So I smoked some Tillamook cheese in 2015, and it went into my basement beer fridge. In 2024, while getting the house ready to sell, I found two chunks still in there. I wasn't too sure about 9-year old cheese, but I sliced one, and it was pretty darned good. In fact after I had a slice or two, my son who was a pretty picky eater, finished off both chunks like a 150 lb. mouse.
I sent an email to the folks at the Tillamook Cheese Factory, to let them know about the aging ability of even their basic loaf, and they sent me gift box full of cheese swag. Very nice of them.
Fast forward to today, and I can't remember if I had smoked any since then. Time to rectify that.
Two 2lb loaves of medium cheddar and 1lb of their Monterey Jack, cut into quarters and cold smoked in the ReqTec Bullseye with apple pellets in a tube smoker with a U-bolt. It's a small one, so the pellets only lasted 2 hours. Refilled it for a total of 4 hours run time.
I bought a $20 heat gun from Amazon, and it worked pretty slick. Had a good flame going in under a minute.
A little foil to keep it open a crack for oxygen.
At 2 hours.
Four hours & done. You can tell which two were closest to the pellet tube.
I cooled for an hour, then blotted the grease with a paper towel. Used my new Inkbird sealer for the first time, too. Works great! Some were sealed with dried hatch chilie flakes, and a couple had Trader Joe's Everything Bagel sprinkle.
They should be ready by Christmas to give out to only the most worthy of my relations. The Ex is hoping, but she's on the fence.
I sent an email to the folks at the Tillamook Cheese Factory, to let them know about the aging ability of even their basic loaf, and they sent me gift box full of cheese swag. Very nice of them.
Fast forward to today, and I can't remember if I had smoked any since then. Time to rectify that.
Two 2lb loaves of medium cheddar and 1lb of their Monterey Jack, cut into quarters and cold smoked in the ReqTec Bullseye with apple pellets in a tube smoker with a U-bolt. It's a small one, so the pellets only lasted 2 hours. Refilled it for a total of 4 hours run time.
I bought a $20 heat gun from Amazon, and it worked pretty slick. Had a good flame going in under a minute.
A little foil to keep it open a crack for oxygen.
At 2 hours.
Four hours & done. You can tell which two were closest to the pellet tube.
I cooled for an hour, then blotted the grease with a paper towel. Used my new Inkbird sealer for the first time, too. Works great! Some were sealed with dried hatch chilie flakes, and a couple had Trader Joe's Everything Bagel sprinkle.
They should be ready by Christmas to give out to only the most worthy of my relations. The Ex is hoping, but she's on the fence.
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