First Smoked Cheese in Quite a While

[mneeley490]

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.

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

Great looking cheese!

 

[Brokenhandle]

Hard to beat home smoked cheese! I have a block of 6 year old pepper jack that got lost in back of the fridge for awhile... now waiting for a special occasion to open it up.

 

[Compulsive Smoker]

Looks amazing Mike! I wonder if we are related at all...

 

[DRKsmoking]

Nice batch of cheese and now stocked up for a week or so.

David

 

[Fueling Around]

Skipped over this one Mike
Awesome cheese. My wife loves Tillamook cheese as they start the process from raw milk (not pasteurized).
I've got some smoked cheese in the Florida fridge. Not sure the origin

 

[crazymoon]

MN490, Good color on your cheese, it looks delicious. I also found some smoked cheese in my fridge awhile back, 10 years old and still scrumptious.

 

[in. pred]

looks good man. love all smoked cheeses!

i smoked cheese 2 days ago. temps were cool outside and had a block of cabot seriously sharp cheddar in fridge. i loaded the pellet tube with apple pellets and mesquite chips. laid them on the top rack of grill with tube below at other end.

 

[migraine]

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.
View attachment 740996
View attachment 740998

A little foil to keep it open a crack for oxygen.
View attachment 740999

At 2 hours.
View attachment 741000

Four hours & done. You can tell which two were closest to the pellet tube.
View attachment 741001

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.
View attachment 741002

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'd eat that, all day long! I've been smoking cheese for over 10 years if I could only smoke one item for the rest of my life, it would be cheese. May I suggest 2 year aged Kerry Gold Cheddar...It's usually available at Costco around Christmas/winter time. On sale, too if you're lucky. Older is good, too but the 2 year hits the spot best and isn't crumbly.
I also hit up the Grocery Outlets for their limited specialty cheeses(if you're lucky to have them near you, the saving is huge). Some of My favorites is Artikas Hatch Chili gouda/cheddar, Mediterranean Cheddar, Sicilian Jack, Baby Bells in various flavors, and Tillimook Cheddars, Black label if you're lucky to find it. OF course there's the typical pepper jack, motz, jack, cheddar, etc in the cheap store label($6-$8 per 2 pounds)
I bribe my doctors, the PAs, and assistants with smoked cheese. It's amazing how they will jump through hoops to get me seen or referrals processed.
-Brian

 

[bill ace 350]

Nice looking cheese! Definitely need to get some on the smoker

 

[mneeley490]

I'm a bit partial to the Tillamook cheese, as my maternal grandparents lived there, and now my parents do also. Been going to the cheese factory since I was a kid in the 60's.

Edit: I was thinking back about my grandfather's days there. When, or if, you graduated high school, you had 3 career choices back then; you could be a logger, a fisherman, or a dairy farmer/cheesemaker. That's a rough life no matter which one you picked.

 

[nchapelheel]

That looks really good. It is 92 today here in NC, so no smoking here. I also don't think I can get
Tillamook cheese here.