Temp vs time?

[Tender-butt]

Does temp affect smoking time for cheese. So your smoking some cheese and the temp is say 60 degrees F inside your smoker. Does it take longer to achieve the same flavor profile as if the smoker was at 80 degrees F

Also how cold is to cold? If it’s cold out and your smoker will only get to say just above freezing will it still work? I would think if it was below freezing it would not take any smoke at all.

Thanks.

 

[pineywoods]

Personally I don't find temps with changes like that affect the amount of smoke the cheese gets. What affects the smoke is the amount of smoke applied. As for what is cold smoking I've always heard 40-90 some will say 40-100. I suspect it will take in smoke in the 30's as well as long as it's above freezing but don't know that for sure.
I have found that at anything above about 100 degrees some varieties of cheese start to melt while others don't.
Cold smoking pork bellies for bacon I start to see fat rendering at like 105-110 degrees and of course the hotter you get the more you render.

 

[chef jimmyj]

As long as the cheese does not Freeze, it will absorb smoke. Milk Fat like any Animal fat will begin to melt and render, sweat out, at 72°F. Soft cheeses, Mozz, Brie, melt and run at 130°F. Semi-Firm, Cheddar, Jack, Swiss, melt at 150°F and Hard cheeses, Parm Reggiano, Pecorino, at 180°F. Watch your temps to avoid a Puddle of Smoked Cheese.
In general, keep the Smoker Temp between 40°F and 80°F for all Cheeses. The heavier the Smoke, the less time the cheese needs to be exposed...BUT...Light Smoke longer is ALWAYS better.
The key to the best flavor is Clean, Creosote Free Smoke. Keep the smoke Light, Pale Blue and if you can Pipe it in from 3 foot away or more, the sweeter the final result will be. The farther the smoke source is away, the more time Creosote has to condense out of the smoke.Many folks find 2 hours of Smoke optimal others go 4 hours or longer if generating Very Light Smoke...JJ

 

[Colin1230]

There you go, the best cheese smoking advise on the Inter web!

 

[chef jimmyj]

Glad to be of assistance. Thanks for the Likes...JJ

 

[Tender-butt]

Thanks! I used my pitboss with a smoke tube and apple pellets for my first attempt. The pitboss vertical smoker was slam packed with smoke using the smoke tube. I did not turn the smoker on. I was surprised how much smoke was coming out. Next batch I think I’m gonna use the smoke tube and my grill.

I may build a “cold” smoker and f I find I like this smoked cheese stuff. I’ve eaten store bought smoked cheese but I here home smoked is way better!!

I’ve got the cheese vacuum sealed and in the fridge. I can’t wait to try it. I’m gonna let it rest for a while.

 

[pineywoods]

Hopefully the cheese was dry when you sealed it at times it can come out damp to wet and needs to bee dried before sealing. I would advise waiting two weeks before eating the cheese as it needs time for the smoke to kind of meld and mellow if it comes out like ours. Some people eat it right away and claim it's great but if you try to eat ours straight out of the smokehouse it tastes like crap but is awesome after two weeks. As for a "cold" smoker you could get away with something to put the cheese on like a grate held off the ground by whatever and then a cardboard box over it. I know probably not what you would want to do but we have seen it done that way and it worked fine.
When you get the cheese to where your comfortable doing it then it'll be time to start looking at curing and cold smoking bacon

 

[Tender-butt]

Hopefully the cheese was dry when you sealed it at times it can come out damp to wet and needs to bee dried before sealing. I would advise waiting two weeks before eating the cheese as it needs time for the smoke to kind of meld and mellow if it comes out like ours. Some people eat it right away and claim it's great but if you try to eat ours straight out of the smokehouse it tastes like crap but is awesome after two weeks. As for a "cold" smoker you could get away with something to put the cheese on like a grate held off the ground by whatever and then a cardboard box over it. I know probably not what you would want to do but we have seen it done that way and it worked fine.
When you get the cheese to where your comfortable doing it then it'll be time to start looking at curing and cold smoking bacon

So I patted the cheese dry before vacuum sealing it. Not sure if that’s the right thing to do. Later I read to wrap it in butcher paper and put it in the fridge for a day, then vacuum seal it. Then I’ve also read to put it in the fridge with noting on it. For a few hours.

What happens if you vacuum seal it and it’s damp?

 

[forktender]

It could make the cheese milky, just make sure to refrigerate it overnight and to dry it with paper towels before wrapping it for storage. You can also use a maze and dust if the tube is getting too hot or the smoke is too heavy. I way prefer cheese smoked with a maze and dust over a tube and pellets. To me the tube and pellets puts of a harsh smoke flavor and I much prefer a nice mello flavor on my smoked cheese. And with the dust you don't have to age the smoked cheese like most do with pellets of wood chips or chunks.

Pick the coolest morning or evening and keep the vents wide open and you'll be good to go.
Play around with 1/4 - 1/2 blocks of cheese until you dial in your likes and dislikes.

Have fun with it.
Dan