how long to smoke cheese

[jammo]

I don't have a vac sealer in the rv since we spend 6-7 months at a time in it. Will a cling wrap like Saran work?

 

[ak1]

It's not ideal, but it will work. I've had some cheese spend 6months wrapped and in saran wrap & in a freezer bag. It was fine. This was before I got a vac sealer.

 

[mr t 59874]

 
I see quite a few different times posted for smoking cheese. I would like to have folks post their favorite times and see if there is a general consensus on the "best time". I just bought an amps and the pellets are on their way to smoke up some  Cabot cheese and want advice from you experts . thanks CM

Passage from the following. Mr T's "Smoked Cheese From Go To Show" w/ Q- View

Question:  How long should I smoke the cheese?

Answer:  Only experience will determine this as it really depends on your taste. I usually will smoke the hard cheeses for two hours depending on the density of the smoke and type of wood used. The harder the cheese the denser smoke it can take.  If it is a caramel color you are looking for, a dense smoke for 5 hours may be required.  Depending on the type and texture of your cheese, monitor the smoke as a lighter smoke will sometimes infuse a more desirable flavor than a heavy dense smoke will.  Cream or blues will take a much shorter smoking time than the harder cheeses. Some softer cheeses may be done in half an hour.
 
   Learn to keep good records.  In your records note the type of cheese, ambient temperature, internal smoker temperature, type and amount of wood, the density of the smoke and, of course, the time, color and taste.

T

 

[stickyfingers]

Using my tube, I do about 1.5 -2 hours. 50/50 hickory/apple.

 

[Texas Jim]

When I started smoking cheese a coupla' years ago, I gave several of my 'cheese head' friends samples to try. I made up packages of quarter pound sticks of sharp cheddar, pepper jack and swiss. Everybody loved it.

I ran an experiment with different smoke times. I cut the packages to 1/8 lb. sticks of sharp cheddar, by far the most popular with my friends. I ran 4 hour, 8 hour, 12 hour and 16 hour smokes and packaged & labeled each stick separately. EVERYBODY gave the 16 hour smoke the highest rating.

Since then, I haven't smoked any cheese at less that 16 hours and I've got people practically camping on my door step waiting for the next batch.

I ain't sayin' you should do this, I'm just sayin' that's what all my customers are asking for.

 

[stickyfingers]

 
When I started smoking cheese a coupla' years ago, I gave several of my 'cheese head' friends samples to try. I made up packages of quarter pound sticks of sharp cheddar, pepper jack and swiss. Everybody loved it.

I ran an experiment with different smoke times. I cut the packages to 1/8 lb. sticks of sharp cheddar, by far the most popular with my friends. I ran 4 hour, 8 hour, 12 hour and 16 hour smokes and packaged & labeled each stick separately. EVERYBODY gave the 16 hour smoke the highest rating.

Since then, I haven't smoked any cheese at less that 16 hours and I've got people practically camping on my door step waiting for the next batch.

I ain't sayin' you should do this, I'm just sayin' that's what all my customers are asking for.

 WoW! 16 hours for cheese....I like to taste that, but will not endure that. Glad it works for you though.

 

[atomicsmoke]

When I started smoking cheese a coupla' years ago, I gave several of my 'cheese head' friends samples to try. I made up packages of quarter pound sticks of sharp cheddar, pepper jack and swiss. Everybody loved it.

I ran an experiment with different smoke times. I cut the packages to 1/8 lb. sticks of sharp cheddar, by far the most popular with my friends. I ran 4 hour, 8 hour, 12 hour and 16 hour smokes and packaged & labeled each stick separately. EVERYBODY gave the 16 hour smoke the highest rating.

Since then, I haven't smoked any cheese at less that 16 hours and I've got people practically camping on my door step waiting for the next batch.

I ain't sayin' you should do this, I'm just sayin' that's what all my customers are asking for.

I am on the same page. Everyone freaks out when they hear numbers in the teen or twenties, yet when they taste it you can only hear moaning.

 

[mr t 59874]

I am on the same page. Everyone freaks out when they hear numbers in the teen or twenties, yet when they taste it you can only hear moaning.

Yes, I also like the longer smoke times, but what many do not understand is the time any product is smoked is dependent on the color and density of the smoke being applied. Sadly, when the time that a product is in the smoke is quoted, the color or density of the smoke is rarely mentioned. This leaves one scratching their head as to why one can smoke a product for twenty hours with good results and another, smoking the same product, has terrible results after two hours.

T 

 

[fleetline51]

 
Yes, I also like the longer smoke times, but what many do not understand is the time any product is smoked is dependent on the color and density of the smoke being applied. Sadly, when the time that a product is in the smoke is quoted, the color or density of the smoke is rarely mentioned. This leaves one scratching their head as to why one can smoke a product for twenty hours with good results and another, smoking the same product, has terrible results after two hours.

T 

Well Put Mr. T!   

Best Regards,

Tony 

 

[geezer]

Well, I'm still not sure how my first attempt at smoking cheese will turn out. Its vac-packed and in the fridge. I figure I'll leave it alone for a month.

I smoked 3 each 3/4lb bricks of sharp cheddar and pepper jack. IIRC they got roughly 4 and 1/2 hours of apple wood pellet smoke. 

The smoke from the pellet gizmo is fairly thick and stays that way longer than just wood chunks would. 

I'm seriously considering making a mailbox attachment to feed into the lower vent of the kamodo. Time will tell how good this first batch is or isn't. 

 

[inkjunkie]

Fill the AMNPS and let it burn out...

 

[idahopz]

I use a Bradley for smoking cheese, and in my experience the time depends on the ambient temperature - the colder it is outside, the longer the smoke time. These days, when I rotate the racks, I just look at the color of the cheese - when it is to the "tan" color I like, I know it is done. The darker the color the heavier the smoke flavor, the longer it needs to age in the vacuum bag before it mellows.

 

[swalker]

I use the square tube that I found on eBay. It last longer than my Amazen 6 inch smoke tube. Plus it is square and lays flat in the smoker. But I fill it with Apple pellets. It will last an easy 3 hours or more. You can also use chips in the square one. They stay lit where they don't in the amazen tube. One thing I can add, if you really like that full smoke flavor, leave the cheese inside your smoker over night. It will really add to the flavor of the cheese. I like using Apple pellets the best. It is awesome for any kind of cheese.

   Of course cheese will melt at 100 degrees, so make sure it isn't going to be too hot that day or Add a large pan full of ice to help keep things cool. Another thing I have read is where some think you have to let the cheese set in the fridge for a couple of weeks before devouring...I really don't see cheese taking on more smoke flavor once it is wrapped tight and put in a fridge. I cool mine down in the fridge then wrap or baggie it up and use it the next day. I have had No complaints from neighbors or friends. It is the best... Be sure and try some of that Cabot Seriously Sharp white cheddar... Oh My....

Love my Lil Tex Traeger...

 

[swalker]

Apple smoked.jpg

• swalker
• Jul 9, 2017

 

[swalker]

 

Apple smoked.jpg

• swalker
• Jul 9, 2017

 

[dan the mano]

I use a Bradley for smoking cheese, and in my experience the time depends on the ambient temperature - the colder it is outside, the longer the smoke time. These days, when I rotate the racks, I just look at the color of the cheese - when it is to the "tan" color I like, I know it is done. The darker the color the heavier the smoke flavor, the longer it needs to age in the vacuum bag before it mellows.

hi , i just read your text here and was wondering .. i have smoked some cheese before and thought ...wow ...this is good .. lol . now i went and bought some the other day ..and well mine wasn't so good after all.. so i have a question for you then, what of cheeses do you use ..(any of that jalapeno stuff ) but anyways ,cheddar ,and Gouda and maybe some Havarti,i think its called. and then do you maybe do a double smoke .. and then lastly say ruffly how long .. just till it changes color top a darker .

thanks again
p.S i hope you can read my chicken scratch .. thanks again

 

[crazymoon]

DTM, I like to do cheddars,horseradish,colby jack, pepper jack and muenster to name a few. I do 4 hours with apple chips and love the results.

 

[idahopz]

Sorry dan the mano, I've not been online for a while, so did not see your post.

I don't do cheddar any longer because not many of our folks like it better than regular cheddar. Gouda is the all time favorite, and the Costco brand seems to work the best. Havarti is my personal favorite, and I get that at Cash and Carry because of the price and the size of the blocks. My wife loves the horseradish cheddar you can seasonally get at Costco.

I've also done cream cheese and goat cheese (in foil boats). Both are good for special purposes because they are unique. The smoked cream cheese is excellent with homemade gravlax or smoked salmon, thinly sliced onion and capers. The smoked goat cheese gives a wonderful flavor to an omelet, especially when topped with a sautee of roasted red peppers, sun dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and fresh mushrooms.

As to how long, that is personal preference. Some folks like a heavy smoke flavor, and others only a light smokiness. Personally, I like a medium smoke with enough bite to know it is smoked, but definitely not the "ash tray" flavor. Whatever the original color of the cheese, when it takes on a tan color then it is time to take a tiny slice for a taster. If you like it, and take it off the smoke, then it will only become milder with age in the vacuum sealed bags. If you prefer a stronger smoke, then let it go longer experimenting with how long to let it go depending on how long you plan to age it.

The other main factor for me is the method of smoking. I use a Bradley puck machine because it is wasteful (I know, sounds stupid) - the pucks are rather expensive, but the automatic advancement system extinguishes the smoldering pucks before the more acrid smoke develops, so even though wasteful, produces an excellent product with not much aging time. I've also tried the pellet tube smokers, but their smoke is a bit more acrid to me, and more difficult to control for my relative inexperience level.

All I can say is that keep playing with your cheese choices, methods, times, wood, and depth of smoke flavor and you'll hit on the perfect solution for your tastes.

 

[yankee2bbq]

I would like to add there is a difference in the end product when using pellets or pellet dust.
Like it was stated before, I keep track ( write down) each time I smoke cheese. Meaning, I have a pellet tube. I use a WSM for my smoker. Pellet tube filled with apple pellets produces a hotter smoke than apple dust. Thus, making a hotter fire harsher smoke. ( I ground up apple pellets using a meat grinder). So, apple pellets 3 hours of smoke. And apple dust 4.5-5.0 hours of smoke. Pellet dust a much lighter smoke thus pit temp much lower compared to using pellets.

 

[pineywoods]

hi , i just read your text here and was wondering .. i have smoked some cheese before and thought ...wow ...this is good .. lol . now i went and bought some the other day ..and well mine wasn't so good after all.. so i have a question for you then, what of cheeses do you use ..(any of that jalapeno stuff ) but anyways ,cheddar ,and Gouda and maybe some Havarti,i think its called. and then do you maybe do a double smoke .. and then lastly say ruffly how long .. just till it changes color top a darker .

thanks again
p.S i hope you can read my chicken scratch .. thanks again

I realize I'm not the one you asked but since he did answer let me also add my two cents.

We smoke a lot of different cheeses Cheddar, Gouda, Havarti, Colby Jack, Mozzarella, Habenaro, Jalapeno, heck I even unwrap those individual wrapped round snack like cheeses. I've done lots of others I can't think of right now to basically I'll try something new if I can find it while I'm doing cheese. We didn't care for smoked Brie or even Swiss for some reason. I'll be doing another large cheese smoke in the next couple weeks and I'll post it and the varieties.

You said you tried smoking some did you let it age before trying it? Many of us say you have to let it age about 14 days before you even try it. There are those that argue with us that you should be able to eat it right out of the smoker if you can't you over smoked it. Well to each there own but I and many others have smoked a lot of cheese over the years and let it age and people sure seem to like it otherwise I don't think they'd always be asking for more.

My wife is a nurse in a busy ER and works 12 hour shifts they rarely get time to eat "lunch" so every shift she works she takes in some smoked cheese cubes and her and her co workers snack on it all shift so over the years literally thousands of people have tried smoked cheese and pretty much everyone looks for more lol

Most of the time I will use apple pellets and smoke for 4.5-7 hours then bring it inside and check to make sure it's dry depending on heat and humidity sometimes it's not and I will leave it sit out until it's dry usually doesn't take more than a couple hours. I have on rare occasion had to wipe the wet off the cheese with paper towels but that is rare and I live in Fl where it can get really humid. Once dry I cut it up some into smaller blocks and put different varieties intoa vacuum seal bag and the wife will vacuum seal. Cutting into the smaller blocks and mixing them up gives her a variety pack when she goes to cube it up before taking it into work. We mark the date of smoke on every package then into the fridge for at least 14 days before she starts to use any of it.

Try it again it's not hard to smoke it and once you get the hang of it you'll try to figure out why you didn't start smoking it long ago. I've had a couple friends start smoking cheese and inevitably they call me the day they did their first batch and ask what they did wrong they took it and tried it and it's terrible they wasted all that cheese yada yada and when they are done ranting I ask them what I told them about sealing it and putting it in the fridge to let the smoke kind of meld and even out. Oh yea you did tell me that but I had to try a piece and it was terrible I think I messed it up I tell them let me know in two weeks how it tastes and when they do it's great.

Good luck and let us know how it goes