What's your favorite wood for cheese?

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So we wind up today with a foot of snow and it is cold out, really cold. Sitting here watching TV and wolfed down half a bag of pistachio nuts.

Does anyone know if the shells might be useable for smoking in the AMNPS ?
Depends on the cheese. Don't use Mesquite!!!!!. Although, it could work on a light smoke on some Pepperjack or a Southwestern variety of cheese.  

Don't know about the AMPS, but I have used pistachio shells for smoking.  I actually prefer using whole pistachios.
 
ya!

if i open the bag i am going to eat it....worse than "bet you can't eat one chip"   there must be someone out there that would have this information... 
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   anyone Know if there is a health issue with the shell/hulls of the pistachio???

thanks in advance for the input

Tom
 
It's so amazing to see all the smoked cheese you all do! (I haven't smoked cheese yet and it sounds just superb)!

There was a thread that was active the other day though started long ago I think, about coffee wood or smoke? That sounded interesting!

Happy Tuesday!!!! Cheers! - Leah
 
Hi Leah,

I have been building a reverse flow tank smoker for the last 3 months. Cutting steel making the trailer, welding, welding and more welding. The whiskey barrel smoker was a temporary diversion when I'd hurt my back lifting steel.

Not only is it running and working great but I have smoked at least 20 lbs of different cheeses and all in the last 26 days. The first few opened packages were devoured on the day they were opened.

I'm using the amnps and in fact 12 lbs of pellets and dust arrived via UPS today. My RF smoker might be done soon...but this has really worked out..Bacon is next!

Thanks for the comments...I'm sure everyone here is enjoying it
 
I had a bit of swiss that I smoked a month ago yesterday.  It was pretty good.  Understand that I can not tolerate swiss normally.  I absolutely hate it!  Smoked it was rather good.  I was looking for some munster that I did at the same time, but someone beat me to it!

Mel
 
my favorite wood thus far is apple, however I read about people using corn cobs and pecan shells I have not tried either yet
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I would really like to see pictures of the wine barrel smoker...
 
Oh since you asked...here you are. It is also pictured in the dedicated cold smoker post
I made a support to keep the amnps off the bottom and raise it above the intakes which are about 1 in off the bottom inside the barrel. The smoldering pellets are about 3" up and the two racks about 10" apart.


There are two racks. And the door makes it very simple to open and close things up without getting a face full of smoke from a top loader.
 
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Hey Knuckle47, we have a thread going in the WINO group (in groups section) for wine barrel smokers! Come join, and add photos of yours!!!! Fantastic!!!!!!!! Yours looks so great! Cheers! - Leah
 
Just plane old hickory chunks from a bag works for us.  I slice the store package bricks, (usually Kraft) of cheddar, co-jack, Swiss, something with peppers or a mix about 3/8 to 1/2 thick and cold smoke about 20 min.  I guess I should try some other woods someday.  We let set an hour or so, and then zip-lock laying flat, suck the air out with a straw and put in the freezer.  Been doing that for thirty years, and it is ready to thaw for a snack anytime.  Guess we should try aging sometime also, not sure I could stand it to be better.
 
I use Jack Daniels old No. 7 pellets when I smoke cheese. I like the flavor and color it give the cheese.

If I do not have that I will use Hickory.
 
 
So far, I've used oak, hickory and a mixture of mostly apple and a little hickory.

I noticed that the apple/hickory didn't put as much color on the cheese.  I went about 2:45 with my last batch because I thought the previous batches were a little smoke-heavy.  However, the color was really light.  I'm using my AMNPS in a MES30.  Temp didn't get above 75 and stayed mainly around 70.

Is there an optimal temp for cold smoking cheese?

What wood do you like to use?  
The cooler the less color.  I do 6 hrs. on my cheese let it mellow a month or so. We love it. Apple, PC, mainly. Got a thread on cold smoking in cheese and diff colors between 6/13 and12/13. Dont know how to post that thread here, but hardley any color on latter and June ise dark as can be. Taste? Same. Smoke that one. Ha
 
I have really been liking maple lately and 3 hours is a good time for me.
My maple has been going out even after drying in oven. Know you wanted to know from me.
 
A few weeks back we mentioned using pistachio shell for a smoke wood. I looked up a few things about the pistachio and found a few things

Aside from being a healthy snack approved by the FDA for its heart healthy compounds, although NOT proven, the shell has other uses as mulch, decorative crafts and a few other odd uses.

I discovered since saving shells for the last 6 weeks that when I opened the sealed bag of shells, they had a signicant fragrance far beyond other woods I have worked with. One of my other hobbies is acoustic guitar building so I have sanded and cut many kinds of odd tropical hardwoods and softer maples and spruce. The fragrance of the pistachio shell is very refreshing almost reminding me of pomegranate.

Took an old food processor I'd been saving for the motor inside and spun a few to break them down and this fragrance doubled. Reading more about them ... another use is as a fire starter due to the high oils content within and the curved shape which allows airflow and continued combustion between them in a stack. It's been recommended to use them in bulk instead of kindling.

I have not yet smoked cheese yet with them but will be doing so once I get a bit more free time as the snow here in the northeast has REALLY screwed up my schedule.

One thing for certain, I have a bigger bag of saved shells now as a result. Not sure if they will be best used as the halves they are, broken down a bit more or as a rougher dust. As I get into it soon, I'll surely post the results. Anyone else with some findings, please join in
 
That's so interesting on the pistachios! I'd love to learn how it works out!!! (And maybe I'll try it too, as it sounds wonderful and aromatic).

Thanks for sharing!!!

Cheers! - Leah (Lots of snow here too)!
 
Hi Leah,

Snow, I saw your olive oil picture....that is a beautiful spot. Reminds me of the South Richford Road out of Montgomery Village.

I'll send you some other pictures of the smoking pistachios when it happens
 
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