Smoked Gouda ???

[EnglishGuy]

As you can probably gather, I live in England, but my secretary is from Minnesota and when she learned I was getting a smoker, I've been innundated with requests from her!

She's asked me if I could do Smoked Gouda. Shouldn't be too difficult, except that American Gouda is not the same as Dutch Gouda (which is what we get here). From internet searches, American Gouda is in a log shape with what appears to be a thin wax or plastic coating, whereas the real McCoy (Gouda from Holland), is a large flattened disk with a thick wax coating.

I'm trying to work out how American smoked Gouda is made, because the coating would probably be impervious to the smoke. Am I right?

So,  has anyone had any experience with cheeses that have a wax covering?  Should I remove the covering so that I can get a good result?

[manxman]

Should I remove the covering so that I can get a good result?

In a word..... yes!  ;) :D

[iceman]

Like I used to say when I was young and watching the gals at the beaches in Southern California Take it Off... Take it Off!!! :D ;D ;)

[pensrock]

I have not tried Gouda myself but I would defiantly remove the coating. Isn't Gouda a very soft cheese? Maybe I'm thinking of something else, but if it's soft you really need to keep an eye on your temperature. Keep it as cool as possible. I try to stay below 75 degrees F, 24 degrees C, when doing cheeses. Good luck.

[Bad Flynch]

Gouda cheese is available in the U.S. in different forms and the little, flattened rounds are frequently seen. I am also able to get commercially smoked Gouda. Homemade is better. Just remove the wax from the cheese and smoke it.

If you have a tube or log, you might want to cut it into thick slices--about enough to eat at one sitting.

Just a thought.

[EnglishGuy]

Isn't Gouda a very soft cheese?

Gouda is a medium hard cheese. Well, it is in Europe.

I think my American secretary is used to American Gouda which would be a Wisconsin cheese. It comes in 'logs' which reminds me of Austrian smoked cheese which is more familiar here in Europe (but not of great quality), but I can't work out whether the milk is smoked or the whole cheese is smoked. I'm figuring that its all some kind of commercial process that is completely different from anything that could be achieved (better) at home.

I guess, I'll just have to have a play around and see what happens.

[pensrock]

Gouda is a medium hard cheese. Well, it is in Europe.

Ok, I must have been thinking of another kind of cheese. I have never tried Gouda but I will now.

[Lefty_Smoker]

Hey guys, I've now smoked a couple batches of a dutch gouda with excellent results.  I've been getting it in half lb wedges.  My first batch consisted of 2 lbs, or 4 wedges.  I removed the wax coating and them smoked them with 4 pucks of apple.  Vacuum sealed for a couple weeks and that was it.  Turned out very good.  Family now wants some.

I just did another batch of cheese the other night, 4 more wedges of dutch gouda, some meunster, provalone, sharp chedder, tillamook and another local variety, and just a little puck of dutch edam.   I used the same 4 pucks of apple as the last time, and then vacuum sealed it all up.  should be ready in a couple weeks.

Apple smoked gouda is very GOODA!  ::)

[EnglishGuy]

Hi Lefty

Only 4 pucks?

When I first tried smokin' cheese, I did it for about the same time, but now I smoke for about 4 hours, and I think the results are better.  ;D

[Lefty_Smoker]

Yeah, only 4 pucks. 

I've only done a couple batches of cheese thus far.  The first batch I used 3 hours of hickory.  That batch didn't turn out so good.  The ash-tray test never went away, even after a couple months of being vacuum sealed.  After ruining over over $100 worth of various cheeses that time, I decided less smoke was needed.  Since then I've been using 4 pucks of apple and have had much better results.

Next batch I'll probably try upping it a bit, maybe 2 hours (6 pucks) of apple.  That might be a happy medium.

[La Quinta]

Man...I love smoked gouda...:(

[Ontrack]

Man...I love smoked gouda...:(

With all of the complaining about never getting to cold smoke cheese, you should be blocked from this (and other cold smoking) posts. ;) ;D

[La Quinta]

OnT...I will be the consumate woman that I am...uh..I appreciate your input and will take it under advisement..thank you for your learned advice...My brother is 6'3" and 260...where do you live in Virginia again? :)

[Ontrack]

Right beside the pistol range, LQ. Right between an ATF agent and a father raper. 8)

[Arcs_n_Sparks]

I remain, steadfastly, drinking at a distance....

Arcs_n_Sparks