What is the best way to pre-heat a cooler?
- Thread starter michele p
- Start date
Dave/G
TVWBB Emerald Member
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by michele p:
How do you do it? (I just realized mine is ice cold in the garage) so I have my ribs foiled in the oven on 200, until we are ready to eat.
But for future reference, what is the best way to pre-heat a cooler? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
try one
How do you do it? (I just realized mine is ice cold in the garage) so I have my ribs foiled in the oven on 200, until we are ready to eat.
But for future reference, what is the best way to pre-heat a cooler? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
try one
Instant heat pack:
Wet a towel and wring it out to a point where it's very damp, but not dripping. Nuke it, checking frequently for your desired temp. Timing varies depending on your microwave. Carefully, place the hot towel in the cooler and put your foil-wrapped food item(s) on top.
Be very careful! It's possible to get a nasty steam burn from over heating the wet towel.
Wet a towel and wring it out to a point where it's very damp, but not dripping. Nuke it, checking frequently for your desired temp. Timing varies depending on your microwave. Carefully, place the hot towel in the cooler and put your foil-wrapped food item(s) on top.
Be very careful! It's possible to get a nasty steam burn from over heating the wet towel.
LarryR
TVWBB Diamond Member
Looks like I'm late to this party but thought I'd throw my .02 in anyway for future reference. I take what Chis has listed under Holding, Storing & Reheating
Barbecued Meats to the extreme and probably is overkill. I have a huge pot that I fill with about 5 gallons of water, bring it to a boil then dump the boiling water in my cooler, close the lid and let it sit until I'm ready to use it, say up to 1 hour prior to removing meat from the WSM. Right after I've wrapped my meat in foil and a towel I dump the water (be very careful as it's scalding hot), dry quickly cooler with a towel, line with towels and I'm ready to roll. Will keep your meat nice and toasty for hours.
Barbecued Meats to the extreme and probably is overkill. I have a huge pot that I fill with about 5 gallons of water, bring it to a boil then dump the boiling water in my cooler, close the lid and let it sit until I'm ready to use it, say up to 1 hour prior to removing meat from the WSM. Right after I've wrapped my meat in foil and a towel I dump the water (be very careful as it's scalding hot), dry quickly cooler with a towel, line with towels and I'm ready to roll. Will keep your meat nice and toasty for hours.
Same here - I.E., scalding hot water treatment. Lasts for hours. For example two weeks ago - pulled two 8lb butts at 200 deg. Held temps above 140 for near 6 or 7 hours.
Heavy double foil and in aluminum trays folded in close on all sides of the meat. Loaded with towels bottom sides and top.
Never had to use fire bricks method.
Over Thanksgiving had a 12 lb turkey in there from around 3pm to 11pm. When I pulled it it was pretty hot to the touch.
I guess if you want to go beyond 8 hours the bricks will help.
Ray
Heavy double foil and in aluminum trays folded in close on all sides of the meat. Loaded with towels bottom sides and top.
Never had to use fire bricks method.
Over Thanksgiving had a 12 lb turkey in there from around 3pm to 11pm. When I pulled it it was pretty hot to the touch.
I guess if you want to go beyond 8 hours the bricks will help.
Ray
Bob Hunter
TVWBB Pro
About 30 minutes before I am ready to pull the meat off the WSM I throw the towels, I am going to use in the cooler, into the dryer.
Jim Minion
TVWBB Emerald Member
I'm with Bryan I wrap the meat and place it in the cooler. One of the things to consider if the meat is very close to your desired finish temperature placing it in a dry cooler that has been heated the meat will continue to cook and you can over shoot your desired finish temperature by quite a bit. If you do have a long holding period you may want to pull the meat off the cooker sooner and place it in the preheated cooler to continue to tenderize during the holding phase. This will make it less likely that you will end up with a mushy or dried out product.
Jim
Jim
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jim Minion:
One of the things to consider if the meat is very close to your desired finish temperature placing it in a dry cooler that has been heated the meat will continue to cook and you can over shoot your desired finish temperature by quite a bit. If you do have a long holding period you may want to pull the meat off the cooker sooner and place it in the preheated cooler to continue to tenderize during the holding phase. This will make it less likely that you will end up with a mushy or dried out product.
Jim </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Exactly Jim, nail hit on head. You must factor in the carry over heat, into the cooler phase. If you take a Butt to 195 and palce it in a cooler that's 140+ or whatever, you got some serious heat going on in the cooler. Then you go from a 195 degree butt to a 205 degree or higher temp before it starts going south.
One of the things to consider if the meat is very close to your desired finish temperature placing it in a dry cooler that has been heated the meat will continue to cook and you can over shoot your desired finish temperature by quite a bit. If you do have a long holding period you may want to pull the meat off the cooker sooner and place it in the preheated cooler to continue to tenderize during the holding phase. This will make it less likely that you will end up with a mushy or dried out product.
Jim </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Exactly Jim, nail hit on head. You must factor in the carry over heat, into the cooler phase. If you take a Butt to 195 and palce it in a cooler that's 140+ or whatever, you got some serious heat going on in the cooler. Then you go from a 195 degree butt to a 205 degree or higher temp before it starts going south.
LarryR
TVWBB Diamond Member
Jim and Bryan, thanks for the "heads-up" on carry over heat. I had not considered that the cooler may be so warm that it continues to cook the meat even more than typical carry over. The two times I've done this I haven't had any issues with mushy or dried out product . . . but I'd rather not risk it. Thanks again!
dsitterson
TVWBB Super Fan
I never preheat my cooler. We have put chicken in a garbage bag and place it in a cooler gone to a football game and come back open the cooler and bag and it was steaming hot.