Ever since I got my MES30 just over a year ago, I keep trying new and different things. I quickly realized that because it is so well insulated, the element does not come on all that often when the outside temperature is warm. Enter the A-maze-n smoker. That quickly solved my lack of smoke issue and lasts for a long time. Only problem I have with it is I often find it hard to light or to keep lit no matter how carefully I store the dust. Looking around the internet I saw many DIY solutions and I decided to try one. I realize there are many commercially available ones and that some of these companies sponsor this website so I won't go into much detail about the one I built. It suffices to say that it far exceeded my expectations.
And now for the smoke....
I picked up 3 different supermarket variety cheeses. A Swiss, a medium cheddar and a mozzarella. The temp inside the MES was 78°F when I started. I filled the water pan with ice and opened the top vent fully. I then inserted the smoke generator (see pics) and let 'er rip. Within 20 minutes or so the temp was down to a cool 67°. After that it went down to about 62° and stayed there for most of the smoke.
After one hour, I turned the cheese over, the top sides all showed a nice bit of color. The smoke lasted the full 2 hours and was nice and thick. Took them out after 2 hours as I have read on here, they smell fantastic! Into some ziploc bags (don't have a vacuum sealer yet) and into the fridge after patting them dry. They were cool to the touch upon removing from the smoker. A true cold smoke if I do say so myself! In two weeks or so I get to sample it, can't wait.
Here are some pics...
And now for the smoke....
I picked up 3 different supermarket variety cheeses. A Swiss, a medium cheddar and a mozzarella. The temp inside the MES was 78°F when I started. I filled the water pan with ice and opened the top vent fully. I then inserted the smoke generator (see pics) and let 'er rip. Within 20 minutes or so the temp was down to a cool 67°. After that it went down to about 62° and stayed there for most of the smoke.
After one hour, I turned the cheese over, the top sides all showed a nice bit of color. The smoke lasted the full 2 hours and was nice and thick. Took them out after 2 hours as I have read on here, they smell fantastic! Into some ziploc bags (don't have a vacuum sealer yet) and into the fridge after patting them dry. They were cool to the touch upon removing from the smoker. A true cold smoke if I do say so myself! In two weeks or so I get to sample it, can't wait.
Here are some pics...