SmoothBoarBBQ
is Blowin Smoke!
Hey All,
Recently I started a thread about low and slow brisket cooking which kind of turned into a thread about hot holding and warming cabinets. I ordered a holding cabinet but learned that using any of these holding cabinets on food trucks / trailers, or in a residential area, voids the warranty. So I went back to the drawing board and did a good test today with hot holding a pork butt in a cheap Igloo cooler. I pre-heated the cooler with about 1 gallon of boiling water about an hour before I put the pork butt in. I double wrapped the pork butt and put it in a tray, and then into the cooler. Using the Thermoworks Signals I monitored the ambient temp and the internal temp of the pork butt. I have to say I'm pretty surprised at the result.
I held the butt for 8 hours until the temperature of the pork butt hit 145°. The ambient temp started at about 155° and after 8 hours it was down to 118°.
My purpose in this test was to gauge the feasibility of using coolers for long hot holds and I think it showed very positive results. My intent is to use the money I was going to spend on a holding cabinet to buy a couple of Yeti (or similar style) coolers for long term hot holding. The cheap Igloo did great, but I don't mind investing the money in a more solid piece of equipment.
Recently I started a thread about low and slow brisket cooking which kind of turned into a thread about hot holding and warming cabinets. I ordered a holding cabinet but learned that using any of these holding cabinets on food trucks / trailers, or in a residential area, voids the warranty. So I went back to the drawing board and did a good test today with hot holding a pork butt in a cheap Igloo cooler. I pre-heated the cooler with about 1 gallon of boiling water about an hour before I put the pork butt in. I double wrapped the pork butt and put it in a tray, and then into the cooler. Using the Thermoworks Signals I monitored the ambient temp and the internal temp of the pork butt. I have to say I'm pretty surprised at the result.
I held the butt for 8 hours until the temperature of the pork butt hit 145°. The ambient temp started at about 155° and after 8 hours it was down to 118°.
My purpose in this test was to gauge the feasibility of using coolers for long hot holds and I think it showed very positive results. My intent is to use the money I was going to spend on a holding cabinet to buy a couple of Yeti (or similar style) coolers for long term hot holding. The cheap Igloo did great, but I don't mind investing the money in a more solid piece of equipment.