First AMNPS run smoking cheese

[thin blue smoke]

The weather watchers were predicting a cool morning and I had a brand new AMNPS to try out so I went to the store and stocked up on cheese.

Per Todd's instructions I pulled the chip loader out and opened the chip tray 1.5 inches. I found a package of three assorted size sink drain screens (another idea I learned of on this board). The middle sized one fit perfectly over the vent and the large one worked well to cover the chip loader hole.

AMNPS doing its job loaded with pecan pellets.

Loaded the water pan with ice and started out at 54 degrees. 3.5 hours later it was up to 81 degrees.

I took it out at 3.5 hours. It had a good smokey smell, but did not have the discoloration I had anticipated. I only lit one end of the AMNPS this time. Next time I will light both ends and see how that works.

Packaged and headed for a long two week rest in the frig.

The AMNPS on its maiden voyage. I loaded both ends, but only lit one.

It burned exactly 3.5 hours on the one row and produced nothing but thin blue smoke.

Th

Thanks for looking.

I could not and would not have attempted this without this board.

I have learned so much from this group.

 

[graystratcat]

Great looking cheese TBS!  And I agree, the AMNPS is a great tool for cold smoking cheese!

As for the color of your smoked, cheese, I find that cold smoking at a warmer range, say around 75*-85* gives me a lot more color than running at lower temps.  As long as you stay below 100*, the cheese will be fine and should take on a lot more color....

Best of luck with that 2 week wait...

-Salt

 

[SmokinAl]

The cheese sure looks good from here!

 

[toad94]

Looks good to me.  I just pulled mine out.  Will post it up.

 

[thin blue smoke]

Looks good to me.  I just pulled mine out.  Will post it up.

Toad--yours looks great. Now we both have that two week wait.
 

Great looking cheese TBS!  And I agree, the AMNPS is a great tool for cold smoking cheese!

As for the color of your smoked, cheese, I find that cold smoking at a warmer range, say around 75*-85* gives me a lot more color than running at lower temps.  As long as you stay below 100*, the cheese will be fine and should take on a lot more color....

Best of luck with that 2 week wait...

-Salt

Salt--Thanks for the heads up. It was cold enough that morning that without any additional heat (other than the AMNPS) most of the smoke was well below the 75-85 degree range.
I remember reading that some folks fire the MES up to 100 degrees and then shut it off for the smoking process. With that said, I peeked at the cheese this morning and it has taken on a more smoked look.

The cheese sure looks good from here!

Thanks Al--will let you know how it turns out.
 

 

[smokinhusker]

Great looking cheese...now the waiting begins!

 

[scarbelly]

I am with Al - that is some great looking cheese 

 

[wildflower]

 

 

   well, somebody had to do it

 

[wingrider]

I just smoked my first batch of cheese using an AMNPS that I just got from Todd last week. Used 2/3 apple and 1/3 maple. Now since it's hot here in NC, and I didn't want to wait until November for cooler weather, I had to watch the temps pretty closely. I also kept an aluminum cake pan filled with ice on the lower shelf. Max temp in cheese 91. I could lower the smoker temp 10 degrees, and the cheese temp 2 degrees by putting in fresh ice.

My main comment however is: I tried loading up 3 trays with cheese spread about like the pics above. I could never get smoke to come out the vent packed that thickly. It would flow out the chip loader opening, and out the back drain opening. I ended up having to split the cheese into two loads. After that, smoke out the vent, no problem. Just saying...

After all the extra fooling around, it was 10:30 PM when I started timing the first batch, and finished up the second batch at 5 AM. Too strong flavor at the moment, but I like it strong, and I know I have to wait at least 2 weeks before I'm going to have any idea how this really turned out. Will vacuum pack later today and then the long wait begins.

 

[savannahsmoker]

That cheese looks great.

To bad you have to wait to eat it.

 

[ws6man]

I just ordered the tube smoker and can't wait to try it