Smokin some Cheese

[Ducaticraig]

Rick, I've been reading some forum posts and was under the impression there are many who smoke cheese for 2-3 hours and then let it rest for 2 weeks in the fridge. I'm sure there are many different ways to cold smoke cheese but you mentioned you smoked yours for 6.5 hours. Was that with the MAK on in smoke mode and the pellet tube? Just curious to know because I just smoked my first batch of cheese for 2.5 hours with the MAK 2 Star in smoke mode and have been waiting 5 days of the 2 weeks to try it. Now I'm wondering if should have smoked it longer? I smoked Cheddar, Pepper Jack, and some other white cheese, Colby. I guess I will know if I smoked it long enough in another week or so. Thanks Rick

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[RickB]

Rick, I've been reading some forum posts and was under the impression there are many who smoke cheese for 2-3 hours and then let it rest for 2 weeks in the fridge. I'm sure there are many different ways to cold smoke cheese but you mentioned you smoked yours for 6.5 hours. Was that with the MAK on in smoke mode and the pellet tube? Just curious to know because I just smoked my first batch of cheese for 2.5 hours with the MAK 2 Star in smoke mode and have been waiting 5 days of the 2 weeks to try it. Now I'm wondering if should have smoked it longer? I smoked Cheddar, Pepper Jack, and some other white cheese, Colby. I guess I will know if I smoked it long enough in another week or so. Thanks Rick

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I smoked mine using JUST the amazin tube. Mak was off. I find that at smoke setting it is still to warm. If your cheese sweats it doesnt turn out very well. I have a Mak 2 and I actually put the tube in the warming drawer and the cheese in the main chamber. The smoke will rise into the main chamber since the fan is not running. All the heat is absorbed by the warming drawer and your cheese will never get above ambient temp. Takes a little longer this way but the texture of the cheese is not harmed.The large tube will burn 8-10 hours easily.

 

[TentHunter]

I have a Mak 2 and I actually put the tube in the warming drawer and the cheese in the main chamber. The smoke will rise into the main chamber since the fan is not running. All the heat is absorbed by the warming drawer and your cheese will never get above ambient temp.

That sounds like great advice to me on smoking cheese in the MAK 2 Star!

Rick, I've been reading some forum posts and was under the impression there are many who smoke cheese for 2-3 hours and then let it rest for 2 weeks in the fridge. ...but you mentioned you smoked yours for 6.5 hours.

Pit temp plays a HUGE role. The cooler the pit/cheese temp, the longer it takes for cheese to absorb smoke.

The absolute best tool to know is your nose! Take a piece off and away from the smoker and smell it. When it has the level of smoke smell that you like, then put it back on and leave it for another 10 - 15 minutes and you will be good.



As far as how long to rest it, there is no right or wrong. It's your cheese party and you can eat some of it right away if you want to. Here's the difference. Eating it right away, the smoke will be concentrated on the outside and have a stronger more camp fiery smell. As you let it rest, the smoke permeates the cheese deeper and becomes more mellow in both flavor and smell.

If you like a more mellow smoke flavor & smell, then let it rest.

 

[Ducaticraig]

Thank you. I will let the cheese rest for two weeks and go from there. Sure can't wait to see what the big deal is with cold smoking cheese. Is cold smoking cheese going to be better than the crackers and cheese I buy at the store with that little red stick?

Sorry Rick for adding to your post.


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[RickB]

Thank you. I will let the cheese rest for two weeks and go from there. Sure can't wait to see what the big deal is with cold smoking cheese. Is cold smoking cheese going to be better than the crackers and cheese I buy at the store with that little red stick?

Sorry Rick for adding to your post.


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Glad you added! And yes, your cheese is going to be much better than the store bought.

 

[RickB]

That sounds like great advice to me on smoking cheese in the MAK 2 Star!





Pit temp plays a HUGE role. The cooler the pit/cheese temp, the longer it takes for cheese to absorb smoke.

The absolute best tool to know is your nose! Take a piece off and away from the smoker and smell it. When it has the level of smoke smell that you like, then put it back on and leave it for another 10 - 15 minutes and you will be good.



As far as how long to rest it, there is no right or wrong. It's your cheese party and you can eat some of it right away if you want to. Here's the difference. Eating it right away, the smoke will be concentrated on the outside and have a stronger more camp fiery smell. As you let it rest, the smoke permeates the cheese deeper and becomes more mellow in both flavor and smell.

If you like a more mellow smoke flavor & smell, then let it rest.

Thanks for explaning this better than I could!

Rick

 

[scooter]

Craig, I smoke using the smoke setting on the PelletBoss, cheese in the warming tray for 2 hours. Pull and eat it warm and fridge the rest. It's wonderful right out of the warming tray and have not noticed any significant improvement with time in the fridge.
I'm scratching my head here wondering why everyone says to rest it. Must have something to do with what Cliff said about tube smoking at lower temps vs using a warmer cold smoke temp of mid to low 90's in the warming tray. I have noticed that different cheeses take on smoke differently. Cheddar is my favorite and almost exclusively what I choose the smoke. I just eat it right off the smoker and love it.

I also use BBQrs Delight hickory pellets to smoke cheese. Might have something to do with it?

 

[Ducaticraig]

Scooter, I smoked my cheese for about 2.5 hours and used Hickory. I guess this time I will let it rest for 2 weeks in the fridge and next time I will take a taste right off the smoker to compare. Being this is the first time cold smoking cheese I notice a strong smoke scent when the cheese was pulled of the Mak before vacuum sealing it. From what I hear that stronger smoke scent will absorb into the cheese during the rest period giving it a more mellow flavor. It sure will be fun testing out all the different ways to cold smoke cheese and see which way I like the best. One thing I do know is I love cheddar so smoking the chedder will sure be a treat.

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[scooter]

Cool! Experimentation is the key. What I did in the beginning was to put 3 large chunks in. Pulled the first at an hour, waited an hour and pulled the next and so on. Compared them all before they went into the fridge. Then kept them separate in the frig and compared them as time passed. I found as time passed in the frig they got less appealing not better.
One thing I should mention is I enjoy a good noticeable (assertive) smoke flavor to everything I smoke so take that into account with all I've been saying.


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[Ducaticraig]

The cheddar has been resting for one week. I think I will go try it out and then vacuum seal it again for another week to see if there is any difference in taste/smoke flavor.


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[TentHunter]

The cheddar has been resting for one week. I think I will go try it out and then vacuum seal it again for another week to see if there is any difference in taste/smoke flavor.

Now THAT is a plan! I always smoke cheese in large quantities, so there's no problem eating some right away, then a week later, etc. I say why not enjoy the smoke flavor as it changes and mellows?

 

[fishingbouchman]

I have some I did at least 3 weeks ago. forgot about it last weekend so giving it another week to mellow. what are some recipes to break in my first smoked cheese sample? Grilled cheese, Burger, maybe some taters, or nachos.

Any good recipes for some chicken nachos?

think maybe I can enter the contest this weekend

 

[RickB]

I have some I did at least 3 weeks ago. forgot about it last weekend so giving it another week to mellow. what are some recipes to break in my first smoked cheese sample? Grilled cheese, Burger, maybe some taters, or nachos.

Any good recipes for some chicken nachos?

think maybe I can enter the contest this weekend

You didn't see mine? Go for it!

 

[Ducaticraig]

My goodness, the cheese is out of this world. Great smoked flavor, looking forward to seeing if there is any difference in flavor resting another week. Next cold smoke I think I may have to try mozzarella and then shred it for some smoked Pizza. Yum Yum

Has anyone smoked mozzarella before?

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[RickB]

My goodness, the cheese is out of this world. Great smoked flavor, looking forward to seeing if there is any difference in flavor resting another week. Next cold smoke I think I may have to try mozzarella and then shred it for some smoked Pizza. Yum Yum

Has anyone smoked mozzarella

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Got two blocks resting as we speak

 

[TentHunter]

Has anyone smoked mozzarella before?

I have smoked just about any type of cheese you can get here. And they are all good.

When you get a chance try smoking up some blue cheese (Gorgonzola is my favorite blue). Smoked blue cheese is incredible on a grilled cheese or salad.

Try melting a little smoked sharp cheddar on top of a slice of apple pie - yum!

 

[RickB]

I have smoked just about any type of cheese you can get here. And they are all good.

When you get a chance try smoking up some blue cheese (Gorgonzola is my favorite blue). Smoked blue cheese is incredible on a grilled cheese or salad.

Try melting a little smoked sharp cheddar on top of a slice of apple pie - yum!

I never thought of smoking blue cheese..thanks for the idea!

 

[fishingbouchman]

Wife gave me a kitchen pass so played some golf this afternoon. No cooking . But won some money in the men's club so was happy about that. Guess cheese gets to rest another week as I have to work. Leave at 5:30 and get home around 9:00. No time to cook.

RickB. Yes those nachos looked great. How did you do the chicken?

 

[Ducaticraig]

My first experience tasting smoke cheese. I want to thank Rick and everyone for posting their cold smoking cheese cooks.

When I first tasted the cheese, after resting one week, I was shocked at the flavor the smoke added to the cheese. I was not sure how I liked it at first. Tasting the smoke I could smell on the outside of the cheese was a very strange experience. The smoke flavor was kind of strong for my first taste. As I ate more of the cheese I started to enjoy the flavor. After resting for two weeks I broke out more cheese from the fridge and was in heaven. I don't know if the smoke flavor mellowed anymore or if I was now use to the smoke flavor. I enjoyed the smoked cheese but now find myself wanting a stronger smoke flavor.

This time I purchased a 2 1/2 lb. brick or sharp cheddar and cut it length wise into three thinner blocks so I could get more surface space for the smoke to adhere to. I smoked sharp cheddar for 3 hours and turned the cheese over each hour to make sure the concentration of smoke found its way to all sides of the cheese more evenly.

Has anyone turned their cheese during the smoking process and did it help or add any additional smoke flavor? As you can see I'm new to smoking cheese and am just curious to see if others have done this before I get a chance to taste the cheese I just put in the fridge to rest. Thanks


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[TentHunter]

Turning the cheese over like you did was a good experiment. I have smoked a lot of cheese and honestly never even thought to try turning it over part way through, so I'll be interested to see how well it worked.

Here's a pic of some cheese I smoked. On some blocks you can clearly see the bottom where it sat on the grates and the smoke penetration.

Please keep us posted on how it turned out!


BTW - If you like a stronger smoke flavor, try cutting the cheese into 1/2 lb blocks so you get more surface area which translates to more smoke absorption.