Dry brisket pushed me to try a longer cooler rest | BBQ Pitmasters

Nathan Brown · 2026-03-02T12:51:26.375149+00:00

My brisket used to be tough because I cut it right after smoking. I started wrapping it and leaving it in a cooler for a few hours, and the meat got much more tender. How do you handle rest times for your BBQ?

robin5917mo ago

Wait, you used to cut it right off the smoker? How did you even chew that? A long rest is the only way to get it to relax. I can't imagine serving it any other way now.

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matthewdixon7mo ago

Sometimes I go for a four to six hour rest to get even more tender results.

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paige5627mo ago

What temp do you hold it at during that long rest?

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henryp407mo ago

Wrapped mine in a towel inside the cooler last time.

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