First Time Cheese - Smoked, Rested, Still Not Good...Advice?

[zwiller]

LOL. I live in the city but was keeping an eye peeled!

 

[mlrtym44]

I would love to try this but cheese is soooo expensive here.

 

[ddufore]

Here is a chunk of Colby jack that I found in the refrigerator. It was pushed to the back and had been there 2 1/2 years. Sliced it up and took it to a blacksmith meeting last weekend. It was gone in about 10 minutes with lots of compliments. So longer is better, just let it age.

 

[ddufore]

Before slicing.

 

[nanuk]

View attachment 361821 Before slicing.

Was it frozen? Or just in the refer?

 

[ddufore]

Never frozen. Vacuumed packed and into the fridge.

 

[doug in alaska]

Hi Guys,

Just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience or has any advice.

I tried smoking cheese for the first time over the holidays between Christmas and New Years. I used my MES with the mailbox MOD and AMNPS with cookinpellets perfect blend pellets. I smoked half the batch for 3 hours and the other half for 4 hours as I seen most people stick between 2-4 hours. The smoker temp stayed between 65-90 deg the entire smoke.

Once it was complete, I let it rest on the counter for 2-3 hours to allow it to stabilize before wrapping and bagging and putting in the fridge. I let it sit for 2-3 weeks before I tried any and it was awful!! Lol it tasted and smelled like a campfire.

So, seeing all the advice to let it age, I wrapped it back up and let it sit until this past weekend when I unwrapped and took another taste. It had mellowed slightly but was still very strong. So I cut each piece in half lengthwise to expose as much new surface area as possible without cutting into small pieces. I believe I read on here, this can help mellow things out further.

I am kind of at a loss at this point, as I am not sure where I went wrong. I have tried commercially smoked cheese and highly enjoyed it, but this does not taste anything like it. If anybody has any tips for this batch, or the next it would be greatly appreciated. I will definitely try less smoking time the next batch, but it seems like most people get pretty good results, using the method I did.

Here are some pics from when I first smoked it. I do not have any recently, but the colour seems to have deepened from these pics.

View attachment 353555 View attachment 353556

JMHO but cold smoke for two hours max (I use apple wood for my cheese). Let rest for a couple hours on the counter after pulling it from the smoker. After the rest put it in the fridge on racks overnight. Vacuum seal it the next day and don't consider trying it for at least 8 weeks. I've never had a bad batch doing it this way.

 

[jwed980]

Seems that advice is every bit as varied as each individual's taste or preference. It all makes sense as some like a heavy smoke flavor (me & most of my family/friends) and others like only a gentle hint of smokiness.

Add other variables such as different types of cheese, smoke color & density, wood/pellet species, etcetera - and the results can be even more varied from one person to the next.

The advice rendered on this forum is all good, and I'm grateful - but there's one bit of advice that I find most meaningful.

I whole-heartedly agree with Mr T where he said to experiment and find what "you" like (and keep good notes).

I must also say that my own perception has changed some since my first cheese smoke. I had been eating store-bought "smoked" gouda. Then I tried to compare that to a "fresh out of the smoker" sampling from my first smoke.

The initial taste of a sampling immediately after smoking does not leave me with the same "ashy or ashtray" impression now as it did eight months ago. In fact, I like the flavor immediately following a smoke - though I know it will only transform into something quite remarkable as it ages a bit more.

I do use a mailbox mod with 10-feet of duct and SS scrubbies (thanks for that tip John), so I've never experienced any of the bitterness or numbing as described by some who place the smoke source directly in the product chamber. My method hardly ever even changes the color of the cheese.

Generally, I find that the stronger the cheese - the more smoke I'll attempt to hit it with. I've become especially fond of extra sharp cheddar - and I've gradually increased my smoke times to 8 hrs with very good success so far.

I also find that I prefer to increase the aging/resting period following longer smokes. Shorter smokes (2-4 hours) of XS cheddar can be very good after 2-4 weeks stored at about 50-deg F, while I like results I'm getting after aging the longer smokes (6-8 hous) for more like 4-8 weeks.

I use 100% hickory pellets. I have tried apple/maple blend pellets, and they do produce a milder smoke flavor. I even went to the trouble of processing them down to fine dust and even powder. I may still use this for some special smokes, but I find that with good smoke management - I like the flavor of just these hickory pellets in the AMNPS.

The above describes my journey through a process. I have picked a place to start and established a baseline for reference. Then I changed a variable here or there and noted the results. I continue this process of experimenting and recording the results, being careful to avoid changing multiple things for a given smoke session so the cause and effect relationship remains clear. The process continues - perhaps I will even begin aging some cheese before smoking. One thing is clear - it's going to take some time...

As I said, I like a heavier smoke flavor - though you've indicated you may prefer something milder. There are some things you can try such as very short smoke times, milder wood/pellet species, or maybe even a smoking gun-type device.

My point here is this - experiment to find out what "you" like, and then tweak things from there if needed.

Hope this helps-

John

 

[zwiller]

Slowly eating up the past winter's cheese and the consensus for us is less smoke. I did 2 and 3hr batches and we much prefer the 2hr. Previously did 4hr and was way too much but at least edible. We also are not really into cheddar. Our favorites so far are jack and colby. I ran corn cob on all my cheese but plan to try apple and pecan next round. If cheese goes on sale I will try and do the frozen water bottle thing and get some ready for winter.

 

[ddufore]

I tend to lean towards milder cheeses and usually only do a couple hours of smoke.

 

[nanuk]

has anyone tried to smoke home made mozza???

 

[gmc2003]

has anyone tried to smoke home made mozza???

I haven't done it, but I do remember seeing a thread or two about someone doing it. If I remember correctly they liked it.

Chris

 

[idahopz]

As has been mentioned, smoking cheese is something particular to the person's tastes, and is affected by many things including the smoker, time, and temperature. I use a Bradley which wastes lots of wood, but applies only the sweetest smoke in my opinion due to it extinguishing the pucks only half way through the burn. I've never experienced the ashtray taste even when only rested for a short time. Sure, it tastes better with extended storage (I've done up to a year or more before the cheese runs out), but it is good out of the smoker according to my wife (the only one who matters :D)

As to cheeses, I've done mozzarella, which turns out good, but I've not been encouraged to do it again because I only used it on pizzas, which we wood fire anyway, so the smoke is wasted. If you like goat cheese, that also smokes well, but you need to smoke it in a foil boat. Not for everyone, but I like goat cheese omelets, and the smoky flavor is right up my alley. Costco occasionally offers a horseradish cheddar which my wife dearly loves when smoked (although I do not care for it).

The bottom line is to experiment with everything, and then settle on what suits you and your family/friends the best.

 

[nanuk]

the reason I ask, is cheese is silly expensive up here, and after reading SmokinAl's posts about making mozza, I think I could save some $ by making it at home. AND I love mozza, so would like to try a lighly smoked homemade mozza first.

 

[zwiller]

I would be totally making cheese if that were the case! We eat ALOT of cheese and cannot imagine life without. Plan to smoke some mozz but the firmer drier brick style. I would probably leave the fresh alone since the flavor is so delicate.
https://www.cheesemaking.com/howtomakemozzarellacheese.html

 

[ddufore]

I have done bricks of mozzarella a couple times. Once with corn cob and another time with apple. Both were good.

 

[zwiller]

I have done bricks of mozzarella a couple times. Once with corn cob and another time with apple. Both were good.

What did you prefer? I also plan to try pecan.

 

[ddufore]

I can’t say that I preferred either one. They were both good. For me, a 2-3 hr. cold smoke followed by a 2 month rest gave me exactly what I wanted. I also did Swiss, cheddar( mild and sharp) jack, Pepper jack, Gouda, Colby, Colby/jack, Muenster, and mozzarella. They were all very edible.

 

[801driver]

I have a home made whisky barrel smoker that I cut my cheese blocks in about 3/8 inch slices to lay out on racks similar to the above picture. I use hickory and smoke for about 20 minutes which gives plenty of smoke flavor.

 

[doug in alaska]

I've smoked a lot of cheese and my family loves it, most importantly my thirteen year old granddaughter, she loves smoked foods as much as I do. I use a Bradley and cold smoke for two hours using apple, usually around 60ºF. After two hours, I bring it in the house and let it rest for two hours on the kitchen counter. After two hours I vacuum seal it and stick it in my beer fridge out in the shop. I don't touch it for at least eight weeks. It has always been wonderful, sharp cheddar, white cheddar, medium cheddar, and colby. We like the medium cheddar and colby best. JMHO