what have i done?

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netspyder

Meat Mopper
Original poster
★ Lifetime Premier ★
Dec 18, 2022
170
200
Collinsville, IL
my first time smoking cheese... so if some of the veterans could chime in i'd appreciate it. i used mesquite wood chips in a pellet tube and smoked for about 3 hours. started with the tube under the cheese, but the chips were burning too fast (and starting to melt the cheese) so i moved the tube to the firebox in my offset and had to fill it every hour or so. smells n tastes burnt - way too much smoke on them... the cheese flavor still comes through with the sharp cheddars but the gouda and colby mostly just taste like smoke. i really like the mesquite flavor on my meats (contrary to what everyone says about mesquite). all i can get around here is hickory (which i don't like the way it smells when its burning or the flavor it imparts), cherry, pecan, and mesquite. ran it with the stack vent open maybe 1/4" the whole time. it was 45f out, and the temp never registered on my pit thermometer.
 
Hey its how we all learn.
The smoking wood just under the cheese was too hot (it happens)

Moving the the firebox was right and your cheese was opposite close to the vent? Vent should be full open also (just how I cold smoke cheese)

Keep on smoking.
 
First off, after smoking, you need to put the cheese in the fridge overnight uncovered, and then ideally vac seal it, and let it mellow out in the fridge for at least a few days. The first time I smoked cheese, I tried it right away, and it was like licking an ashtray. I gave it around a week, or two and it was much better. BG is right about the vent. Also, Mesquite is a strong flavor. Great on meat, but in my opinion not on cheese. I tend to smoke with milder pellets like Apple, or cherry. Lowes, Home Depot, etc. usually carry different pellet flavors.
 
As you should know.. Mesquite is the strongest wood smoke of them all... So when we smoke cheese with other woods that are lighter usually 2-3 hours is plenty with the lighter wood... As BGKYSmoker BGKYSmoker said... The exhaust vent should be wide open... So It sounds like you just oversmoked it wit the stronger mesquite ... But also... We vacuum seal the cheese and let it rest for a minimum of 2 weeks.. longer is better... so do that... and then see what it's like

Anothehr thing.. you said you used chips... I trhink the chips put out even more smoke than either pellets or sawdust ...
 
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Hey its how we all learn.
The smoking wood just under the cheese was too hot (it happens)

Moving the the firebox was right and your cheese was opposite close to the vent? Vent should be full open also (just how I cold smoke cheese)

Keep on smoking.
well ... it was 10 lbs of cheese ... so ... it pretty much took up all of the grate space i had in this guy. shoulda snapped a pic of it when i started. all of it is sliced and prepped to be inflicted on my friends tomorrow!

IMG_0295.JPG
 
First off, after smoking, you need to put the cheese in the fridge overnight uncovered, and then ideally vac seal it, and let it mellow out in the fridge for at least a few days. The first time I smoked cheese, I tried it right away, and it was like licking an ashtray. I gave it around a week, or two and it was much better. BG is right about the vent. Also, Mesquite is a strong flavor. Great on meat, but in my opinion not on cheese. I tend to smoke with milder pellets like Apple, or cherry. Lowes, Home Depot, etc. usually carry different pellet flavors.
sooo... maybe not a failure... just need to rest it for a bit. guess i need to invest in a vacuum sealer of some sort. ironic that i actually recently pitched one that'd been left here by a roommate a few months ago. i did stick in the fridge for a few hours - had to go help a friend with some ruptured water lines... and that smoke aroma literally hit me in the face when i opened the fridge doors. thanks!
 
As you should know.. Mesquite is the strongest wood smoke of them all... So when we smoke cheese with other woods that are lighter usually 2-3 hours is plenty with the lighter wood... As BGKYSmoker BGKYSmoker said... The exhaust vent should be wide open... So It sounds like you just oversmoked it wit the stronger mesquite ... But also... We vacuum seal the cheese and let it rest for a minimum of 2 weeks.. longer is better... so do that... and then see what it's like

Anothehr thing.. you said you used chips... I trhink the chips put out even more smoke than either pellets or sawdust ...
i was worried at one point when i opened the pit to check on it and had to wait for the white billowing smoke to clear before i could even see the grates... maybe i'll pick up some pellets for this exclusive purpose for next time. Thanks for the tips!
 
I would guess that a LOT of people on this forum have a vac sealer of some sort. I keep mine handy on top of the dryer in the laundry room. It seems like every time I put it away somewhere, I need to drag it out to vac seal something.
 
so, to follow this up... by the new year's eve party, the smoke had mellowed out on everything, and was amazing - all of the folks could not get enough of the various cheddar. a week later, the gouda and colby still just taste like mesquite smoke. so ... next time i'll buy some pellets to use exclusively for cheese smoking, and see how that does.
 
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As you should know.. Mesquite is the strongest wood smoke of them all... So when we smoke cheese with other woods that are lighter usually 2-3 hours is plenty with the lighter wood... As BGKYSmoker BGKYSmoker said... The exhaust vent should be wide open... So It sounds like you just oversmoked it wit the stronger mesquite ... But also... We vacuum seal the cheese and let it rest for a minimum of 2 weeks.. longer is better... so do that... and then see what it's like

Anothehr thing.. you said you used chips... I trhink the chips put out even more smoke than either pellets or sawdust ...
^^^^^This^^^^
To add that if in an offset then always put the tube in the firebox. Otherwise I think you have the rest now figured out. Nice haul of cheese.
 
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