Step by step cheese smoking directions please?

xMAJORx · December 26, 2006, 01:39:33 PM

I just got a digital smoker for Christmas and I would like to smoke some cheese. I'm a neebie to the smoking thing so i could use some help. Please post a link or type something out for me.

here is what I think I know:

Buy good cheese?

Leave the cheese out for a while until the outside gets hard?

Keep the temp around 80 - 90?

West Coast Kansan · December 26, 2006, 08:46:44 PM

This is very current thread, there are many others to research under cold smoke. Lots of info here, I cant help personally other than point ... welcome to forum!

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=4519.0;topicseen

iceman · December 27, 2006, 10:04:02 AM

Welcome Major;
Check out some of the threads on cheese. A lot of info out there. :)

xMAJORx · December 27, 2006, 12:57:10 PM

Thanks guys!

dick621 · January 01, 2007, 10:41:49 AM

What Not To Do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Put 2 bricks of cheese on jerky rack, second shelf down. Vent all the way open. Cabinet heater off. Fan unplugged. 4 hours alder biskets. Ambient temp 32 f. Checked in 1 hr. Oh Nooooooooooooo. Melting cheese running thru bottom of jerky rack. Big mess. Into trash can. Will now work on cold smoke box with dryer vent to smoker. Oh well. Should have known better.

Malc · January 02, 2007, 06:36:47 AM

See Old's recipe site. It helped me a lot.

Malc

SandNSmoke · January 10, 2007, 04:10:02 PM

Well, I had some Tillamook sharp white cheddar from Costco and decided to risk smoking it without any elaborate set-up. Last night was around 43 degrees when I started and a bit breezy, which I think helped. I cut it into 4 pieces longways to try to maximize the surface area for the smoke. I was able to cold smoke for around 1 1/2 hours with the vent wide open before my temperature hit 100 degrees and I called it quits. So I can see that if I want to smoke longer or in warmer/less windy temps I'll have to try the ice or one of the other methods. The cheese came out looking good and am waiting a few days to taste. :)

Richard

xMAJORx · January 10, 2007, 05:11:36 PM

Okay heres what im going to try this weekend.

6 lbs extra sharp cut into 1 lb blocks.

I'm letting the cheese sit out for a while to get to rrom temp.

I smoking 2 1 lb block at a time on the top rack.

Hickory pucks (4) for 1hr and 20mins. at 80 degrees (maybe 85 because it's supposed to dip below zero this weekend) Vent half way open.

Remove cheese and wrapping it in cling wrap and putting it in the refer for a couple of days.

I have a digital smoker so I don't think the temp will be a problem. Will this work good?

West Coast Kansan · January 10, 2007, 09:55:00 PM

If the temps look to get ahead of you the DBS requires an extended length cord to replace the small diameter cord between the smoke generator and the tower. The link below has numbers and pictures of how gizmo set up his unit - same manner as OBS once you get the longer cord.

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=4313.0

Malc · January 11, 2007, 07:52:52 AM

QuoteI'm letting the cheese sit out for a while to get to rrom temp.

Does everybody do this? The couple times that I have smoked cheese I took it from the refer to the smoker. I didn't have the separate box/cold smoke set-up at the time, so I figured it would give me a little extra time before I was making smoked cheese soup. It came out fine, and I am no expert just curious, so is there an advantage to getting the cheese to room temp.?

Malc

manxman · January 11, 2007, 09:19:50 AM

QuoteDoes everybody do this?

Must admit I bring everything I do in the BS to room temperature first including cheese as a matter of habit, that came from a article I read a good while ago about things that are too cold not taking up the smoke as well.

I suppose you can just leave things smoking a tad longer to counteract this if necessary but for me I find starting at room temperature in the same way as starting with a dry product a good baseline to work from with regards to timing the amount of smoke needed, although I am sure others will have different opinions. ;)

Habanero Smoker · January 11, 2007, 09:58:22 AM

Quote from: manxman on January 11, 2007, 09:19:50 AM
QuoteDoes everybody do this?

Must admit I bring everything I do in the BS to room temperature first including cheese as a matter of habit, that came from a article I read a good while ago about things that are too cold not taking up the smoke as well.

I've learned that the cooler the item, the better it takes on smoke; as the item gains heat it's ability to absorb and to take on smoke is reduced.

I don't bring my cheese up to room temperature. Some say that bringing it up to room temperature first prevents condensation marks on the cheese, but I haven't had that problem. At least not yet.

manxman · January 12, 2007, 01:38:16 AM

Quoteroom temperature

Of course it depends on room temperature in the first place...... I guess I am typically talking about 60 - 70F for much of the year here in the UK, on an all too infrequent baking hot summers day I would not bring it to room temp.

It would also perhaps be better to say that I let the food come up above fridge temperature as the article I referred to said that food did not take up the smoke as well below about 45F and as HS says, the hotter it gets also affects its ability to absorb smoke.

Habanero Smoker · January 12, 2007, 03:25:20 AM

You make a good point about the term "room temperature".

As in a lot of science it depends on what article you read. The sources I've read have quoted temperatures as low as 35°F. I think that what makes it all the more interesting.

whitetailfan · January 12, 2007, 08:13:29 AM

Quote from: dick621 on January 01, 2007, 10:41:49 AM
What Not To Do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Put 2 bricks of cheese on jerky rack, second shelf down. Vent all the way open. Cabinet heater off. Fan unplugged. 4 hours alder biskets. Ambient temp 32 f. Checked in 1 hr. Oh Nooooooooooooo. Melting cheese running thru bottom of jerky rack. Big mess. Into trash can. Will now work on cold smoke box with dryer vent to smoker. Oh well. Should have known better.

WOW. I dont have a cold smoke offset box either and have never had trouble with cheese. At 32f, that zero here, ie freezing point - should have been plenty cold. I've smoked cheese in the summer, just waiting until the sun goes down and no direct sunlight.

My take here is two possibilities "cab heater off" if that means just slid all the way down, I actually unplug it from the back so there is zero power to the tower, perhaps that added some heat. Secondly I smoke on the top rack for cheese, and then if you have two racks worth, the second one down. Keep as far away from heat source as possible.

Did you use hot water in the bowl? I actually moved to ice for cheese smoking, it will become water soon enough.

QuoteDoes everyone do this

Nope, I take my cheese right from fridge to cabinet. I also thought that it would give me more leeway before the temp of the cabinet started to increase and cause cheese sweat.