What cheeses do you smoke together in a batch?

[linebackeru2007]

I'm curious to know what cheeses everyone smokes together in a single batch... As in which cheeses do you find similar enough that you can smoke together in the same run.

And then what woods do you find best for each type of cheese?

 

[pineywoods]

I smoke lots of different cheeses at the same time they don't touch each other so different types don't matter.
I like using apple or pitmaster blend most of the time

 

[SonnyE]

For most of my life I was Mr. Hickory.
But since joining SMF I find I like Apple Wood for most stuff, and Alder Wood for my Salmon, now.
Like Pineywoods, smoke them all together, but not touching.
I love smoked cheeses.
To my taste, Apple Wood made into sawdust, gives a nice mild smoke profile I can control.
My hickory often was too much.

 

[linebackeru2007]

What about beechwood? Anyone ever try it?

 

[SonnyE]

Not me.

 

[Norwester55]

I've got pepper jack, jack, Mozzarella, Colby, and cheddar going with pecan right now. I've always used alder or apple but decided to try something new.

 

[Steve H]

Same here. Different kinds not touching. Either apple or comp. blend for smoke.

 

[SmokinAl]

I use apple too, and have smoked just about every cheese available.
They all work with apple.
Al

 

[zwiller]

As of late I prefer to smoke one type of cheese at a time so I can try and learn the nuances. Last batch was pepper jack on oak dust 5hrs. I will probably try 6 and 8 hours next. Dust is the key IMO. On deck is meunster and might try pecan on that. WRT beech. Have some pellets but no dust. Todd does not stock beech dust so I will have to make some. I had researched it well and oak is a well known substitute for beech.

One last thing, I now do a rotation half way with cheese and have found the color to be more even. By rotation, I mean to switch lowest rack to highest and turn 180 degrees. We do the same for baking and have gotten much better results.

 

[Bearcarver]

I agree with most above:
I use Hickory for almost everything, but I like Apple or Peach better for Cheese.

And like they said above, Smoke All Kinds together, but not touching each other.
That means don't let one kind of cheese touch another kind, however I wouldn't allow two of the same kind of cheese to touch each other either.
But then I don't allow two hunks of slab bacon to touch each other while smoking, or two sausages or beef sticks to touch each other while smoking.

Wherever two things of any kind touch each other while smoking, those places where they touched will not smoke like the rest of the piece.

So keep everything apart, at least slightly, so you won't end up with pale spots from lack of smoke!!!

Bear

 

[linebackeru2007]

Thanks guys for the tips...I am going to use the tube smokers inside of an electric smoker (no heat). Looking to use apple pellets. Any suggestions on best burning apple pellets to use? Thanks

 

[SmokinAl]

This is where I get mine!
https://www.amazenproducts.com/Default.asp
The owner is a member on here & is a real stand up guy!!
Al

 

[hoity toit]

I'm curious to know what cheeses everyone smokes together in a single batch... As in which cheeses do you find similar enough that you can smoke together in the same run.

And then what woods do you find best for each type of cheese?

Gouda, Sharp cheddar, Swiss, and once in a while I will pick out a "specialty cheese just for the heck of it. I will do a couple pounds of each. My friends benefit from it too.

 

[hoity toit]

Try Alder pellets on the cheese, very subtle and mellow flavor.

 

[zwiller]

What about beechwood? Anyone ever try it?

Just ran some beech on a pork loin and really liked it. I think it could work well on cheddar. Kinda reminded me of an "olde" english or maybe medieval type smell. Similar to oak but a little more darker maybe.

 

[bbqbrett]

So far I have done medium, sharp and ex sharp cheddar (both yellow and white), colby, colby jack, monterey jack, pepper jack, swiss, & mozzarella. Tried them each with apple and hickory. Liked both but favor hickory because I like the strong smoke flavor. If you do pepper jack though I would recommend hickory. It just seems to give it a good extra bite to the flavor.

 

[gmc2003]

For my wife and I apple dust is the wood of choice, but for both my kids it's hickory pellets. As both of them like a stronger flavor profile. Any and all cheese is welcome on my grates, but my go to is white cheddar and hot habenaro.

Chris

 

[linebackeru2007]

So I just finished cold smoking my first batch of cheese. 3 hours inside an electric smoker with hickory pellets in the A-maze-n tube. Cheese came out very copperish in color. Was 38 degrees outside and inside temp didn't get above 75 however the cheese does have some sweat on it (condensation?). Not sure if that is normal? Thoughts anyone? The cheese got darker than I thought it would for only 3 hours.

 

[gmc2003]

Cheese sweats are normal and so is the color for hickory pellets. Let it rest in the fridge either uncovered or loosely covered on a cooling rack overnight before sealing it up. It looks real good btw.

Chris

 

[linebackeru2007]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm awaiting my Apple pellets and plan to go that route for cheese moving forward after reading alot on this site.