40+ Block Cheese Extravaganza

So Publix had a sale on Cabot cheese last week. BOGO...which each block came to around $2.15(which is good for here in East TN). Figured while the weather was still a little cooler I would try to get in one last cheese smoke and stockpile it up before it got warm. Had a few other random blocks I threw in as well.

Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, Vermont Extra Sharp(white + yellow), Seriously Sharp, Pepper Jack, Hot Habanero, Legacy Collection Alpine, Legacy Collection White Oak, and Legacy Collection Farmhouse Reserve. 40 total blocks

Threw in 4 blocks of cream cheese and 2 sticks of Kerrygold Irish Butter too.

Fired up the AMNPS loaded up with apple pellets and put it in my MES40. Never turned the smoker on. It was in the 50's and slightly windy outside. The temps stayed between 65-85 the whole time. I had to run to the store(was out of beer) and when I came back it was up to 94. I quickly opened the door and cooled it down threw a pan of ice in there. Did 3 hours of smoke on the cheese/butter.

Pulled everything out of the smoker and let it sit on my counter for a couple of hours. I lost one block of cheddar. When it got up in the 90's got a little gooey. Cheese did sweat some. Probably should have paid more attention and threw the pan of ice in earlier. But I covered it loosely in saran wrap and let it rest in the beer fridge over night still on the racks.

When I got home from work last night I pulled it from the fridge and wiped off any excess moisture on the blocks with a paper towel. Vac sealed and labeled all of it and tossed it back in the beer fridge for a good rest(3-4 weeks if I can make it). I just opened up some cheddar and hot habanero I did 3 weeks ago and it was amazing.

The cream cheese did surprisingly well. I plan to use it in my buffalo chicken dip. The butter on the other hand was hard to keep under control due to the high temps. It probably only got an hour of smoke because it was getting so soft and I couldn't keep the temp low enough to get enough smoke on it.

All in all was a good cheese smoke. Will try to keep the temps lower next time. Hopefully I got enough to last me through the spring and summer months!

Thanks for looking!

 

That's the greatest comparison I've ever heard on this site lol

 

Lmao I might have had a few cold ones when I was making the Cheese Jenga Tower!

 

Thanks Al. Read a post you put on several years ago where you did muenster in your SV24. That one inspired me and I originally was going to use my SV24 but having good turn out on the MES40 so far.

 

No kidding it took me almost an hour to unwrap all that cheese and to cut up the big blocks!

 

Pulled out some of this cheese yesterday for my wife's birthday that I did from this smoke and some I did from a previous smoke a couple weeks earlier. Man is this stuff good it got gobbled up in about an hour. And what better to wash down some fine cheese with other than some cold natty light!



Did some burgers, brats, beans, and ABT's to go with it. Was all a hit!

 

I've never smoked farmers cheese. Its not crazy common around here. Although this year I plan to attempt to smoke some goat and feta cheese to see how it turns out.