Smoked Cheese Question

[SnellySmokesEm]

Back on November 8th I smoked a few blocks of cheese.  Last weekend I opened a package of Cracker Barrell Jalapeno Cheddar and it tasted great very creamy, gone in 10 minutes.Then at my mom's on Christmas Eve I opened a package of Cheddar,  Cracker Barrel Vermont White Cheddar and it tasted kinda dry and crumbled.  I was not pleased with the results of the Cracker Barrel Vermont White Cheddar.  I smoked both cheeses at the same time for two hours. Was it the type of cheese or can you dry cheese out?

[muebe]

Sounds like the cheese may have got really cold(close to frozen). Did you have it stashed in the back of a crisper drawer or cold meat drawer? Sometimes those drawers can have a cold air inlet that can cause things stored at the back of the drawer to freeze.

[SnellySmokesEm]

All the cheese was in the meat drawer

[muebe]

All the cheese was in the meat drawer

It could be that the problem block of cheese may have been located right at the cold air inlet for the meat drawer. I know this because the same thing happened to me. I had the drawer stuffed with smoked cheese and the ones in the very back of the drawer were dry and crumbly when I tried them. Other items like packages of meat have become partially frozen when stored in the very back of the drawer in my experience.

If the drawer is convertible using a dial or switch make sure it is set to vegetable. This setting will cut off the flow of the cold air inlet into the drawer.

[pensrock]

Could be a couple things that I can think of.
1) Did it get frozen somehow? You already answered this, but something still may have happened.
2) How hot did it get in the smoker?  If it gets too warm in the smoker oils can come out of the cheese. You can see the oil puddled up on the cheese. As long as its not too bad the cheese will be ok. But if too much comes out then it can be dry and crumbly.
Personally I have seen oil puddle but caught it and allowed things to cool off before finishing. It was fine. But I did try to freeze cheese before and ruined it. Since I was not sure if it would work, I only froze a little bit so it was not too much to toss.

[SnellySmokesEm]

I just took out a package of The Cracker Barrell Sharp Cheddar and it was creamy as can be, tasted great.  Still not sure what happened to the Vermont but it must have gotten too cold.  All the cheese seem to "sweat" when I was smoking but too severe.  Usually my smoker cold smoke between 82-88 degrees.

[viper125]

Well I did mine on the 8th also. 2 hours Hickory and never got above 90 degrees. I put it all the way down in the bottom door as far from freezer as possible. Opened  an sliced a lot of it two weeks later. I know they say 4 or better. But heh tasted good to me. Everyone loved and ate all I put out in no time. My wife didn't care for it but she was the only one. She really don't like cheese anyway.