Smoked Butter

[jaycle39#]

I 'm going to cold smoke sticks of butter in under 60 degree weather. What would be the ideal length of time to leave the butter in the smoker?
I'm using a Smoke Daddy Cold Smoker.
Thanks,
Jim

 

[mike243]

I dont know but dang it man I am intrigued by this, go ahead and start with a little taste at 1 hr then 2 then 3, report back the taste test lol will wait on your results before I ruin a stick lol welcome to the site lotta good folks here

 

[kilo charlie]

Welcome to SMF!

Smoking butter is similar to smoking cheese.. a cool or cold day is best.. a smoke tube with pellets is what I use as it generates no heat.

An aluminum pan filled with ice helps heel the smoking chamber cooler especially if using your regular smoker chamber as most of them are black and will absorb heat from the sun.

If you're using blocks of butter cut them down into sticks for more surface area. If using sticks you're good to go.. just save the wrappers from them to rewrap when you're done.

Depending on the weather temps etc you can smoke the butter for a couple hours... if it starts to melt then pull it and wrap it and chill it and smoke again later. If you did this in the middle of winter you'd not have to worry so much about the melting point. I'd not go more than 2 or 3 hours on the butter or it'll be too smokey.

Despite the "internet" saying otherwise.. you can use smoked butter and smoked cheese right away. Use the butter anywhere else you would use butter for that extra layer of flavor.

You can cold smoke dang near anything.. trust me.. I've tried it all.

 

[SmokyMose]

I am intrigued as well. Never done it. I wonder if just under 60 is cool enough for butter.
Cheese is best after a month or so but I don't know about butter.
Please post your results!

 

[thirdeye]

I prefer to use temps in the 40°'s and 50°'s for smoking cheeses and butter. I like a sawdust generator over a pellet generator because sawdust produces less heat and a more gentle smoke. Here is an article I wrote that details the process I use, and a few tips you might find helpful.

Cold Smoked Cheese and Butter

Revised - 9/20/17 Cold smoking is defined as a process in which food is racked or hung in a low temp or unheated chamber, to which smoke ...

playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com

 

[one eyed jack]

Like Thirdeye I wait till the temps get down in the low 50's to 40's. I use two 6 inch tubes and pellets in a Weber Smoky Mntn. 18 inch.

I split the bars of butter lengthwise to expose more surface to the smoke. In my experience the butter is safe as long as the smoker temp stays below 90*

I often use a frog mat to spread the load of the butter on the grates.

 

[jcam222]

I have smoked butter on my constantly growing to do list. I have a very different idea I want to try for it. May end up poorly but I have to try it. I plan on freezing the butter as cold and hard as possible. I’m going to put it on a cooling rack above a foil loaf pan and hot smoke around 180-225. My thought process is that more of the butter will take on more smoke this way. As the butter melts new surface area will be exposed to the smoke. Once it is all pooled in the pan I plan on pouring into molds and chilling. No idea if it will work or be a disaster lol.

 

[one eyed jack]

I have smoked butter on my constantly growing to do list. I have a very different idea I want to try for it. May end up poorly but I have to try it. I plan on freezing the butter as cold and hard as possible. I’m going to put it on a cooling rack above a foil loaf pan and hot smoke around 180-225. My thought process is that more of the butter will take on more smoke this way. As the butter melts new surface area will be exposed to the smoke. Once it is all pooled in the pan I plan on pouring into molds and chilling. No idea if it will work or be a disaster lol.

That's an interesting idea. Can't see why it wouldn't work.

I look forward to following your results.

One thing I will mention is that, in my experience, butter soaks up a lot of smoke flavor. Your method may actually wind up overly smoky. And of coarse, the amount of smoke is up to personal preference.

 

[jcam222]

That's an interesting idea. Can't see why it wouldn't work.

I look forward to following your results.

One thing I will mention is that, in my experience, butter soaks up a lot of smoke flavor. Your method may actually wind up overly smoky. And of coarse, the amount of smoke is up to personal preference.

agree, that’s my largest concern with it but we shall see.

 

[one eyed jack]

agree, that’s my largest concern with it but we shall see.

That's half the fun; seeing what you wind up with.

 

[thirdeye]

I have smoked butter on my constantly growing to do list. I have a very different idea I want to try for it. May end up poorly but I have to try it. I plan on freezing the butter as cold and hard as possible. I’m going to put it on a cooling rack above a foil loaf pan and hot smoke around 180-225. My thought process is that more of the butter will take on more smoke this way. As the butter melts new surface area will be exposed to the smoke. Once it is all pooled in the pan I plan on pouring into molds and chilling. No idea if it will work or be a disaster lol.

So are you thinking your end product will be a sort of low-temp clarified butter? I wonder if you could add different goodies to the molds to make a compound butter?

 

[jcam222]

So are you thinking your end product will be a sort of low-temp clarified butter? I wonder if you could add different goodies to the molds to make a compound butter?

Now that’s a good thought too. You will make my list longer lol.

 

[cmayna]

This winter I'll be doing more butter and cheese. Will wait for a very cold wintery day to do the butter using dust for 3+ hours.

 

[thirdeye]

Now that’s a good thought too. You will make my list longer lol.

Or use smaller containers. Those little plastic condiment cups with lids would be great for freezing butter. Then you could pull from the freezer as needed.

This winter I'll be doing more butter and cheese. Will wait for a very cold wintery day to do the butter using dust for 3+ hours.

You can sample along the way. Just remove a thin slice first, and sample the next slice. For sampling butter I like something neutral like a piece of warm flour tortilla.

 

[mike243]

I can see me throwing some smoked butter in a cast iron skillet and cooking a nice thin steak for a breakfast, dang it you all are making me fatter lol

 

[kilo charlie]

Well... if you are all adventurous enough the best way to make smoked butter and/or a smoked compound butter is actually to smoke heavy cream and whip it into butter.

By smoking the cream you don't have to worry about the ambient weather temps, you can smoke the cream for an hour or two and when you put it into the mixer, you can then add your compound flavors as it's whipping or after you've separated it. You can also leave it be and have that smoked flavor without having to worry about the sticks melting or having to remold it etc.

Smoking cream is as simple as putting it into a glass baking dish and putting it into the smoker.

I first posted about this here and have since conducted many experiments.

My favorite out of all of the ones I have done so far has to be a Cajun Garlic Butter which is an excellent way to to add some flavor to just about everything. It's a mixture of spices and a ton of garlic. I add the seasonings and garlic after I've separated the solids from the whey and dipped into an ice bath to remove the excess whey.

 

[chopsaw]

No idea if it will work

It's interesting . I'm thinking it's going to separate , but if you get it to melt without boiling the water out you should be good ?
Never smoked it , but I melt a stick on the stove and mix in whatever . When it cools I roll it up in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer . Slice as needed for steak butter .

 

[SmokinAl]

I don’t think it ever gets cold enough down here in FL to smoke butter, but if it does I would give it a try!
Al

 

[Steve H]

I'll smoke cheese up into the 60's in outside temp. I've done butter once. A pound of unsalted sticks using Alderwood for a hour. Tasted pretty darn good. I used some with garlic to make garlic bread. It was very tasty. I did the butter when it was in the upper 40's outside.

 

[dls1]

I smoke butter frequently, and don't worry about the ambient temperature, or, for that matter, I don't even boter to fire up the smoker. I simply use a handheld portable smoke generator known as The Smoking Gun from Polyscience.

I put 1 pound of room temperature butter, cut up into tablespoon size chunks, into a container that can be covered, then put a pinch of tiny wood chips, or dust, into the chamber of the device and light it with a match, or lighter. The smoke starts almost instantaneously and I then insert the nozzle hose of the gun into the container for about 10 seconds, then close the cover tightly. After about 15 minutes, I repeat the process, then taste the butter to see if it's to my liking. If not, I repeat the process one more time, then shape the butter into ¼ lb. logs, wrap, and refrigerate, or freeze, until needed.

It's simple, easy, quick, and cleanup takes less than a minute. Best of all, the results are always excellent.