What Wood type for Cheese Smoking?

[Bearcarver]

 
Hey Bear...

Thanks for reminding me! I'm gonna smoke some cheese tomorrow and I think I'll  smoke some salt along with it. I've been wanting to try that for some time now but I never remember to do it!

SMB

Oh yeah---Smoked Salt is Awesome!!

I haven't made any for years, because I avoid salt wherever possible, since that "Dr" almost killed me & ruined my Kidneys in the process.

If it wasn't for that, I would always keep a supply of Smoked Salt.

Bear

 

[jvcoppola]

Yesterday, I did a medium sized  mozzarella ball in my Masterbuilt with the cold smoke attachment.  I smoked it for about 2.5 hours and took it out.  I waited about an hour to try it and it was a bit too overpowered by the smoke.  I used alder for the wood.  I'm thinking my first time out was a fail.  I am doing some cheddar tomorrow and by the looks of this thread, I should go with Cherry or Hickory? 

How long should I let it go for?  2?, 3 hours?

Thanks!

Smokey Joe

 

[mr t 59874]

 
Yesterday, I did a medium sized  mozzarella ball in my Masterbuilt with the cold smoke attachment.  I smoked it for about 2.5 hours and took it out.  I waited about an hour to try it and it was a bit too overpowered by the smoke.  I used alder for the wood.  I'm thinking my first time out was a fail.  I am doing some cheddar tomorrow and by the looks of this thread, I should go with Cherry or Hickory? 

How long should I let it go for?  2?, 3 hours?

Thanks!

Smokey Joe

Cherry and hickory are good choices although stronger than the alder. If your cheese is overpowered with smoke, cut back on your smoking time. Alder does work well for us on cheese but use different woods for a change up. Start with the alder again and pull it at one hour and see the difference. You can always add more smoke if desired.

Without knowing the color and density of your smoke ones advice on time is simply a guess.

T

 

[steve roberts]

JV, when you take it out of the smoker, it always tastes super strong, like licking an ashtray. You must let it "cure". Wrap it tightly in saran wrap and put in a baggie. Give it a minimum of 10 days - 2 weeks to cure. Then try it. I smoke my for 3-4 hours in the Masterbuilt with the Amazin Smoker (cold smoking gadget), using hickory. My favorite cheese to use is gouda. I buy mine in huge chunks at Costco but I have also smoked sharp cheddar and it came out great also.

 

[ak1]

Yup! That!  Let it rest.

 

[smokin' burt]

I have used both Cherry and Hickory (sawdust) although I believe the Cherry is milder. I have mixed the two as well with good result. And yes, you should wrap or vac seal your cheese after smoking and let it rest.

SMB

 

[jd4jc]

Ambient temp this afternoon 52 DF, so time to get going. I bought 8# of cheese at Kroger a few weeks ago at < $3.50/#--They sell it in two-pound blocks, and this amazing price appears every few months!

4# of marbled colby, 2# each of mozzarella and colby. Hickory chips, 3.5 hours scheduled with MB cold smoke attachment. My first time with hickory, having used cherry before with good results. I'm a little spooked by the anticipated stronger smoke flavor, but this thread has given me courage to give it a try!

I use a VacMaster chamber vacuum to seal the finished product, and the cheese keeps fine for months and months. We happen to have (a little!) space in a wine cooler, so I store it there.

Here's a shot of the start of the launch. Note the "funnel" I've fashioned for the MB smoke attachment, made from a little aluminum throwaway dish with a flanged square hole cut in the bottom with tabs to fit inside the lip of the smoker loading hole--Until I came up with this, the chips went all over the place when I loaded! The long screwdriver works great to break the creosote seal on the lids with a little "whack," and to stir up the chips in the smoke attachment when they occasionally get jammed.

16-09-24 Cheese Smoke.JPG

• jd4jc
• Sep 24, 2016

 

[hawkwardhunter]

A lot of my smoking cheese gets done when it's 20-35 degrees out.  I have a mailbox attachment for my MEC 30", and a pellet tray in the mailbox.  I really like smoking sharp cheddar, Muenster, Gouda, and cheddarjack with either apple or cherry smoke for about 4-5 hours.  The very first time I smoked cheese I put the pellet tray on top of the ash pan and monitored the internal temps with the gouda I was smoking.  It took on that nice smokey tinge but it was really hard trying to keep the heat down for that gouda.  Turned out great.

I have since switched over to my mailbox attachment and can now let it go smoke for about 3-5 hours without worries of melting,depending on the cheese, and it comes out great, but very little change in color.  I was wondering if I should be lighting both ends of my pellet tray to generate more smoke and just crack the vent on the top of the smoker for better results and more color. Also I'm going to let the cheese come to room temperature before i put it in the smoker.

As for the smoking of salt, it you want the best results for a good smoked salt, I like to take a grease splatter screen, put large chunked sea salt on it, and put that in the smoker for 12 hours at 275 degrees.   Heat and time are the best way to get a strong smoked salt, but heat especially. 

 

[mr t 59874]

I have since switched over to my mailbox attachment and can now let it go smoke for about 3-5 hours without worries of melting,depending on the cheese, and it comes out great, but very little change in color.  I was wondering if I should be lighting both ends of my pellet tray to generate more smoke and just crack the vent on the top of the smoker for better results and more color. Also I'm going to let the cheese come to room temperature before i put it in the smoker.

You will find that different cheeses will take different amounts of time in the smoker to reach your desired taste. Don't worry about getting color on your cheese until it reaches your desired taste. Smoke it to your desired taste, then take note of the color for future smokes. Different woods may produce different colors also, so take note of the wood being used also.

Adjust your vents to keep the smoke moving and provide enough draft to keep the generator going. 

If heat or an off taste becomes a problem, lengthen the distance between the MB and the product chamber or grind the pellets into a fine powder or both. By using a powder, not sawdust, a much lighter and cooler smoke will be produced along with a longer burn time. 

Have fun and keep enjoying your cheeses,

Tom

 

[lemans]

I cold smoke in my Chargriller offset using my 12 inch tube filled with pitmasters choice overnight . It's like 3-4 hours of smoke and it rests for 7 then in the morning
It goes into the vac sealer and then in the fridge for at least a month.. works everytime