How good will first cheese smoke be?

smoker pete · October 10, 2010, 02:39:27 PM

As an avid lover of cheeses I have been biding my time till the weather cools here in Central California. Decided to just go for it and used the advise of various Forum member posts. Purchased and setup a smoke adapter and used ice in the bottom of the OBS.

Bought some cheese at Costco for the 1st smoke

Top rack: Kirkland Sharp Cheddar, Cabot Pepper Jack, and Yancey's Fancy Horseradish Cheddar
2nd rack from top: Kirkland Monterey Jack and Costco Gouda
3rd rack from top: Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar (aged 3 years) and Jarlsberg Swiss

Cheese sat at room temperature for an hour. Placed in OBS @ 8:45 PM with an ambient temperature of 70º. Maverick temp measured below top rack was 67º with a tray of ice on the bottom. Applied 2 hours of Apple smoke

Was surprised at the amount of smoke generated. No wonder they say it tastes like an ashtray when first removed

After an hour the ambient temp dropped to 67º but the internal OBS temp rose to 78º
After 2 hours the ambient temp dropped to 65º and the internal OBS temp reached 81º
Here's what it looked like

Let the cheese rest for an hour on the counter. It really reeked of smoke - like an ashtray. I know what an ashtray smells like cause I smoked for 30 years but quit 10+ years ago :) Was smart enough not to taste it, even though I kind of wanted to, cause everyone has said how bad it tastes

Vacuum packed and labeled for storage in the fridge for 3 to 4 weeks ... Finished and hit the sack around 1 AM but it was worth it

Used 2 hours of Apple for the 1st smoke cause that seemed to be the most common postings. Only time will tell but I think the cheese will turn out great. The cheese will be a great hit at Thanksgiving along with some smoked turkey breast. Will report back in 3 to 4 weeks. Want to thank everyone that has shared their experiences with smoked cheese. It made my first cheese smoke easy. Thinking that an OBS temp of 81º should not have harmed to process.

classicrockgriller · October 10, 2010, 02:42:25 PM

A+++.

Great looking job and super nice pics!

FLBentRider · October 10, 2010, 02:46:35 PM

Nice job I've had temps up to 100F with no noticeable effects. The cheese will sweat a little, but there did not seem to be any harm.

I've used up to four hours of smoke on cheese.

KevinG · October 10, 2010, 02:50:31 PM

Wow, you really went to town. I probably would've done a smaller batch at first, that way if it's not to your liking you could change it for the next run. Hopefully it'll come out perfect for you!

squirtthecat · October 10, 2010, 02:59:12 PM

Nice Nice Nice!

smoker pete · October 10, 2010, 03:04:01 PM

Quote from: KevinG on October 10, 2010, 02:50:31 PM
Wow, you really went to town. I probably would've done a smaller batch at first, that way if it's not to your liking you could change it for the next run. Hopefully it'll come out perfect for you!

Makes good sense Kevin but since I have to wait weeks for the results I figured what the heck. Tried to find a good variety of cheeses to test while at Costco. The pepper jack is for my son cause I'm no friend to jalapenos :P Curiosity will be eating me up for the next 3 to 4 weeks.

Ka Honu · October 10, 2010, 03:31:41 PM

Quote from: KevinG on October 10, 2010, 02:50:31 PM... I probably would've done a smaller batch at first, that way if it's not to your liking you could change it for the next run...

Like "they" say about something else (can't remember what)^*, the worst I've ever had was wonderful.

^*That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

SouthernSmoked · October 10, 2010, 03:39:26 PM

Nice job!!

pensrock · October 10, 2010, 05:35:06 PM

Looks good and the cheese should be great. Do not be concerned that the temp was 81 degrees. I now actually use the heating element, if needed along with my pid, to keep the temp between 85-90 degrees. The cheese takes on more color if warm. Taste? Not real positive if the taste changes due to the temp. :)

Quarlow · October 10, 2010, 10:44:19 PM

Just a side note for ya. You may not be happy with it after only 3 or 4 weeks. Some folks have not been happy with theirs till months later. I think it was either Nepas or FLB who kept therirs in the back of the fridge for 8 or 9 months. So don't be upset if it is not to your liking in 4 weeks. Sometimes time is a good thing like a fine wine........ Hey pass the bon white. ;D

Habanero Smoker · October 11, 2010, 01:47:10 AM

Nice looking cheese. What I've been doing is to cutting the larger blocks of cheese so the are about 2 inches thick. Once the smoke mellows out, I find you get a richer smoke flavor out of a slice from a small block of cheese.

Tenpoint5 · October 11, 2010, 04:55:27 AM

Quote from: smoker pete on October 10, 2010, 03:04:01 PM
Quote from: KevinG on October 10, 2010, 02:50:31 PM
Wow, you really went to town. I probably would've done a smaller batch at first, that way if it's not to your liking you could change it for the next run. Hopefully it'll come out perfect for you!

Makes good sense Kevin but since I have to wait weeks for the results I figured what the heck. Tried to find a good variety of cheeses to test while at Costco. The pepper jack is for my son cause I'm no friend to jalapenos :P Curiosity will be eating me up for the next 3 to 4 weeks.

Tell your son right now to buy his own smoker. Otherwise you will be making smoked Pepper/Jack for him every week!! Looks like a great cheese smoke Pete.

JZ · December 17, 2010, 11:01:05 PM

So how did it turn out after 2 months? Have you tried it or are you still waiting for it to get better???????

I am curious since I tried my first batch of cheese (cheddar) on Nov 23 and like many people I could not wait to try it. As of yesterday it still tates like ash ----- I am hoping you will tell me that after 2 months yours is awesome and I should not give up hope.

Tenpoint5 · December 18, 2010, 06:11:57 AM

Quote from: JZ on December 17, 2010, 11:01:05 PM
So how did it turn out after 2 months? Have you tried it or are you still waiting for it to get better???????

I am curious since I tried my first batch of cheese (cheddar) on Nov 23 and like many people I could not wait to try it. As of yesterday it still tates like ash ----- I am hoping you will tell me that after 2 months yours is awesome and I should not give up hope.

JZ some of the harder cheeses take a wee bit longer to settle down. Give it a couple more weeks.

smoker pete · December 18, 2010, 09:06:41 AM

Quote from: Tenpoint5 on December 18, 2010, 06:11:57 AM
Quote from: JZ on December 17, 2010, 11:01:05 PM
So how did it turn out after 2 months? Have you tried it or are you still waiting for it to get better???????

I am curious since I tried my first batch of cheese (cheddar) on Nov 23 and like many people I could not wait to try it. As of yesterday it still tates like ash ----- I am hoping you will tell me that after 2 months yours is awesome and I should not give up hope.

JZ some of the harder cheeses take a wee bit longer to settle down. Give it a couple more weeks.

The cheese turned out fantastic JZ. The first one I tasted was a hunk of Monterey Jack and yes it had that ash taste and strong smoky flavor. It was OK but not what I had hoped for. Decided to wait on the rest and am I glad I did.

I agree with 10.5 when he says that harder cheeses take a wee bit longer to settle down. I am glad I waited. Half of my smoked cheese stash was wolfed down during Thanksgiving and now I am rationing out the rest ;D I need to start planning ahead better and have a batch aging while I devour the existing batch.

Give it a little more time ... You'll be glad you did.

How good will first cheese smoke be?

squirtthecat