OK, I'll try smokin' cheese but, been burnt on smoked cheeses

mountainhawg · Mar 23, 2013

My wife and I like an occasional cheese and cracker snack while watching the tube and I have been tempted to try smoking cheese since seeing it on SMF. Problem is we have tried smoked cheeses before from the likes of Hickory Farms and did not think much of them. Like hickory creosote poured on cheese, bitter with a terrible, terrible after taste. Threw it away! My wife feels I shouldn't even bother with smoking cheese that's how bad we thought it was.

I assume the smoked cheeses made by the members here are not like that and if I take the time to try it I will probably do a Monterey Jack and a mild Chedder. We both like smoked food but not an overwhelming smoke flavor.

I am getting a AMZNP and will wait till that arrives to give it a go.

I've read bunches of posts on the Cheese Forum and feel fairly confident on how it goes. Just wondering on how to prevent getting any of that bitter taste we have experienced in the past.

Thanks,

Gil

pc farmer · Mar 23, 2013

The amznp will make great smoked cheese. I use the dust model and maple dust. Doing some right now as I type this.

s2k9k · Mar 23, 2013

If you are wary of it then I would give it a light smoke with something like peach, maple, apple or something light., maybe 2 hours at the most and then age it for a month. The longer you age it the better it gets. That will give you a very very light smoke flavor and if it's not enough then smoke a little longer next time and keep stepping up or down to find what you like.
I would start very light so even if it's not smokey you will still eat it and not throw it out and turn your back on smoked cheese forever.

s2k9k · Mar 23, 2013

Oh yea, what flavor pellets are you getting?

mountainhawg · Mar 23, 2013

S2K9K said:
Oh yea, what flavor pellets are you getting?

I've ordered Alder for LOX, plus Peach, Maple and Apple. I saw where someone used peach on cheese and that sounded good. I suspect certain smoke scents go better with certain cheeses.

s2k9k · Mar 23, 2013

Peach is my go to for cheese. it has a nice mellow flavor!

mountainhawg · Mar 23, 2013

S2K9K said:
Peach is my go to for cheese. it has a nice mellow flavor!

Great, Peach will be my first try. Thanks bunches for the help. I'll do a two hour smoke. With Lox, most people like a 4 hour smoke and 2 hours is my choice that works well for me. So it makes sense to do the 2 hour with cheese.

If it does not work out, my wife will say "I told you so"! But I think it will work out ok.

s2k9k · Mar 23, 2013

Just don't taste it straight out of the smoker or it will really turn you off. Wrap it tightly or vac/seal it and let it rest in the fridge for at least a few weeks.

mountainhawg · Mar 23, 2013

S2K9K said:
Just don't taste it straight out of the smoker or it will really turn you off. Wrap it tightly or vac/seal it and let it rest in the fridge for at least a few weeks.

About the best I can do is cover it tightly with Saran Wrap then in a zip lock bag with as much air out as I can do. Going to be checking yard sales/flea markets for a vac sealer.

s2k9k · Mar 23, 2013

MountainHawg said:
About the best I can do is cover it tightly with Saran Wrap then in a zip lock bag with as much air out as I can do. Going to be checking yard sales/flea markets for a vac sealer.

That will work!

dave17a · Mar 23, 2013

I did pecan at 1st, loved it. still got 2 more chunks to eat. Did pitmasters choice, loved it. 3rd smoke is wine barrell with peach to keep it going even though I had to dry in oven for an hr. at 250* Gotta 4th smoke with alder layerd at bottom and wine pellets for 4 hrs. Sooo have not tried wine pellet smoke yeah, cream cheese with onoin soup mix once and bread crumbs twice love it on cream cheese every time.

donr · Mar 28, 2013

I would smoke a couple pieces of whatever cheeses you like unsmoked. Remove the first after 2 hours, like MountainHawg said. Then remove the next after 3, etc. When you seal them up to mellow, be sure to mark down the length of smoke each got, the date when you smoked it. Try after 1 month, 2 months, etc. Take good notes, it's basically a science experiment.

This will cut down your development time considerably.

oldschoolbbq · Mar 28, 2013

Welcome , Mountainhawg . Glad you joined us here on the forum. I , too smoke ~2hrs. on my cheeses and even though I enjoy a strong Smoke flavor I have found that Yellow cheeses pick-up the smoke a bit too well. Apple and peach both did this , now it's white Cheese like Swiss ,Jack (with or without Peppers) Jarlsburg and Farmer's Cheese and so on...

Have fun and...

mountainhawg · Mar 28, 2013

Ok, got the cheese, now waiting on UPS to deliver the AMNPS. I'll cut the cheese in two and 1/2 will be 2 hours and the other 1/2 for

3 hours. The sticks I'll do for 2 hours.

Cheese (1 of 1).jpg

mountainhawg
Mar 28, 2013

mountainhawg · Mar 29, 2013

Here they are 2 hours in, holding 60 degrees. The string cheese already taken off and wrapped. When I unwrapped the chedder it had white salt like marks on it, I suspect it's nothing to worry on.

Cheese (3 of 1).jpg

mountainhawg
Mar 29, 2013

Gee, the AMNPS sure does just do TBS (first time use). Here peach dust, yes it's a smokin'. Lit it with waxy Weber lighter blocks.

Cheese (2 of 1).jpg

mountainhawg
Mar 29, 2013

dave17a · Apr 1, 2013

What's the foil underneath for?

forluvofsmoke · Apr 1, 2013

MH, you'll love your home-smoked cheeses. Store-bought (at least those I've tried) doesn't even compare...you'll have cheese in a class all it's own. Ditto on aging and not tasting too early...been there, although my younger daughter and I both thought the freshly smoked cheese was pretty tasty, it does get better over time (smoother, less intense and deeper into the cheese), and the longer you wait the better. I haven't smoked much cheese yet, but it's easy to do and I've had great results even using a make-shift cold-smoker the first few times. Now I have a AMNPS and Tube from Todd...should be a snap, as chamber temps won't try getting away on me now.

Enjoy, brother smoker!

Eric

eman · Apr 1, 2013

I have some smoked cheese that was vac sealed in Feb 2012. GREAT flavor. Minimum is 2 weeks but my minimum is 4 weeks before tasting.

mountainhawg · Apr 2, 2013

dave17a said:
What's the foil underneath for?

That's on the ash tray to catch drippings from cooking meats. Also makes clean up of ashes easier.

mountainhawg · Apr 2, 2013

forluvofsmoke said:
MH, you'll love your home-smoked cheeses. Store-bought (at least those I've tried) doesn't even compare...you'll have cheese in a class all it's own. Ditto on aging and not tasting too early...been there, although my younger daughter and I both thought the freshly smoked cheese was pretty tasty, it does get better over time (smoother, less intense and deeper into the cheese), and the longer you wait the better. I haven't smoked much cheese yet, but it's easy to do and I've had great results even using a make-shift cold-smoker the first few times. Now I have a AMNPS and Tube from Todd...should be a snap, as chamber temps won't try getting away on me now.

Enjoy, brother smoker!

Eric

To be honest Eric, I hope it is as good as you and everyone else say. My wife thinks I was wasting my time but I do have hope it will be good. The peach smoke had a great smell too it, and I hope the cheese absorbed that flavor.

eman said:
I have some smoked cheese that was vac sealed in Feb 2012. GREAT flavor. Minimum is 2 weeks but my minimum is 4 weeks before tasting.

I think we will wait 4 weeks on this initial batch of the blocks to give it a first try. The sticks, probably two weeks.

OK, I'll try smokin' cheese but, been burnt on smoked cheeses

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