I just set up my cold smoke box and plan on doing some cheese. I understand the concern or need to allow the cheese to age after smoking. I would like to know if slow smoking other foods has the same issue? I do not hear any concerns of cold smoking salmon, or pork and then eating. Why is there any difference in what you cold smoke?
I noticed that some cold smoke boxes do not appear to provide room for a water bowl to extinguish the puck. Could this be a cause of the ash trey taste?
Don't know the scientific answer but I think it is how cheese absorbs the smoke. What I do is stagger the smoke time. I will take a chunk out after an hour, hour and 1/2, etc. That way I can eat the ones that were taken out earlier than a month. Of course the ones that are in longer and aged longer end up tasting better. But I get to eat some earlier doing it my way.
Gus - Not sure if the math works the same way in Alabama but I just smoke a new batch about a month before I run out of the old one. Jes' sayin'.