Definitive MES cheese smoke without cold smoking attachment

guruatbol said:

No ice. I have the 30. Just did a batch and I put the AMNPS on the bottom to the left of the element. I wrapped the lowest rack in foil just in case.

I smoked 3 hours without opening the door. Was about 30* outside. The cheese looked good, we have to wait for the aging to taste it.

Ice, I am told will cause too much moisture. I have no first hand experience.

I had to try three times to get a batch to work.

Mel

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Thanks Mel...... That is exactly where I put my AMNPS as well... I like the idea of wrapping the bottom rack with foil, that should keep moisture (if any) from putting out my smoke.  Do you have any idea what the temperature got to inside the smoker?  Does that even matter?  I imagine if you wanted more smoke you could keep it in the MES 40 for 4 hours.  I don't know, I"m going to give it a shot though...  I was just looking at Hoity Toity because I know he's done A LOT of this stuff since I see him all over the forum doing different things so I thought his idea might work well too.... I guess I could try both....

Thanks for the reply,

Tony

You are welcome. There are many ways to anything. So the way I did it isn't the only way. The other in this thread is probably good to. Having never used ice, I have no personal experience. I am still new to this, but have done lots of research. I have drawn some from one way and some from others.

I don't know what the temp inside was. I need to get a Maverick badly! I just got an inexpensive remote it probe and thermometer.

The first two times I smoked cheese tasted awesome but were both, um let's say learning curves. I also smoked some butter with the cheese. Man is that stuff awesome on eggs and popcorn.

Mel

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guruatbol said:

No ice. I have the 30. Just did a batch and I put the AMNPS on the bottom to the left of the element. I wrapped the lowest rack in foil just in case.

I smoked 3 hours without opening the door. Was about 30* outside. The cheese looked good, we have to wait for the aging to taste it.

Ice, I am told will cause too much moisture. I have no first hand experience.

I had to try three times to get a batch to work.

Mel

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So when you smoked the cheese do you even turn the MES on?  I would think it would melt and since you're just trying to permeate the cheese with smoke, you're not cooking it rather just using the heat from the AMNPS to do its job correct?

Thanks

Tony

mvincent42 said:

I load up my mes with frozen bottles and turn it on 100* because I don't have an amnps so I have to run my smoker. From what I understand if it is cold enough outside and you have an amnps you do not turn on your smoker and don't need the ice. Make sure you let it age for a while when you get done though. I do a month and it is a very difficult month for sure.

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Gotcha.... Appreciate the feedback and suggestions.  I was out today so I picked up a brick of Colby, Mild Cheddar and Extra Sharp Cheddar and Gouda.  I've got them in the smoker now with some Apple smoke from the AMNPS and my Maverick ET-732 says my temperature is right around 68 degrees to 70 degrees.  I put an aluminum pan of ice on the bottom right rack and the AMNPS on the bottom left where I always put it and it is chugging smoke.  I'm going to try it for 3 hours, take it out and let it sit on the counter for an hour then vacuum seal them all and put in them in my food pantry for a week to meld the smoke into the cheese.  From there I will attempt to bury them in the back of my refrigerator for several weeks.  I will let the group know how they come out....

Thanks,

Tony

No I don't turn on the MES at all. I did one time and it looked like ice cycles of cheese in there.

I wrap the bottom shelf in foil as a heat shield just in case.

Again, I am no expert, but this worked for me.

I know there is more than one way to skin a cat, so I can't say anything about any other way until I try it.

Mel

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guruatbol said:

No I don't turn on the MES at all. I did one time and it looked like ice cycles of cheese in there.

I wrap the bottom shelf in foil as a heat shield just in case.

Again, I am no expert, but this worked for me.

I know there is more than one way to skin a cat, so I can't say anything about any other way until I try it.

Mel

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Looks like some good TBS!!!!


Nice TBS inside ......


Extra Sharp Cheddar (top left / bottom left), Sharp Cheddar, Colby Jack, 1 piece of Gouda.


I would have to agree with the several 100 posts I read, they smell and taste like they were just pulled out of a 3 alarm fire...  I used my AMNPS with Apple Pellets and can only hope they tone down in smell and taste.  I must say the Apple is MUCH more pungent than the pit master blend but I've never smoked anything with the apple so I didn't have a clue.  Does the apple come across that much more pungent or is it because it is cold smoked (this is my first shot at this!)  As you can see the Cheese took on good color after smoking between 68 and 73 degrees for 3 hours.  I had a pan of ice on the bottom right and the AMNPS loaded on the bottom left.  I let it sit out for a few hours on the board as you see then vacuum sealed them and into the refrigerator for a few weeks.....

We're going to break out some of the cheese we did a couple weeks ago with pecan tomorrow to snack on.  SWMBO is so impressed with the butter, cheese and ribs that I think she is going to use some of it for her cheesy potatoes!

I worry sometimes how she will react to me trying something new and this smoking thing is very new.  She seems to love it.  She said my recent ribs were the 2nd best I have ever made and I make ribs a couple times a month.  This was the first time smoked though.

Mel