My first time at cold smoking cheese with my new cold smoke adapter. The outside temp is around 36 F and my smoke tower is smoking strong. The cabinet temp is only 45* F. I had the vent wide open, but after two hours of smoke the cheese looks as fresh and clean as when it went into the smoker. Do I need to get the temp up to 80 as some suggest? Do I smoke it longer at a colder temp?
You are good with what you have in my opinion. I have never noticed a difference in the smoke penetration by getting temp up to 80*.
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Pulling first rack at 3 hours of Alder smoke. Going to pull the second rack with 3.5 hours. The last rack will smoke for a full 4 hours. The tower temp never exceeded 45*.
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Now I am really scratching my head. I had to try my first smoke right out of the smoker to taste how bad it could be. The cheese actually tasted very good. A heavy smoke flavor but not ash trey like some stated. Took a sample to the wife and she said it was good. Do I smoke it longer? It was in for 3.5 hours. I will pull the second rack at 4 hours.
Just a guess here but I would say when you smoke cheese in the 80 degree range you get some sweating on the cheese. The smoke adheres to it and creates the ash tray taste on the surface. Once it's aged in the fridge the smoke penetrates the cheese and balances out. At the temp you did the cheese at this did not occur and is probably why it tastes fine right out of the smoker. Nothing wrong with that.
Mike
Also a lot of it is about personal taste.
If you like the taste go with it.
If it's too light smoke it longer, too strong smoke it less.
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Placed 1/2 of a smoked Happy Lino in this 4 hour smoked cheese. I do not know if I should pull the pepper after two weeks so it does not spoil or if it will keep in the vac seal. What is your thoughts.