My first cheese....Lot to be desired

Louisiana BBQ · August 18, 2004, 01:15:13 AM

I just did my first cheese, A brick of sharp cheddar, colby jack, and pepper jack. One hickory and 2 apple pucks. With two pans of ice and no heat but the smoke burner. I let the cheese warm up to room temp first. and was not overly thrilled about any of them. I have them in the fridge to try um again in the am and see. But I have not enjoyed them so far.

Really looking forward to trying for jerky this weekend
I hope for better results.

Dwayne
[email protected]

Chez Bubba · August 18, 2004, 02:45:11 AM

Dwayne,

Without you saying what it was that bothered you, I can't offer many suggestions. That being said, I'd probably have few to suggest as there are many more on this board more qualified than myself.

My limited experience tells me that you should have kept the cheese cold until smoking and that one hour is not enough, probably should be two or three, maybe even four, but I'll leave that to the experts.

Kirk

http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?

Louisiana BBQ · August 18, 2004, 12:49:00 PM

it tasted real bad, bitter and like ash. I mean very bad

Dwayne
[email protected]

BigSmoker · August 18, 2004, 02:12:29 PM

L. BBQ,
Did you leave the top vent open or closed?

Jeff

Some say BBQ is in your blood, if thats true my blood must be BBQ sauce.

Louisiana BBQ · August 18, 2004, 08:42:29 PM

wide open

Dwayne
[email protected]

msiler · August 18, 2004, 09:18:22 PM

for my taste i use just hickory for cheddar

I tried alder or apple once and it tasted like an ashtray

When in doubt smoke it.

BigSmoker · August 19, 2004, 12:56:56 AM

L. BBQ,
Try reading this link on cheese. You may have already but if not It's worth reading.http://www.bradleysmoker.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=21
I smoked with special blend and had no ash taste what so ever.
Good luck and don't give up.[:)][:)][:)]

Jeff

Some say BBQ is in your blood, if thats true my blood must be BBQ sauce.

whitetailfan · August 19, 2004, 05:32:25 PM

It's really too bad you did not have a good cheese experience.[}:)]
It could be technique or wood flavour and the guys have lots of good ideas to try it differenctly in the future, but it's also possible you just won't like smoked cheese out of the BS.

I love the stuff and I had a really good batch that the wife, friends, even my parents thought was really good[:p], then I gave a slice to my brother and he made the death face almost exactly[xx(][xx(][xx(]

Like I say I love it, and my results and technique is all documented under the cheese thread. Best of Luck if you try again[:)]

whitetailfan
"Nice Rack"
Lethbridge, AB

MallardWacker · October 06, 2004, 06:14:56 PM

White,

Now that we are this subject. I'm still thinking the Holidays here. I wanted to smoke cheese to go with the Bacon. But I wanted to add a little touch to it. This may sound stupid, but when you look at some store bought smoked cheese you have nice pattern on the cheese, do you know where I might be able to get "Hair Net Type Thingies" to create that nice cross hatch effect?

Stupin stuff here. Also when I heard you use the term "shmaggy"I thought to myself that this guy might really be OK. The southern term is "Shmeggy" or "Shmeg" for short. This was a made up term in the duck blind that has stuck around our group for years. Our translation: any type Crap that gets in the way or what ever happens to get stuck on you that smells.

SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know. But...

whitetailfan · October 07, 2004, 06:00:07 PM

Hey Mallard,
I read your post yesterday but wanted to think about it awhile so I never answered.

I suppose the first place I would look would be a butcher. Cool net stuff is sometimes used to wrap meat as well, maybe they have a source.

Second place I would try would be a craft store. Sometimes people use nylon netting for wrapping candies in for wedding banquet tables, or to use in scrapbooking (wife's biggest hobby) or other crafts.

Third - by a whole bunch of marbles - sometimes they are sold in net bags[;)] If your kids are too old you can ship the marbles to me[:D] or donate them to a charity.

Anyway I was serious about the first two. What I have found and you probably will also, is that it is really tough to keep the heat to nothing in the smoker, so over the course of the 4 pucks, you get BS rack marks on the bottom of the cheese. The cool part about that, is that if you are able to "sack" your cheese first, you could smoke the cheese in the sacks by hanging them - then the only pattern you would get is the one you are looking for! You would not have to try and pattern the cheese after smoking, the smoking process will do it for you.

I didn't know where to inject this part, but my idea once you find some netting, is to wrap your cheese so that you gather all the loose ends together to form a "top" and then use small hog rings to pinch it together. I think that would look the most like a finished professional product.

Edit: I too am looking at "smoking" some Christmas gifts. When my wife suggested it, I ruined a Tickle Me Elmo doll, and then she explained what she meant. I think the cheese would be a great one, I'm going to start a new thread for everyone else to give us some ideas.

whitetailfan
"Nice Rack"
Lethbridge, AB

Fuzzybear · October 07, 2004, 06:18:51 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Edit: I too am looking at "smoking" some Christmas gifts. When my wife suggested it, I ruined a Tickle Me Elmo doll<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">[xx(][xx(][xx(][xx(][xx(]

"A mans got to know his limitations"
Chattaroy, WA - USA!