Trying Cheese For the first time...any suggestions

[Malc]

I picked up a couple of bricks yesterday.  One was a white cheddar, the other is a pepper jack.  My plan is to use the t-shirt method and smoke them for about an hour or so using apple.  The ambient temp here is in the 30's.  Do you think I should still put some ice in the box?  I don't have the separate box setup that was posted on the recipe site(yet).  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Malc

[Habanero Smoker]

I would add more smoke, especially if you are going to use the T-shirt method. I would apply 3 hours of smoke, some go as high as 5 hours others as low as 1 hour 40 minutes. With the ambient temperature in the 30°'s, if the generator is attached to the cabinet my guess would be you will either need ice or keep the door ajar.

If you read the other smoke cheese post, you will know that the cheese will need to be aged for a few days, or it will taste like ash.

[iceman]

Hey Malc;
Habs right about cracking the door. You might not have to but barley cracking it open at that temp will keep the temp down just right.
I have noticed around here a lot of folks are hanging the cheese in zip net (butchers meat net). It looks like it would give it more exposure to the smoke IMO. I've always just tossed it on the racks as is but that's just me. Do age it though like Hab say's or your going to be disappointed. Happy smoking ;)

[Malc]

Thanks.  I will aim for a little more smoke then.  Another question:  will leaving the door ajar create the need for a little more smoke time, as well, or should I just stick with about three hours?

Malc

[Habanero Smoker]

I would stick with the same amount of time. Even with the door ajar, the cabinet should remains full of smoke. Make sure the vent is at least 1/2 opened, to help draw the smoke through the top and cooler outside air into the cabinet.

[pfowl01]

I did some cheese a couple of weeks ago....some swiss,pepper jack,and some long horn chedder. I have a box off to the side with the hose set-up and gave 1hr of apple. Definetly right about the aging....it totally taste like an ash tray right away! I aged them for one week then sampled, gave them another week and sampled again....the results were good on the chedder and pepper jack, but no good on the swiss. Next time I'm only giving then 40min of smoke and age for two weeks, 1hr was a little too strong for my taste. The recipe site has info on cold smoking cheese and 1-2hrs is what most are doing. I believe it says to sart out with an hour and go from there.Have fun and good luck ;D

[Malc]

Well, the damage is done.  I went with no t-shirt and about 5 bisquettes of apple.  I placed the cheese on the top rack, an ice tray to catch the pucks and another bowl of ice on a middle rack.  I left the door open slightly toward the end.  The box temp stayed a pretty steady 65 degrees.  I didn't really see any perspiration on the cheese.  Now I wait.

What kind of time frame should I be looking at before this will be edible.  Should I wait a day, a week, more?  Thanks for all the help.

Malc

[manxman]

What kind of time frame should I be looking at before this will be edible.  Should I wait a day, a week, more?

I would say an absolute minimum of a couple of days but personally I leave mine at least a week before eating, I vacuum seal it after a couple of days, peak taste seems to be attained after around 10-14 days IMHO.

Smoking time partly depends on block size, small pieces with relatively larger surface area needs less time than larger pieces with relatively smaller surface area...... I typically smoke 6"x3"x1" blocks of mature cheddar for 5 hours but that is longer than most.

[Malc]

These were 1 - 1.5 lbs.  I do not have a vacuum sealer.  Will they be okay in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil?  One thing I did notice was that usually on smoked cheese there is a darker layer outside from the smoke.  These did not seem to darken much.  Is that typical?  Sorry for all the questions, but you gotta learn.

Malc

[winemakers]

Morning Malc'

I have had similar results re: the darkening.  Longer smokes with the devils wood seemed to result in more darkening, however variables included some cheese sweating if the temps rose, differing smoke times and wood types to vary outcome, and differing beer/wine types with taste testing events.  Bottom line, I have found for my taste I prefer hickory to mesq. or the milder smokes for strong cheeses, softer woods for lighter cheeses, etc.

Besides, I cant do anything the same twice, either through the Male must tinker with it gene, or my inability to remember what I did last time with any real precision, god forbid I keep a log!

A potentially stupid question:  I have been warming the cheese to room temp prior to smoke to cut down on the potential for condensation forming, is this a waste of time?

mld

[manxman]

I do not have a vacuum sealer.  Will they be okay in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil?  One thing I did notice was that usually on smoked cheese there is a darker layer outside from the smoke.  These did not seem to darken much.  Is that typical?  Sorry for all the questions, but you gotta learn.

I wrapped mine in cling film/plastic wrap before I had a vacuum sealer and it was fine. Vacuum wrap extends how long it keeps without going mouldy but that depends on the volume you do in the first place and how quickly it is eaten!! :P

Don't worry about all the questions Malc, many of us wouldn't have got very far without a load of help we received when we first got our BS's....... after 4 - 5 hours which is my typical smoke time the cheese is appreciably darker on the outside but for the first hour or two I have never noticed much darkening at all. (typically I use oak or apple with mature cheddar although I have tried other cheeses/pucks.)

I have been warming the cheese to room temp prior to smoke to cut down on the potential for condensation forming, is this a waste of time?

I do exactly the same winemaker so maybe that makes me stupid too.  :D, I find the cabinet can get very damp during coldsmoking and I also tend to leave the vent a bit wider open that I would for hot smoking. IMHO the remote box (John Watkins cold smoke method) is best of all for cold smoking. If I need any extra cooling I use plastic ice packs wrapped in cling film rather than ice in a bowl.

[Habanero Smoker]

I put the cheese in the smoker directly from the refrigerator, and haven't had a condensation problem because of that . The only time I had condensation problems is when I place ice both above and below the cheese. The condensation formed on the ice container above the cheese and dripped down.

[Malc]

winemakers, thanks.  I kind of figured it was a time issue.

BTW, if anyone is interested I got the cheese at my local Sam's Club.  They had some from Cabot in Vermont.  Since I was just there I figured I would give it a try.  One was a pepper jack that was pretty good.  The other was a white cheddar that was made with Harpoon IPA, also a product of Vermont or Boston.  It was fantastic unsmoked, so I can't wait to see what it will be like with a little smoke flavor.  I will post the results. 

Malc

[Malc]

An update:
I tried both cheeses yesterday.  They were pretty darn good.  It had only been 8 days since I smoked them, but I was getting antsy.  I tried a little the day after, and as everyone had said, they tasted like an ashtray.  That'll learn me for not listening.  Amazing how they mellow like that.  I do have a question, now that they are at the desired flavor, should I leave them wrapped up or should I let them breathe a little?

Malc

[manxman]

should I leave them wrapped up or should I let them breathe a little?

Hi Malc, I leave the bulk of the blocks wrapped (vacuum packed in my case)where it seems to keep for a good while with no drying out or mold formation.

The block that is currently "in use" is kept in an air tight tupperware type box, not that it lasts that long in there in any case!! ;D ;D