Smoking and Storing Cheese

bubbagump · March 18, 2006, 10:07:02 AM

I'd like to try cold smoking some cheese this weekend, never done it before and had a few questions.

What size blocks of cheese are you putting in the smoker, or does it matter. I currently have some 24oz. bricks of a variety of cheese and a couple of pounds of string cheese. Should I just cut the bricks into smaller pieces before putting in the smoker, or leave as is?

I know I've read that after smoking you should wrap them in Sara wrap and put in the fridge, but have any of you froze it before?

I going to use the cardboard box set up that I've seen posted here so it should be interesting.

Thanks,

Bubbagump

Smudge · March 18, 2006, 10:20:50 AM

I smoked sharp cheddar a couple weeks ago. One hour of hickory. It tasted like an ashtray until a couple days ago when it finally mellowed. I attributed that to not bringing it up to room temperature before putting in the smoker.

Freezing is perfectly fine IMO. Do you have a vacuum sealer? I would allow it to breathe a couple of days before freezing. The block size isn't all that crucial. I cut mine so that with one slice I had a serving size piece.

------------------------
~Tomorrow I've decided to be more spontaneous~

Habanero Smoker · March 18, 2006, 10:36:49 AM

I usually cut the 24oz blocks down to (3) 8oz blocks; and I keep the cheese cold until I place them in the smoker. I feel cutting them down to smaller size give the cheese a more consistant flavor when it is sliced. When done you just have to wrap them in plastic and allow it to age several days. Then I remove the plastic, vacuum seal and store in the refrigerator.

It's funny you should ask about freezing cheese. Cook's Illustrated just did a test and froze several varieties of cheese. Their conclusion was not to freeze cheese. Testers stated that after cheese had been frozen the cheese had a gritty texture when melted, and the flavor was diminished. There was only one cheese that freezing did not effect, and I believe that was a mozzarella.

bubbagump · March 18, 2006, 02:31:13 PM

Thanks, Habs. I'll take your advice on the size of the cheese blocks and not freezing. [:)]

Bubbagump

Thunder Fish · March 18, 2006, 04:16:09 PM

I did around 25 lbs 3 weeks ago.The blocks were cut to around 2" wide,4" high and about 10" long.Medium cheddar,High fat Mozza and a couple of small bricks of blue cheese just for testing.Right from the fridge to the smoker with 2 pucks of each pecan/cherry.Outside temp was around the mid 40's after 1 1/2 -2 hours internal temp of the cheese was 75-77 degrees,box temp around 85ish.Leave your damper wide open.

In the summer I have taken plastic fruit/pop bottles and froze them, than line the top rack with a cloth and put the frozen jugs on there(to catch condensation) this also worked when outside temps were high 70's low 80's

Wrap the cheese with plastic wrap,I go a week than enjoy,share or vacume seal the rest.
Have fun Terry

:I have pics if someone want's to post them[:p]

bubbagump · March 18, 2006, 04:27:18 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Thunder Fish
 Right from the fridge to the smoker with 2 pucks of each pecan/cherry.Outside temp was around the mid 40's after 1 1/2 -2 hours internal temp of the cheese was 75-77 degrees,box temp around 85ish.Leave your damper wide open.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Hi Fish - You mention 2 puck of each, so you only go 1-1/2 hours I take it??

I put the cheese in the smoker about 1/2 hour ago. Right now outside temp is in the upper 30's and the box is sitting right at 70 degrees with damper wide open.

Also, before using this cold smoke setup for the first time I ran three pucks of smoke with the smoker empty to season the flexible duct.

You can send your pics to me it you'd like and I'll post them.

*Update* - The cardboard box I have the smoke generator in is now in the shade and the smoker box that is still in the sun is sitting at 58 degrees. I assume this is still o.k.

Bubbagump

jaeger · March 19, 2006, 01:30:06 AM

bubbagump,
Let us know how you like the cheese. I usually smoke at least 5-6#. We just wrap it in saran when it is done. I smoked our last batch at least one month ago and the wife just told me she was just finishing the last of it. She uses smoked cheese for about anything you could imagine. One of my favorites was to add some to a frozen cheese pizza. She also added some smoked marinated chicken. Turned out good!
We really like the smoke flavor so we cut the blocks into about 4oz pieces. I smoke for 2 1/2 hours with hickory. I have found alder, pecan and apple to be milder but we enjoy the stronger hickory and smaller pieces for more smoke flavor.
Your temps sound perfect!

Doug

bubbagump · March 19, 2006, 12:41:55 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by jaeger
 bubbagump,
....One of my favorites was to add some to a frozen cheese pizza....

....We really like the smoke flavor so we cut the blocks into about 4oz pieces. I smoke for 2 1/2 hours with hickory. I have found alder, pecan and apple to be milder but we enjoy the stronger hickory and smaller pieces for more smoke flavor.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Thanks for the input Doug. My neighbor friend was sniffing around yesterday and talked me into doing more today. So I'm doing some for both of us.

Yesterday I smoked with hickory for 1-1/2 hours going conservative because it was the first time. This time, though, I'm going a little longer with the smoke like you did. My family also likes rich smoke flavor so we'll see how the different batches compare.

I'll let you know in a week. [:)]

Bubbagump

jaeger · March 21, 2006, 11:48:05 PM

Here is a picture of the cheese I smoked tonight. This time I decided to use cherry. This is before I smoked it but it is cut to the size that the smoke mistress likes. (She cut it)

Doug

Thunder Fish · March 22, 2006, 02:32:53 AM

Great picture's............how long would smoke them for?............and wrap if you do?................WOW
Terry

jaeger · March 23, 2006, 12:18:42 AM

Thunder Fish,
I smoked these with cherry for 3 hours. I have used a lot of varieties of wood and the one we liked best was the hickory. This was the first time I have used cherry and it is now my favorite for cheese. We smoked mainly colby and cojack but I threw in some pepperjack, sharp cheddar and farmers cheese. The farmers cheese really took the smoke nice. Very tastey. What I like also about smoking cheese is it is so easy. No clean up and we will be enjoying this for at least 3-4 weeks.
I usually just wrap with saran wrap. It lasts a long time. We cut the pieces pretty small and I will wrap like 2-3 of the smallest pieces together. I use a cardboard box setup with the dryer vent leading to the smokehouse. I also remove the drip pan from the smoker so the smoke doesn't have to work it's way around it. This seems to help distribute the smoke. If you try this with the cardboard box, just make sure to not forget your pan of water to catch the spent pucks.[;)]

Doug

Habanero Smoker · March 23, 2006, 08:09:17 AM

I've always been reluctant to go beyond 1.5 hours of smoke for cheese. Seeing this I will try 3 hours of smoke the next time I smoke cheese.

manxman · March 23, 2006, 06:09:19 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I usually cut the 24oz blocks down to (3) 8oz blocks; and I keep the cheese cold until I place them in the smoker. I feel cutting them down to smaller size give the cheese a more consistant flavor when it is sliced. When done you just have to wrap them in plastic and allow it to age several days. Then I remove the plastic, vacuum seal and store in the refrigerator<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

This more or less sums up what I do. I have tried smoking for between 2 and 6 hours and now smoke all my 8-10oz blocks of cheese (mainly mature cheddar) for 5 hours, that may sound a lot but it is in great demand from friends and work colleagues!

Manxman.

Habanero Smoker · March 23, 2006, 07:43:00 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Habanero Smoker
 I've always been reluctant to go beyond 1.5 hours of smoke for cheese. Seeing this I will try 3 hours of smoke the next time I smoke cheese.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Gees! Started at 1.5 hours, was planning on doing 3 hours, now contemplating going for 5. Decisions! Decisions![8]

manxman · March 24, 2006, 09:28:50 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Decisions! Decisions!<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Particularly such important ones at that!

Perhaps you should do a controlled experiment by keeping all the other variables constant and pull a block at 1.5 hours, perhaps most of it at 3 hours but leave a block or two until 5 hours then after a suitable spell maturing have a tasting session with friends over a suitable alcholic beverage.... all in moderation of course![}:)]

Manxman.