldn't leave it out longer than 30-45 un-chilled max.  If it's inside a cool house, I wouldn't worry about it for at least an hour and a half.  After that I'd start to wrap things up.


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## Smokin' U (Jul 17, 2006)

Thanks Larry!



			
				Larry Wolfe said:
			
		

> Letting meat sit out?  Well that's a matter of common sense as well.  If it's outside and it's 95 degrees out, I wouldn't leave it out longer than 30-45 un-chilled max.  If it's inside a cool house, I wouldn't worry about it for at least an hour and a half.  After that I'd start to wrap things up.



What is the maximum amunt of time a cooked pork butt  can rest before you pull (shred, chop) it?  In other words, can you pull a cold butt?


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## Bruce B (Jul 17, 2006)

I think I was married to one of those once.






Don't laught at that, Lord I apologize for that. Put me with the starvin' Pygmies in New Guinnea


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## LarryWolfe (Jul 17, 2006)

Smokin' U said:
			
		

> Thanks Larry!
> 
> [quote="Larry Wolfe":mqts8mba]
> Letting meat sit out?  Well that's a matter of common sense as well.  If it's outside and it's 95 degrees out, I wouldn't leave it out longer than 30-45 un-chilled max.  If it's inside a cool house, I wouldn't worry about it for at least an hour and a half.  After that I'd start to wrap things up.



What is the maximum amunt of time a cooked pork butt  can rest before you pull (shred, chop) it?  In other words, can you pull a cold butt?[/quote:mqts8mba]


Sure you can pull a cold butt, but it will take a little more effort vs. pulling a warm/hot butt.  Same theory as my previous reply applies IMO either whole or pulled.  If you just wanna see how long you can hold it before pulling, stick a thermometer in the butt.  Once it gets close to 140* pull it.


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## Helen_Paradise (Jul 17, 2006)

Sleeping bag....goose down or something like a cheapy Coleman 45 degree?


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## SteerCrazy (Jul 17, 2006)

Smokin' U said:
			
		

> Thanks Larry!
> 
> [quote="Larry Wolfe":27u3bgsm]
> Letting meat sit out?  Well that's a matter of common sense as well.  If it's outside and it's 95 degrees out, I wouldn't leave it out longer than 30-45 un-chilled max.  If it's inside a cool house, I wouldn't worry about it for at least an hour and a half.  After that I'd start to wrap things up.



What is the maximum amunt of time a cooked pork butt  can rest before you pull (shred, chop) it?  *In other words, can you pull a cold butt?*[/quote:27u3bgsm]

 :-k


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## Uncle Bubba (Jul 17, 2006)

Hey Bruce, didn't we see a team in Michigan that left their finished pork butt wrapped and not in a cooler for well over two hours?


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## Bruce B (Jul 18, 2006)

I believe we may have.


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## wittdog (Jul 18, 2006)

brian j said:
			
		

> i've kept both butts in briskets in a cooler for up to six hours with no ill effect.  both times the meat was still warm.  i use a towel in there with the foiled meats to take up space and provide further insullation.


At what temp did you pull them from the pit?


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## Bill The Grill Guy (Jul 18, 2006)

brian j said:
			
		

> i've kept both butts in briskets in a cooler for up to six hours with no ill effect.  both times the meat was still warm.  i use a towel in there with the foiled meats to take up space and provide further insullation.



Brian also rests his meat in a sleeping bag.  I've seen him do that.


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## wittdog (Jul 18, 2006)

Bill The Grill Guy said:
			
		

> [quote="brian j":2jhw9nil]i've kept both butts in briskets in a cooler for up to six hours with no ill effect.  both times the meat was still warm.  i use a towel in there with the foiled meats to take up space and provide further insullation.



Brian also rests his meat in a sleeping bag.  I've seen him do that.






[/quote:2jhw9nil]
Now I dont' care who you are that's funny...


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## Helen_Paradise (Jul 18, 2006)

wittdog said:
			
		

> Bill The Grill Guy said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Now I dont' care who you are that's funny...[/quote:379tankv]

Agreed.


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## Bobberqer (Jul 18, 2006)

did a catering a while back... 75 racks of ribs... put them in a dry cooler , and they held for 18 hours.... too hot to handle when we finally opened the cooler..


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## LarryWolfe (Jul 18, 2006)

Bobberqer said:
			
		

> did a catering a while back... 75 racks of ribs... put them in a dry cooler , and they held for 18 hours.... too hot to handle when we finally opened the cooler..



How was the texture Bob?  Were they mushy at all from sitting that long??


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## Greg Rempe (Jul 18, 2006)

18 hrs??  I doubt they were to hot to handle... #-o


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## Finney (Jul 18, 2006)

I would think you would have rib "hash".


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## cleglue (Jul 18, 2006)

A few months back when I was getting serious about learning to smoke good BBQ I pulled the butt off the smoker at 194* and wrapped more foil around the butt then wrapped with a towel and placed it in a dry (igloo) cooler.  I left the thermometer in the butt and it NEVER WENT any higher than 195*.  I haven't tried it again but I did bring this up on another forum and was told that because BBQing is at a low heat that the temperature shouldn't get much higher.  Someone else try it and let me know your results.

http://www.barbecuenews.com/forum/topic ... emperature


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## Wittdogs B (Jul 18, 2006)

Smokin' U said:
			
		

> Thanks Larry!
> 
> [quote="Larry Wolfe":20847u23]
> Letting meat sit out?  Well that's a matter of common sense as well.  If it's outside and it's 95 degrees out, I wouldn't leave it out longer than 30-45 un-chilled max.  If it's inside a cool house, I wouldn't worry about it for at least an hour and a half.  After that I'd start to wrap things up.



What is the maximum amunt of time a cooked pork butt  can rest before you pull (shred, chop) it?  In other words, can you pull a cold butt?[/quote:20847u23]

Depends on how cold... I wouldn't recommend oh, *refrigerating* it before pulling it  #-o


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## Rich Decker (Jul 19, 2006)

Here is a link that a buddy posted on his site. There is a bunch of detail on this subject.

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/coolerholding.htm


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## LarryWolfe (Jul 19, 2006)

cleglue said:
			
		

> A few months back when I was getting serious about learning to smoke good BBQ I pulled the butt off the smoker at 194* and wrapped more foil around the butt then wrapped with a towel and placed it in a dry (igloo) cooler.  I left the thermometer in the butt and it NEVER WENT any higher than 195*.  I haven't tried it again but I did bring this up on another forum and was told that because BBQing is at a low heat that the temperature shouldn't get much higher.  Someone else try it and let me know your results.
> 
> http://www.barbecuenews.com/forum/topic ... emperature



Craig, had you had 2 or 3 or more butts in the cooler the mass of meat would have caused the internal temps to rise a few more degrees and hold much longer.  I agree with the lower temperatures and 1 butt in the cooler the temps are not going to rise much, if at all.


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## Finney (Jul 19, 2006)

cleglue said:
			
		

> A few months back when I was getting serious about learning to smoke good BBQ I pulled the butt off the smoker at 194* and wrapped more foil around the butt then wrapped with a towel and placed it in a dry (igloo) cooler.  I left the thermometer in the butt and it NEVER WENT any higher than 195*.  I haven't tried it again but I did bring this up on another forum and was told that because BBQing is at a low heat that the temperature shouldn't get much higher.  Someone else try it and let me know your results.
> 
> http://www.barbecuenews.com/forum/topic ... emperature



cleglue, what you were told is basically true.  Because of the low cooking temp one butt in a cooler won't raise in temp very much at all.  This can be affected also by how long it takes to get it wrapped and into the cooler.  The whole cooler thing is either to keep the meat warmer, longer, or to let the meat rest and the juices redistribute... both usually.

There are a lot of variables.  The amount of meat, size of cooler, whether or not you pre-heated it, ambient temps, etc.

The main thing is that you want to keep your temps above 140* until it is time to serve your meat.


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## Smokin' U (Jul 19, 2006)

Wittdogs B said:
			
		

> Smokin' U":6u4gh07h]Thanks Larry!
> 
> [quote="Larry Wolfe":6u4gh07h]
> Letting meat sit out?  Well that's a matter of common sense as well.  If it's outside and it's 95 degrees out said:
> ...


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