Cheddar on the smoker

[pnw-smoker]

I just did my first batch of tillamook on my OBS using the Bradley cold-smoke adapter.  All I can say is:  NOT GOOD!  I smoked for about 2.5 hours using hickory on a nice cool afternoon.  Ambient temp was about 60 and the smoker box didn't get above 70.  Cheese took on zero color change, and had the distinct odor and flavor of creasote.   Eat a couple slices of the stuff and it's like licking an ashtray! 

After thinking about it a bit, this seems like the expected result.  A slow-smoldering, smokey fire, and then cool the smoke before it gets to the smoker.  Sounds like a perfect recipe for all those nasty combustion products to condense out of the smoke.  That's the same reason they tell you to burn your woodstove hot to keep the creasote from forming in the chimney as the smoke cools.

So if anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!  I'd like to get some nice color, and flavor that tastes more like smoked cheese, and less like a mouthful of ashes.  Any ideas??

Thanks!

[FLBentRider]

You need to age that cheese for at least 10 to 14 days before you taste it.

Vac seal or wrap in plastic, stash in the back of the fridge, and forget about it for a couple of weeks.

It should mellow out nicely.

[classicrockgriller]

The cheese will take on color when box temp is above 70 and below 80 to 82.

Like FLBR said, you have to age the smoke cheese.

Wrap it and stash it.

The longer you can wait, the better the cheese.

[EZ Smoker]

Did you have the vent fully open?

[pnw-smoker]

EZ... good question!  Actually I did NOT have the vent fully open... I was open about 1/4 to 1/3... wanted to "keep more smoke"!  It occured to me late last night that might have been a mistake.  Open vent for cheese??

Thanks.

[Caneyscud]

Actually open vent for everything at least 3/4.  Mine stays full open - I don't know why I just don't take it off as it snags on the cover when I take the cover off!  

[Mr B]

I had the last block of my cheddar last night.  It was even better than the first.  This last one had 4 weeks on it after smoking (vacume sealed).  Mine smelt ash-like at first also.  You need to let it rest and mellow at least 2 weeks.  The longer the better.
Mine did not take on much color either at 65* but it came out great.