Winter Cheese Stash - Check.

[gmc2003]

Man that has my mouth watering!! Nicely done!!

Thanks Sean. It was good.

Freezing cheese (or most any dairy) is generally a bad idea. You can do it, but the ice crystals wreck the texture and the moisture level once it thaws.

As to timing, there are a heap of important variables (cheese type, cheese shape, pellets used, etc., etc.) and I don't know any reliable way to test it without letting it rest. Absolutely forced to speculate *wildly*... I might try about 1/3 to 1/2 of a tube (assuming a 12" tube)? I, myself, like a heavier smoke and, after halving the bigger pieces for more surface area, generally go for a full tube's worth, depending on cheese type.

One way to check is to have a sacrificial block of cheese. After about 3 hours take one block off your smoker. Let it rest for about an hour, and then try a slice taken from the middle of the block. It will give you an Idea of how far along you are. I'd also have another person try a slice for comparison purposes. If its to light then put it back on the smoker and try it again in another hour or so. Use the same block and try another slice from the middle. The reason I say the middle of the block is that's gonna be the least smokiest part of the block.


Chris