Agining Cheese

[smokinfool]

Hello to all been wanting to do some smoked pepper jack in the OBS but not sure about the aging process would really hate to mess up my favorite cheese thanks in advance so any help would be appreciated

[OU812]

After your done smokin invert the trays, so air can get all around the cheese and let set on the counter an hr or till the serface is dry to the touch.

Tightly seal with plastic wrap or vacuum seal and throw in the fridge for at least 10 days.

Pepper Jack is one of my favorite cheese also

[FLBentRider]

Put a couple of hours of smoke on them, plastic wrap or vac seal, and put in the back of the fridge for 10 days to 2 weeks, longer is better.

[ArnieM]

I like to age it a few weeks at least; couple of months won't hurt.  That's a real problem for us impatient people  :(

[OU812]

When cleanin the fridge in the man room a wile back I found some cheese that was damn near a year old, tasted fine and I'm still standin.  :D

[Ka Honu]

I've done both plain & pepper jack.  Both are excellent if you follow the tips above (dry, vac-pack, and age).  Both keep almost indefinitely in the fridge when vac-packed.

[watchdog56]

Make sure you do not get temp over 90 or it will melt. Use ice in bowl if necessary. Use cold smoke method.

[smokinfool]

Thanks for all the quick responses I will let it set for 2 weeks if I can hold out that long ;D

[Northern_Smoke]

I have found that the "harder" the cheese the longer it should sit. I did mozza, pepper jack and cheddar all on the same day. I left them for 2 weeks and the mozza was the best tasting at that time. I left them for another week and the pepper jack got allot better but the cheddar was still terrible. I left it for about 2 more months and a friend asked me about it so i took it out and let him taste how awful it was. But it turned out to be really good. So for the softer stuff i have found that if you can wait 3 weeks the flavors mellow and combine even better.

Its always hardest for your first time with cheese but once you do it, you will find that you will be putting more in every week or two. So when your first one runs out, the second batch has sat long enough. At least that's what happened at our house :D

[NePaSmoKer]

I been waiting for 6 months on some cheese now. Going to open it on the smokeout  ;D

[Northern_Smoke]

That sounds delicious. I have not had the patients to let any age for 6 months but i have a good chance of it this time around. I bet i have 25 pounds smoked and sealed just waiting for a special day ;)

[OU812]

I bet i have 25 pounds smoked and sealed just waiting for a special day ;)

Holy crap, thats allota cheese waiting for a special day.

[Northern_Smoke]

I try to have allot of special days hahaha :P

[OU812]

I do too but its with my friend JD.  ;D

I've been waitin for cheese to go on sale again.

[ArnieM]

I do too but its with my friend JD.  ;D

I've been waitin for cheese to go on sale again.

Take it easy with your 'friend' OU.  You might miss the sale  ;D

Same here on the sale though.  Seems like nothing much in the last month or two.  I still have some (unsmoked) moz in the freezer but I'd like to do 8-10 pounds of it before the weather gets too warm.  It seems to be the all around favorite and on pizza ...