Got some white cheddar, swiss and montery jack/jalapeno going now. Kinda cool so lets do it ;D
Smoke generator on and a load of ice. 2 hours of apple smoke.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o290/stlthy1/DSCF4359.jpg)
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o290/stlthy1/DSCF4360.jpg)
nepas
Smoked Cheese....YUM
I would like to try this soon as well... One question, do you put water in the puck catcher pan?
Looking good Nepas. Never tried them with apple. Will do next time.
HR
Most of the cheese I do is with apple, some hickory and oak. I do about 100 pound plus each year for friends. Keeps me busy during the winter months. :)
Got the cheese done. Cooling now.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o290/stlthy1/DSCF4363.jpg)
nepas
Quotedo you put water in the puck catcher pan?
Yes, water still goes in the bowl as normal to extinquish used pucks. :)
Quote from: manxman on September 05, 2009, 08:59:14 AM
Quotedo you put water in the puck catcher pan?
Yes, water still goes in the bowl as normal to extinquish used pucks. :)
Ok, thanks. I had my threads crossed... I was thinking about smoking some salt, and I assume in that case, you want the smoker environs dry.
Looking forward to smoking some queso here in south texas, just too dam hot right now. Nice pics. Thanks
Quote from: squirtthecat on September 05, 2009, 07:07:27 AM
I would like to try this soon as well... One question, do you put water in the puck catcher pan?
No i dont, the moisture gets the cheese slimey
nepas
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on September 05, 2009, 09:19:31 AM
No i dont, the moisture gets the cheese slimey
nepas
Ahh, 2 schools of thought here. Do you put anything in the pan, or just let the burnt biscuits smolder?
Quote from: squirtthecat on September 05, 2009, 09:47:33 AM
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on September 05, 2009, 09:19:31 AM
No i dont, the moisture gets the cheese slimey
nepas
Ahh, 2 schools of thought here. Do you put anything in the pan, or just let the burnt biscuits smolder?
What i do is go out and check about every 15 mins and depress the button to move the almost burnt puck off, then it site in the pan to finish smoking while the new one is going on the slide. Seams like allot of running back and forth but i dont get the burnt taste in the cheese.
nepas
Quote from: squirtthecat on September 05, 2009, 09:01:50 AM
Quote from: manxman on September 05, 2009, 08:59:14 AM
Quotedo you put water in the puck catcher pan?
Yes, water still goes in the bowl as normal to extinquish used pucks. :)
Ok, thanks. I had my threads crossed... I was thinking about smoking some salt, and I assume in that case, you want the smoker environs dry.
When i do salt i go this way.
Dissolve 2 cups of salt in 4 cups of water. Place this solution in an old small cookie sheet. Pre heat your smoker to 250* with 2 hours of hickory. Place the filled cookie sheet on the rack and let all the liquid evaporate. Whats left is the dried smoked salt.
This can take several hours. My last smoked salt took almost 10 hours. I will get pics on my next one.
nepas
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on September 05, 2009, 09:58:46 AM
When i do salt i go this way.
Dissolve 2 cups of salt in 4 cups of water. Place this solution in an old small cookie sheet. Pre heat your smoker to 250* with 2 hours of hickory. Place the filled cookie sheet on the rack and let all the liquid evaporate. Whats left is the dried smoked salt.
This can take several hours. My last smoked salt took almost 10 hours. I will get pics on my next one.
nepas
Cool, thanks! I read somewhere else (non-Bradley forum) about putting the salt (dry) on an old grease splatter guard, as it is a fine enough mesh to let the smoke pass through, while keeping the salt in place.
They applied 6 or 8 hours of smoke. I think the guy used a UDS.
I'll try it both ways. A couple guys at work have asked about it, as they buy it packaged at the store and it is rather pricey.
Cheese is all vac sealed. Now how long can i wait :D ;D
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o290/stlthy1/DSCF4367.jpg)
nepas
QuoteYes, water still goes in the bowl as normal to extinquish used pucks.
QuoteNo i dont, the moisture gets the cheese slimey
It may well depend on the ambient temp outside?
I have certainly never had a problem with cheese getting moist although I have when smoking salt. However salt is a dessicant and will absorb moisture from the atmosphere anyway particulatly if the humidity is high so once I have cold smoked salt I dry it gently in the oven on low temp.
As Nepas says, if you don't put water in the bowl you would need to remove the burnt pucks regularly to avoid the possibility of tainting the cheese with overburnt pucks.
Cheese looks really good NPS, bet you can last very long at all!! :)
I do not use water when smoking cheese. I'm a little old school, before the Bradley. And learned quickly not to dampen the wood chips as that will cause steam. Steam appears over 212 degrees, 200 degrees = melted/bad cheese. I do not want to chance the puck causing any steam and changing the way I have done cheese for years. I have never had any ill effects doing cheese without any water or moisture of any kind. IMHO
So perhaps the best way would be to run out every 21 minutes and yank the bowl out to empty?
Quote from: squirtthecat on September 05, 2009, 01:49:08 PM
So perhaps the best way would be to run out every 21 minutes and yank the bowl out to empty?
Or sit by yer smoker with a cooler full of cold ones, open the door and push the almost burnt puck off ;D
nepas
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on September 05, 2009, 02:41:35 PM
Or sit by yer smoker with a cooler full of cold, open the door and push the almost burnt puck off ;D
nepas
I like the way you think!
QuoteOr sit by yer smoker with a cooler full of cold, open the door and push the almost burnt puck off
On second thoughts, perhaps the water isn't necessary!! :D :D :D
Quote from: squirtthecat on September 05, 2009, 01:49:08 PM
So perhaps the best way would be to run out every 21 minutes and yank the bowl out to empty?
Thats up to you, I just leave them in the bowl and empty the bowl every 45 minutes or so when I move the cheese around to get a more even smoke. I never get a bad taste from the couple burned pucks in the bowl.
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on September 05, 2009, 09:19:31 AM
Quote from: squirtthecat on September 05, 2009, 07:07:27 AM
I would like to try this soon as well... One question, do you put water in the puck catcher pan?
No i dont, the moisture gets the cheese slimey
nepas
Hey there Nepas and great looking and I bet tasting cheese.
Would you still have the same concern if you are using the cold smoke adaptor?
HR
Quote from: Hopefull Romantic on September 06, 2009, 07:59:28 AM
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on September 05, 2009, 09:19:31 AM
Quote from: squirtthecat on September 05, 2009, 07:07:27 AM
I would like to try this soon as well... One question, do you put water in the puck catcher pan?
No i dont, the moisture gets the cheese slimey
nepas
Hey there Nepas and great looking and I bet tasting cheese.
Would you still have the same concern if you are using the cold smoke adaptor?
HR
HR
I still wouldnt use any water, the hot pucks when in the bowl would create steam in the smoke.
nepas
Thanks a milion Nepas,
I guess I will just let the pucks fall as they wish in the CSA after burnig out since I dont think any harm could happen.
HR
What luck. I was just thinking about smoking my first cheese and I ran across this thread. It's getting pretty cool here in the northeast, sometimes in the high 40's at night and in the 60's during the day. Do you figure I'd still need ice?
Arnie, are you using a cold smoke setup or just the Bradley? If you are using the Bradley with the puck burner in the smoker . I would use ice unless the temp outside was 50 F or below. If using a cold smoke setup you can avoid the ice I would say even if the outside temps were 70 F or so. You do not want the temp inside the smoker to go above 90 F if you can help it. If its getting a little warm in the smoker crack the door open about 1/2". do not worry there is still plenty of smoke but it should help cool the box down some.
pens
P.S.
Do not forget. Wrap the cheese after it cools to room temp and put it in the fridge for at least ten days. The longer you can wait the better it will become.
Thanks for the tips Pens. Yeah, I'm using the OBS so I'll probably have to go with the ice. Boy, this is going to be a llloooooonnnnnggg ten days. :P
OBS can be set up as below with or without the use of ice for cold smoking cheese:
http://www.johnwatkins.co.uk/personalpages/coldsmoking.htm
QuoteBoy, this is going to be a llloooooonnnnnggg ten days. Quote
Yea but its worth it. If you try it right away, you most likely will not care for it, you may think it has too much smoke or an odd taste, but once it sits and mellows out it keeps getting better and better.
When I do big batches for friends, I won't even give it back to them for at least a week, then I tell them to wait a week to eat it. Not sure if they listen to me or not. But I normally do a good 100 pounds + each fall/winter/spring so I must be doing something right. :)
It doesn't need vac packed unless you plan to keep it for over a month or so. Seems like the smoke layer keeps mold from forming forever. Not really sure how long it will keep just zip locked but I have kept it that way for well over a month. I have vac packed it as well and did not notice any taste difference. So its up to you.
You may want to use a milder wood the first time then see how you like it, if you think you want a stronger taste then next time try oak or hickory. I almost always use apple, everyone loves it, so why fix it if its not broken?
There may be some people here that even use the messy wood? Hmmm wonder who that would be? ;)
pens
Quote from: manxman on September 16, 2009, 11:49:33 AM
OBS can be set up as below with or without the use of ice for cold smoking cheese:
http://www.johnwatkins.co.uk/personalpages/coldsmoking.htm
Thanks for the link manxman. I've seen something similar to that before. Keeping the heat out of the tower should work out at 65-70 F ambient. I might even have some left over dryer vent hose in the basement. And, the way my wife orders stuff, the cardboard box shouldn't be a problem. >:(
Thanks again for the info pens. I used to make cold-pack pickles. I just hate waiting for things but I'll be patient with the cheese. I have apple in stock. I also have alder and just got my pecan today. Any comments on those?
QuoteAnd, the way my wife orders stuff, the cardboard box shouldn't be a problem.
I find the cardboard box lasts for a long time so don't let her make any excuses about needing to order yet more stuff to keep you stocked up with cardboard boxes!! ;) ::)
My kids would rather play with the box anyways!
::) ;D
Thanks MM, I'll be sure to let her know about the boxes. ;D She might be in the London area in a month or so and come to SEE you; you might want to be out of town ;)
FLBR, in my case, it's the cats. They love cardboard boxes and paper bags. The problem is, using the box full of cat hair. And, once smoked, they don't care for it much anymore. :-\
Thanks for all of your help guys.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm smoked cheese cant wait to get another batch going.
The weather is getting just the way I like it for doing a cold smoke, I want no humidity
Quote from: ArnieM on September 16, 2009, 02:13:12 PM
Thanks again for the info pens. I used to make cold-pack pickles. I just hate waiting for things but I'll be patient with the cheese. I have apple in stock. I also have alder and just got my pecan today. Any comments on those?
Alder is very mild, I use it for fish but never tried it on cheese.
Pecan I would say is slightly stronger than apple but not as strong as hickory or mesquite. I have never tried it on cheese either.
Well pens, I got a smoke going this morning using apple. I'll post the results later.
QuoteShe might be in the London area in a month or so and come to SEE you; you might want to be out of town
Hahaha...... she would need a flight or ferry ride as I live offshore mainland UK. Warn me in advance if you would ArnieM and I will have a word with local immigration! ;) :D
Apple and oak are my favourites for cheese. Hope yours turns out well.
Quote from: manxman on September 17, 2009, 06:49:11 AM
Warn me in advance if you would ArnieM and I will have a word with local immigration! ;) :D
Good idea. I'm vaguely familiar with the Isle of Man. Shoprite was one of our customers at my ex-company (back-end data processing).
Apple and oak are my favourites for cheese. Hope yours turns out well.
The smokin' is just about done; 2:20 with apple.
Quote from: ArnieM on September 17, 2009, 07:48:22 AM
The smokin' is just about done; 2:20 with apple.
Now comes the waiting game, believe me its worth it unless you like the taste of an ash tray. I vacuum seal and wait 2 weeks, its amazing how a little smoke will prevent the cheese from spoiling. I just opened my last pack of Colby Jack thats ben in the fridge sense Feb. still good and no mold
OK, my first smoked cheese (OBS). I used sharp white cheddar, extra sharp yellow cheddar and jalapeno jack (left to right in the first pic). Why? Because that's what I had on hand.
Total apple smoke time was 2 1/2 hours. I put a partially burned puck on the hot plate by hand, gave it 10 minutes, then loaded up for another 2:20.
I wanted to go without ice. So, I was real clever and put my foil-wrapped brick in the freezer overnight. I also read about "use or don't use water in the water bowl. So, I used ice.
Started at 8:30 AM, vent wide open. The outside temp was 51 F. Then, it got quite breezy - what luck!
9:15. Outside temp is 54. The tower is pushing 85! Oh well, in goes a try of ice. "The best laid plans ..."
9:45. Rotated the shelf front-to-back and flipped the cheese.
11:00. Done smoking. The outside temp was 58, the tower a bit less than 80. Next time, I'm going with this: http://www.johnwatkins.co.uk/personalpages/coldsmoking.htm.
Here are a few pics.
The cheese is going in.
(http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx21/ArnieMauer/Cheese1.jpg)
The cheese is coming out. The shelf was rotated and the cheese flipped about half way through.
(http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx21/ArnieMauer/Cheese2.jpg)
Cooling down on the counter. I was going to leave it outside on the deck because it was cooler out there, but Lord knows what might have eaten it. :-\
(http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx21/ArnieMauer/Cheese3.jpg)
I don't have a vacuum sealer, so I'm using a double plastic wrap.
I was kind of surprised that the cheese didn't darken much. Maybe it was the apple. Maybe the stuff in the store is chemically treated. I don't know.
My wife's girlfriend stopped by while I was smoking. She said she'd be back with 10 pounds of mozzarella this weekend. I figure that if I can turn this into a business, I'd only lose about $8/hour. :(
Now, the waiting. Gosh, I HATE waiting. But, I know, I know, I have to do it. ;)
Looks good. Most of the time I wrap it with plastic and put it into a ziplock bag.
When you started seeing the temp get near 90, you could have cracked the door open about 1/2" and this would have allowed the temp to drop. There is still plenty of smoke so you do not need to worry about the smoke escaping with the excess heat.
pens
Thats going to be some good stuff in a week or two.
I realy like the looks of the peno jack.
Good looking cheese there Arnie! And yep the waiting is the hard part, but darn well worth the wait!! And as Pens stated cracking the door open will help with keeping your temp down, thats what I have to do here even in the winter!
C
Thanks guys. Yeah, I did crack the door for 5-10 minutes and it didn't seem to have much effect so I put in the ice.
I spoke with a friend today. He's going to Nova Scotia for salmon next week and promised to bring me back one. I'm getting excited. :)
Lookin' good, Lewis!
Ice in the water bowl... Did that work ok? No smoldering biscuits?
Quote from: squirtthecat on September 17, 2009, 10:41:00 AM
Lookin' good, Lewis!
Lewis? Who's Lewis?
Ice in the water bowl... Did that work ok? No smoldering biscuits?
It's hard to tell if the ice did any good; I've never smoked cheese before. The pucks didn't seem to be smoldering. Next time, I might try four frozen bricks for a half hour or so of 'negative' preheat before the SG goes on.
Quote from: ArnieM on September 17, 2009, 11:16:18 AM
Lewis? Who's Lewis?
Sorry, movie misquote from 'Trading Places'..
QuoteI'm vaguely familiar with the Isle of Man. Shoprite was one of our customers at my ex-company (back-end data processing).
Small world ArnieM, Shoprite is the local supermarket chain with only half a dozen branches here on the IOM. Doesn't operate anywhere else.
Nice cheese pics ......... looks really good. :)
QuoteThanks guys. Yeah, I did crack the door for 5-10 minutes and it didn't seem to have much effect so I put in the ice.
Once it gets pretty warm, it will take longer than 5-10 minutes for it to cool back down, don't forget, everything is too warm. Including the racks, bricks and the inside of the tower and door.
I have even opened the door wide open and blew in with a fan for a few minutes to cool everything down some then closed it all but 1/2". Worked fine. No doubt, the best way to do cheese is using the cold smoke setup.
pens
Quote from: pensrock on September 17, 2009, 03:45:10 PM
No doubt, the best way to do cheese is using the cold smoke setup.
I agree pens. Ya' see, I just had some cheese, some apple and it was going to be cool. I'll likely work on the cardboard smoker box this weekend.
pens
It looks like your off to a great start on smoking cheese Arnie. Ya done good again. ;D
My cheese is safely wrapped up in the fridge. I have one word of advice. When adding a tray of ice, don't use your wife's white Corning ware casserole dish to hold the ice. :( :(
Ok ArnieM I'll bite, what happened to the wifes corningware.
That nice white dish turned about the same color as the cheese. I had to scrub with Soft Scrub under close supervision to return it to its original color. I think I'll pick up some cheap foil pans. ;)
Quote from: ArnieM on September 19, 2009, 08:04:17 AM
That nice white dish turned about the same color as the cheese. I had to scrub with Soft Scrub under close supervision to return it to its original color. I think I'll pick up some cheap foil pans. ;)
Hey Arnie,
I learned that lesson the very same way you did. ;D
HR
Cheap Foil Pans = GOOD.
Get twice as many as you think you'll need... They always come in handy.
QuoteThat nice white dish turned about the same color as the cheese. I had to scrub with Soft Scrub under close supervision to return it to its original color. I think I'll pick up some cheap foil pans. Wink
Arnie, now you know what to get her for her birthday. ;) ;D
Just kidding, see why I'm not married. LOL
Quote from: pensrock on September 19, 2009, 08:46:14 AM
Arnie, now you know what to get her for her birthday. ;) ;D
Yeah - some cheap foil pans. ;D ;D
Just kidding, see why I'm not married. LOL