Easy smoked cheeses

   / Easy smoked cheeses #1  

nickel plate

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Having never done this before I was a little apprehensive so I financially baby stepped in case things went south and bought the Tillamook brand of sharp and mild cheddar and monterey jack.
There's plenty of information on the internet as to how to go about this so I averaged out a game plan from what I saw and read.
TYPES OF CHEESE: Hard cheeses only as they melt at a higher temperature.
SMOKING DEVICE: Bought a stainless steel A-MAZE-N smoke tube that burns pellets and REALLY puts out the smoke. This is the only heat source required.
PELLET MIXTURE: I made a blend of apple and cherry.
SMOKING TIME: Two hours.
SMOKING TEMPERATURE: Under 90* preferably around 80* so a thermometer is needed.
OUTSIDE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE: Avoid the warmer summer months. I started just before sun up around 50*/55* in late spring. Cool evenings work just as well.
TYPE OF BBQ: I used my Weber kettle but ANY type of charcoal, gas or pellet stove with a lid will work just as well as the only heat comes from the smoke tube.
PREPARATION: Cheeses are "block" sized, 2"x4" or thereabout, don't use sliced or graded due to their lower melt temperatures. Unwrap them and set out overnight to allow for some evaporation, smoke adheres better on the drier skin. Set the cheeses on a clean grate. I bought a small one that is just for this purpose. With the smoke tube pre-started place it below and away from the cheeses above. You can also use ice cubes in a tray placed directly above the smoke tube if overheating is a possible factor. Close the lid-that's basically it! All that's left to do is monitor the temperature and turn the cheeses about every twenty minutes.
THE HARD PART: Wrap or bag (as airtight as possible) the cheeses after they cool down and refrigerate for at least ten days or even better, two weeks. From what I've read, if you can't control your urge to immediately want to taste test, go back outside and lick the inside of the BBQ's lid! The new smoke has to age and work its way into the cheese and that takes time.
THE TWO WEEK WAIT OUTCOME: OMG! I don't think I can ever go back to eating unsmoked cheese.
Not long after that first batch I did another but this time with the higher priced stuff. Gouda, mozzarella, gruyere and swiss all turned out wonderful. The cheese in the photo is actually a bit darker than it looks.
 

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   / Easy smoked cheeses #2  
Interesting. Looking forward to trying this.

I love smoked Gouda and stumbled across some that was much cheaper (and too big of a package) at a warehouse store. Bad idea. I think it was Gouda flavored American cheese with less orange food coloring and some Liquid Smoke thrown into the vat as well.

Here's Amazon's offerings for that smoke tube:

Amazon.com : A-MAZE-N smoke tube
 
   / Easy smoked cheeses #3  
My favorite - Jarlsberg.
 
   / Easy smoked cheeses #4  
My girlfriend routes the smoke from running the regular smoker out of the vent, via a foil "tent", that directs the smoke to a ladder she's set a rack full of cheese on... then vacuum seals the blocks and puts them in the fridge to age... so good!
 
   / Easy smoked cheeses
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Interesting. Looking forward to trying this.

I love smoked Gouda and stumbled across some that was much cheaper (and too big of a package) at a warehouse store. Bad idea. I think it was Gouda flavored American cheese with less orange food coloring and some Liquid Smoke thrown into the vat as well.

Here's Amazon's offerings for that smoke tube:

Amazon.com : A-MAZE-N smoke tube

My A-MAZE-N smoke tube is the expandable model, 7" closed and 12" fully opened for an advertised full load burn of four hours. I filled it to 8" just to be safe. Remember those black and white cowboys and Indians movies where the Indians would be up on a cliff with a huge fire and wet blanket sending up smoke signals? Pure child's play compared to opening the lid on the Weber kettle to turn the cheeses-be prepared to stand back for a few moments!
I figured out why this model is oval and all the other non-expandable versions are round. The oval feature is so that when adjusting the tube's length one doesn't twist it as to closing/covering up the air perforations.;)
BTW, the gouda was fantastic!
 
   / Easy smoked cheeses #7  
I've been smoking various cheeses for about the last 5 or 6 years and agree that they're much better than just out of the package standard cheese. Due to our weather, I only do cheese in the spring or fall but do enough to last through the summer months. I'm not sure why you would need to turn it over as the smoke wraps completely around whatever it is you have in your smoke chamber (unless you had it in a pan with no bottom airspace). Enjoy your new tasty hobby.
 
   / Easy smoked cheeses #8  
Ive been smoking cheese for about 3 years as well. I dont seal my cheese I just let it rest on a cooling rack and then throw it in a ziplock if im not gonna eat it right away. I found that vaccum sealing didnt do anything
 
   / Easy smoked cheeses #9  
Ive been smoking cheese for about 3 years as well. I dont seal my cheese I just let it rest on a cooling rack and then throw it in a ziplock if im not gonna eat it right away. I found that vaccum sealing didnt do anything

Especially when like myself, eat it too fast . . . . :confused3:
 
   / Easy smoked cheeses #10  
I bought me a smoking tube after reading this thread. Works real good for cheese or to add smoke to what your grilling.

The photo is Gouda smoking in Pitboss apple wood pellets.

119917209_10224931550504710_8698469780027562140_o.jpg
 
 
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