Cheese Time

[manxman]

Yes, water still goes in the bowl as normal to extinquish used pucks.

No 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!!  :)

[pensrock]

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

[squirtthecat]

So perhaps the best way would be to run out every 21 minutes and yank the bowl out to empty? 

[NePaSmoKer]

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

[squirtthecat]

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!

[manxman]

Or 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

[pensrock]

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.

[Hopefull Romantic]

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

[NePaSmoKer]

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

[Hopefull Romantic]

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

[ArnieM]

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?

[pensrock]

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.

[ArnieM]

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

[manxman]

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

[pensrock]

Boy, this is going to be a llloooooonnnnnggg ten days.

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