looks amazing.. Man O Man i love me some smoked cheese

Man I don't know how I missed this when it first came up.  My dad brought 50 pounds of cheese with him at Thanksgiving and again at Christmas, for me to smoke. He lives in Wisconsin and buys direct from the cheese factory. It gets to be more and more each year. It's always provolone, sharp cheddar, swiss, pepper jack, and muenster. I keep around a pound of each and the rest goes back with him. He sells it to his buddies at the gun club and pays for most of  his trip that way. I don't try and do it at 1 time, I do it over several days, as I can only load the top 1/2 of the smoker due to temps. I see you cut your cheese fairly thick. I slice mine into around 8 oz chunks to smoke, which appear to be around 1/2 as thick as yours. I smoke for around 3 hours or so. I don't have the AMNSP yet, I just use a couple lit chunks of charcoal and apple chips. My color comes no where close to what you have, it is a very light coloring. I am getting the AMNSP which will make things easier, but  I am wondering if they will be too thin and take on too much smoke when I get the AMNSP. Any thoughts on this?

SPRKY

I do mine about the same size as you and they turn out great!   Triend some actual sliced provalone and theyalmost turned to cardboard...but that was an experiment gone bad.  I use the AMNPS here in the tropics in a Weber Kettle without using ice and only occasionally get melting due to the ambient temps.  I do choose the least hot days/times to smoke.

can you tell which piece was closest to being directly over the heat source?

Quote:

Originally Posted by sprky 

Man I don't know how I missed this when it first came up.  My dad brought 50 pounds of cheese with him at Thanksgiving and again at Christmas, for me to smoke. He lives in Wisconsin and buys direct from the cheese factory. It gets to be more and more each year. It's always provolone, sharp cheddar, swiss, pepper jack, and muenster. I keep around a pound of each and the rest goes back with him. He sells it to his buddies at the gun club and pays for most of  his trip that way. I don't try and do it at 1 time, I do it over several days, as I can only load the top 1/2 of the smoker due to temps. I see you cut your cheese fairly thick. I slice mine into around 8 oz chunks to smoke, which appear to be around 1/2 as thick as yours. I smoke for around 3 hours or so. I don't have the AMNSP yet, I just use a couple lit chunks of charcoal and apple chips. My color comes no where close to what you have, it is a very light coloring. I am getting the AMNSP which will make things easier, but  I am wondering if they will be too thin and take on too much smoke when I get the AMNSP. Any thoughts on this?

sprky, I do cheese in my Master Forge all the time (I know you have a Master Forge as well).  Just a simple cold smoke with the AMNPS (not running the LP burner).  I also like to cut my chunks fairly small.  I think that produces better smoke penetration.  I usually smoke for 4 hours using the AMNPS loaded with 50:50 Apple/Maple or 50:50 Apple/Pecan pellets.  I only light one end of the AMNPS when doing cheese.  Here's some pix of one of my first cold smokes using the Master Forge and the AMNPS.  I've done quite a few cold smokes in it since.  Since this was my first run with the AMNPS, I only ran a small batch of sharp cheddar and provolone, but have since started loading up the smoker when cold smoking cheese.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/gallery/album/view/id/87463/user_id/51381#page=0&sort=display_order

-Salt

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riverratt 

Couple of quick questions. I have the Masterbuilt 30" electric smoker. I will be using the AMNPS. Do you flip the cheese half way through? Since it is cold around here and I will not not need any ice but do you still you a water pan at all?

Hey Riverrat, no need for water in the water pan when cold smoking cheese.  Also, I never flip, since I put my cheese directly on the grates, I don't think there's a need.  I also try to keep my smoker at around 70*-80* when cold smoking cheese.  I really think running at a higher temp while cold smoking cheese gives you a much nicer and darker colored product.  I know a lot of guys like to cold smoke around 40*-50*....just my opinion....

-Salt

When using the AMNPS in a MES30 for cheese do you open the top vent or keep it closed? Do I have to do anything to let air in the smoker like pull the chip loader out or the ash pan?

sorry for the double post

I am with Hoity on this part.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoity Toit 

I don't wipe the moisture off either. Once its vacuum packed the humidity soaks right back into the cheese.

Trial &  errordown here. MES got to hot 37c softer cheese sagged before I could save it.Taste wont be affected. 28c here today so should have put ice in water tray earlier,opened door left it that way added ice .Problem solved ,harder cheese more stable. I do love that AMZPS.