XL BGE Cold Smoking w/ A-MAZE-N 5x8, 1st time setup / maintaining low temp in this heat

[jceroli42]

So going to give a go at smoking some cheese (Hoping too at least). I have the XL BGE w/ and adjustable rig. How do you all BGE folks set it up? planning on putting the AMAZEN on the charcoal grate, then the goods above. Do you open up the vents?

Also, more importantly, I'm up in Northern NJ, hot sticky nasty humid. my BGE internal is registering around 100 degrees. I've read I shouldn't put any water or ice in there because it causes too much humidity/condensation. Is there anything I can do in order to keep the temp down? Or am I best holding off until temps lower later this summer? Is 90 degrees the absolute MAX I should be at with Cheese?

Thanks in advance!

 

[schlotz]

IMO, you're pushing the limit. Smoking cheese is best left to cooler outdoor temps. Personally I like below 50º.

 

[gmc2003]

I also agree, to hot for cheese smoking this time of year. Give it a month or so when the temps get down to the 50's.

Chris

 

[jceroli42]

copy.. Thanks... I'll look to smoke some other stuff :) gotta use my new amazen!

 

[Braz]

I did a bacon cold smoke yesterday with the AMAZEN tray in my MES, not in a BGE. Ambient got up to about 88F. When the temp inside the smoker got to 100 I put a couple of liter size juice bottles full of frozen water in the smoker. That held the temp at just under 100 for the rest of the smoke. 100 might be a little too much for cheese, though.

 

[jceroli42]

I did a bacon cold smoke yesterday with the AMAZEN tray in my MES, not in a BGE. Ambient got up to about 88F. When the temp inside the smoker got to 100 I put a couple of liter size juice bottles full of frozen water in the smoker. That held the temp at just under 100 for the rest of the smoke. 100 might be a little too much for cheese, though.

Thanks Braz ... brings me almost to my next inquiry or research, but maybe you can give me some pointers. I have 20lbs of bacon (cut into 5lb slabs) curing now. Want to cold smoke this batch. How do you normally do your bacon with the AMAZEN tray? Todd from Amazen recommend 2x 12hr smokes with 24 hours rest in between. Any pointers or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Braz]

jceroli42 Interesting, we also had 20 lbs cut into five pieces. We smoked the bacon for 12 hours with apple pellets then put it in the refer overnight. We tried a sample this morning to see if it needed more smoke and decided not to. It had enough smoke without being overpowering. We will now let it rest in the refer for a couple days or more before slicing and packaging. Lots of people do the 2x12hr smoke, though, so I think you'd be OK to do that as well. Or, do a couple slabs one way and the rest the other way. Oh, we also had BLTs for lunch with L & T straight from the garden. Yum.

 

[ddufore]

I have the same BGE that you do. I usually don't smoke cheese in this heat. I'm in very northern New York and its still too hot IMO. What I have done on occasion is cold smoke at night and remove in the morning before it heats up. As for bacon, I have also done it at night. I used the pellet tray( full but not over full), remove to the fridge during the day and repeat. I believe bacon and cheese behave alike. The longer it is rested the more mellow it will taste. Hope this helps.

 

[jceroli42]

Thanks all, very helpful info, guess holding off on the cheese and will do the bacon overnight. ddufore when you say "full but not over full" what exactly do you mean. I smoked some nuts yesterday and the AMAZEN went out about 1.5-2hr into the smoke (I wasn't going to do it much longer, but still). I had the bottom damper open and top open.

 

[ddufore]

I fill the pellet tray level to the top, not heaping full. Lit on one end, This will give me 10-12 hrs of smoke. I keep the top and bottom vents wide open.