Did a cheese smoke last weekend, just getting around to posting pics.
Did gouda, Habanero, Jalapeno, and Jarlsburg Swiss and Provolone (for pizza).
Used apple for what was suposed to be 2 hours, but my pucks were not advancing so it was more like 3 I think. It was only 10 degrees out the box never got above 48. Now they are vacum sealled and resting in the fridge for a minimum 10 days. Should be ready to try for the Superbowl!
Here are the before pics waiting to come up to room temp to avoid sweating.
(http://life-captured.net/smoker/Cheese1-b.jpg)
After pics waiting to be bagged.
(http://life-captured.net/smoker/Cheese1-a.jpg)
That looks awesome! WTG! Did you happen to have a little sample?
Wow BigRed...looks awesome...don't sneak a sample...you won't like it...play the wait game...it'll be worth it! :)
bigred-that looks great! I know you're in for a real treat. Should be just right by Super Bowl time.
Well, my second go with the Bradley today, and I thought I would have a go at cold smoking some cheese. The selection was some strong cheddar, gouda and edam. As I'm in Europe the gouda may be unfamiliar to North Americans as Dutch gouda is a flattened sphere rather than a log (its the bottom left in the photo). I split a quarter of edam into two to see if I could get a good result (top of the photo).
There wasn't too much point taking an 'after photo', as there wasn't too much change in color. I had been warned not to smoke it for too long (an hour max), but I noticed after a while that smoke was coming out of the gaps of the remote cardboard box which I had to seal with tape. In the end, I smoked it for 3 hours and its now in plastic in a box in the bottom of the fridge (damn, had to move some beer to make room for it :o)
(http://gallery.mac.com/caisley/100107/CIMG4926/web.jpg)
Hi English guy! You'll have to let us know how yours came out. The Gouda I used I believe was an imported Dutch and it is the bottom right rack in the picture. The round ones in the log shape is my provolone. I know what you mean about the log gouda. That is usially what I see smoked with the heavy brown rind, which is probably artificially colored. What's your weather like over there? We are actually getting out of the deep freeze here in Nebraska. Today it will be in the 40's F and tomorrow and Monday up to the 50's. It has been really cold with overnight temps -10 F, so this is downright Balmy, break out the shorts tomorrow!
Terry
What's your weather like over there? We are actually getting out of the deep freeze here in Nebraska.
LOL! Here in England, we're well North of you, but we get weather from the Carribean via the Gulf Stream so any time during the Winter it can actually be quite warm if the wind is right. Yes, its January, and yes, we should be getting Canadian winter weather, but today it was sunny and quite warm. I was outside in a tee-shirt today as the sun was shining (but not on the Bradley).
I had a nice big cardboard box to collect and cool the smoke, and the thermometer on the OBS was at 60F when I started and didn't go over 65F. I think it will probably be successful, but this is a first try. The Gouda is actually for my secretary who is from Minnesota, and she begged me to smoke it for her. As I have never tried a 'log' Gouda, I have no idea what I am trying to achieve, but we do have a 'log' cheese with a plastic covering here in England that comes from Austria and claims to be 'smoked cheese'. I figure this must be close to American 'Gouda Cheese'.
Well, 24 hours since smoking, and I decided to have a taste (of the cheddar). I think it's got potential. There is a lingering touch of that 'ashtray' taste, but I think it will definitely sweeten up over the next few days.
I'm glad I smoked them for the three hours that I did as I think the recommended hour wouldn't have been long enough, so thanks to the people who have commented on threads here!
Right, the last lot of cheese has gone! The cheddar & gouda were both excellent. The edam wasn't brilliant to start with, but improved after a week and a half.
So, I'm experimenting with a second batch tonight. I'm trying Swiss cheese (emmenthal), two French soft cheeses - brie & camembert which are a little bit underripe - but I'll see what happens, and finally, an English cheese which is Double Gloucester (a cow's milk cheese not too dissimilar from Cheddar). One cheese that I couldn't get today, but which I think will work very well is Spanish Manchego (a hard sheeps' milk cheese). I know that there is a Manchego made in Mexico which might be more familiar to North Americans, but I don't know how it compares to Spanish Manchego which is a sweet, nutty cheese with a fairly dense texture.
I might put up a picture later.
Glad to hear of your success Englishguy! I did swiss in this last batch and it is my favorite (maybe because I love swiss anyway). I thought I read in another thread about smoking brie. If I can find the thread I will post a link for you. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
Congrats on your cheeses, guy(s). I smoked 15 pounds last Saturday ( a mixture of pepper jack, swiss, colby jack, and provolone) and I'm about ready to try them out. Just another day or so...
This thread just inspired me to give the smoked cheese thing another go. My first attempt resulted in less than stellar results. The first time I ended up with a fine assortment of cheeses that all tasted like an ashtray. No matter how long I let them mellow. I used three hours of hickory and it was definately too much, the cheese never mellowed. I even let some of it hang out in the back of the fridge crisper drawer for months hoping it would settle down, but sadly it never did.
This time I think I will only use (4) pucks, and I'm going with apple instead of hickory.
Last night I picked up some sharp cheddar, gouda, pepper jack, baby swiss, and some jalapeno havarti. Only a block or two of each this time as last time I ruined about $100 worth of cheese. From now on, it's small batches until I get it figured out. Hope to be able to report some good news in a few weeks.
good luck to all you other cheese smokers. ::)
Sounds good, Lefty. I like a strong smoke flavor on everything, but 3 pucks of hickory or 4 pucks of a more mellow wood are plenty for me. Good luck, I'm sure you'll like it better this time.
I have not tried cheese in the Bradley yet, I'm building an offset box right now so I can keep the temps down. But I have done over 150 pounds of cheese this winter alone. I always use apple wood chunks with a hardwood mix sawdust when doing cheeses. I took an old gas grill and gutted it out, then put a hot plate several feet away and using duct pipe carry the smoke into the grill. It works great but I still can only use it when outside temp is below 40 degrees F.
I smoke swiss for two hours, most other cheeses for 3-4 hours. I go by the color not the time in the smoker.
Also get some good pepperoni, remove the casing and cut it into chunks that will fit into the smoker, then cut in half legnthwise. Smoke for a couple hours, allow to mellow out in the fridge for a week or so then enjoy.
good luck with your cheese.
pensrock
Here is a pic of my ultra fancy cheese smoker.... I know you will all be very impressed. ;) ;) :D I'm ready to take orders also..... LOL!
(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh46/pensrock/100_0666.jpg)
Here is a pic of my first batch coming off today, 10 pounds of a sharp americian and 5 pounds of horseradish cheese.
(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh46/pensrock/100_0667.jpg)
And finally here is a pic of the second batch going on right now. Two pepperoni sticks, three more pounds of the sharp american cheese and five pounds of hot pepper cheese.
(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh46/pensrock/100_0668.jpg)
The hard part is to try to convince everyone not to touch it for at least a week.
Keep Smokin! :D
Nice idea for a cold smoking setup.
It's worked great for the last 6-7 years. I hope the Bradley does as good a job after I get the offset box built.
Right!
Fourth try on the Bradley with smoking cheeses, and I think I've now figured it out.
I decided that Double Gloucester, Brie, and Camembert are all 'pants'. Also, smoking for under 2.5 hours won't cut the mustard. So I now have a narrower selection of cheeses, and a better idea of how long to smoke.
I think smoking for 3-4 hours is about right. And the best cheeses are semi-hard to hard cheeses.
I just ran another batch, and clockwise from top left, we have:-
Mild Dutch Gouda (cheap, but cheerful)
Vintage Strong Canadian Cheddar (See Note 1. Below)
Vintage Matured Dutch Gouda (See Note 2. Below)
Mild Dutch Gouda
Mild Dutch Gouda
English Cheddar (strong, but not farmhouse)
More Vintage Canadian Cheddar
Vintage Spanish Manchego (sheeps' milk) cheese (See Note 3 below)
I have high expectations this time. I'm probably going to have to freeze a lot of it, but three or four pieces are earmarked for friends who have now learned that I do my own smoking. Strange, I've only owned it for about 6 weeks! Word gets around.
(http://gallery.mac.com/caisley/100135/CIMG5329/web.jpg)
Notes:
1. Canada makes exceptional Cheddar cheese, some of the best in the World, which is almost as good as the best English Cheddar (and I am saying this as an Englishman, so high praise indeed!). I wait with anticipation to see how it 'smokes'.
2. The Vintage Gouda is not something you are going to find outside very expensive cheese stores, and mainly ones in NW Europe. Actually, this is an exceptional cheese on its own, and I'm going to go back to the store to get some more of it (but not smoke it this time) - If any Brits are watching, I found it in John Lewis, Oxford St - but very expensive even so.
3. This is Spain's most famous Cheese export. It is a sheep's milk cheese and something rather special in my humble opinion. I personally love it, and it has the right texture to be smoked. This particular one was a premium one from an expensive food store in London (John Lewis Food Hall for the Brits!). I think that this will be the best of the lot (unless the Gouda beats it).
Looks good English guy. Are the vintage goudas just a very aged gouda, and if so how old are they. We have some very good cheese sources around here and I have had some very good aged goudas. Just wondering. Also, for us folks on this side of the pond (or maybe just me ;D) what does "pants" mean as you say it in your post?
Yes, vintage gouda is very aged gouda. But on this side of the pond, it is proper Dutch gouda, rather than 'copy' gouda from another country, so is made 'at source', and just kept longer. Not sure of the age, but I figure 12 months or so. It is like a good cheddar, strong in flavor, but mellow in sharpness, with a nice aftertaste that develops. I should say, that I am lucky enough to work during the day in the most expensive part of London, and have a choice of specialist food shops. For this 'smoke', I went to a fairly new shop (under 6 months old) where they are trying to match some of the other shops around them for quality that have been trading for 200 years or so. The staff are very keen, and probably overpaid, but they do have some excellent cheeses.
Right, 'pants'! Here in the UK, pants are not trousers. 'Pants' is an abbreviation of 'underpants'; what you call 'pants', we call trousers, although you won't be misunderstood if you say 'pants' with an American accent - well, most of the time.
I think you are now getting the picture....
One of the few foods I've never smoked...but I might just have to pick some up while at the market today and give it a go. I wish I had more time to check in here, this forum is always providing a lot of inspiration.
Nice work on the cheese everyone. Thanks for the pics!
-Brian
You'll love it Brian. I took about 3 lbs(pepper jack, provolone,sharp cheddar) to a Daytona 500 party Sunday and everyone raved about it. I had to explain a dozen times how to cold smoke cheese. Of course, none were Bradley owners, so I really don't think they understood. It's the easiest thing there is to smoke, and I doubt you have any trouble keeping the cab temps down in your climate! ;)
OK, I'll bite (literally and figuratively) ;D Picked up 2 pounds of Mozz and 2 pounds of some beautiful looking Muenster at the market today. Sounds like I want about 3-4 hours of cold smoke and just enough heat to stay above freezing (no smart comments from those of you in humane climates :D) How long does it take for the cheese to reach room temp? These are 1 pound blocks. I have just about every kind of bisquette here except for Pecan and maybe one other. Opinions on smoke for these beauties?
-Brian
I always use apple, I have used oak and hickory but keep coming back to apple.
I have only used apple on mine as well, but that is only 2 cheese smokes, so maybe not the right person for opinions. I have also only smoked for a max of 3 hours and that has been plenty. I have had feedback that it is still very smoky. I have had some that rave about it and others that say it's just OK. I guess what I am saying is that 4 hours may be a bit long for the first try.
Good luck!!
Terry
PS: My wife and I love using a combo of smoked cheddar and smoked jalapeño jack on tacos ;D
Apple it is. The cheese is in the OBS right now with my cold smoking set-up.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/smokedalmonds2.jpg)
-Brian
Looks like somebody can't wait for the cheese to come out. :)
IMHO that little princess has a somewhat guilty look on her face. Was any of the cheese missing? :D
Now that you mention it Wildcat...... I wonder what she's hiding behind her back? ;D
And she's in a short-sleeved shirt! I think Brian has secretly left PA for FLA. :D Heck, I'm 2 states south of him and the cold wind here today would freeze your skin, then blow it away! ;)
Yep, I miss that green grass too. That pic was taken a while back, just wanted to reference my cold smoke set up. Unfortunately, two inches of fresh snow here since this morning. Hope that's it for the day...
Anyway, the cheese turned out nice. I thought it tasted pretty good out of the smoker, a little strong, but good. I've been reading that it will mellow and get better with age. Definitely not ashtray as some have mentioned.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/saycheese.jpg)
So now what? Leave on counter for a while? Vacuum seal? Place in fridge? All of the above? ;D
-Brian
Oh yeah, this was 3 hours of apple smoke, cold smoked around 40 degrees. The blocks were cut up AFTER the smoke for packaging and to show difference in smoked edge and inside edge.
-Brian
Brian-good looking job! I have always taken mine straight from the smoker to the vac sealer to the fridge and had outstanding results.
Alright, gonna go fire up the sealer...
Thanks!
-Brian
It will get better the longer it sits. I just wrap mine in plastic wrap unless I'm planning to keep it for a long time. It does not normally last that long. I've done over 150 pounds this year but only about 10 pounds stayed here. I usually allow mine to get a little darker than you did but it's better to go easy till you find what you like.
You are from PA? Where about? I live right along I-80 about in the middle of the state. We got maybe two inches of snow today, a little more in the higher elevations where I work.
I also have not tasted the "ashtray" taste others have mentioned and i have tasted it right out of the smoker
Never done either of those cheeses, Brian, but they look delicious. Let us know what you think...I've done cheddar, pepper jack, swiss, provolone, and colby jack, and I would hate to have to pick a favorite because they all are great. Looking forward to you opinions on the Mozz and Muenster!
Pens, I'm southwest of you between Pittsburgh and the Ohio line. I've probably been through your town or near it at one point or another. Used to do a lot of hunting up that way.
Well, I went ahead and sealed it up with the vacuum sealer. It's always on hand in the kitchen anyhow, always packing game or leftovers away.
My wife sampled a sliver of each as I was putting it away and she loved it. I'll report back in a few weeks. I didn't catch the post about using hard or semi-hard cheeses. I have had smoked Mozz before and it was great so I figured I'd try smoking it myself. Muenster is soft too but they both seemed to smoke well. Thanks for the tips guys!
-Brian
That's a nice looking set up you have there Brian. Is the whole base used for cooling the smoke or is there a partition half way. Do you get good smoke circulation?
You are right about the weather minus 20 C here tonight. Would that be classed as "Cold Smoking" tonight.
Another Brian.
Hi Brian. There is a partition almost halfway, just enough to "cool off" the smoke and direct it into the pipe. Great smoke flow, it literally pours out the top vent. By having the smoke generator in the box below, it provides just enough heated air to give the smoke a ride upwards but not enough to heat the cabinet. Here's a link to the build-a-long I did for that set-up:
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=5264.0 (http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=5264.0)
Yes, you would certainly need some heat to cold smoke where you're at ;D
-Brian
Oh yeah, and I designed it so the smoke generator was still close enough to stay plugged into the cabinet and provide power for days like we're talking about. Like today, I set my aftermarket digital temperature switch to 38 degrees just to keep the cabinet above freezing during the cold smoking session.
-Brian