Smoking Cheese Question

[Bshiftbc]

I have been attempting the cheese smoking bit. I have a Traeger that I used on my very first attempt. I understand that I am attempting to "cold smoke", but it creeps up to around 120 degrees after a couple hours of smoking. Had some melting but I considered it a success....
So, I went out and bought a used Lil Chief with the thought that surely the temps should be much less in it. A couple of batches later and I am getting more meltage (is that a word?) than with the Traeger!! I have been lucky in that it has all been salvageable, although...pretty darn ugly. Actually some of the chunks are gorgeous, but there is always one that is not very "presentable".

What am I doing wrong, or do you have any proven methods that you use? Maybe I am just putting too much fuel in the little guy? I also noticed it does not have a vent in it like the one I had when I was a kid.

[PolarBear]

I use a Big Chief.  What I do is leave the cheese out until the chips are smoking really well.  I take the rack and with a couple of 1x2 sticks prop it up on top of the smoker getting the cheese as far away from the element as possible and use the box to enclose the racks.  Once it starts smoking I put in the cheese.  When it is time to change out chips I remove the rack and set it out to cool while until I have good smoke again.  Just repeat the process until you get the desired amount of smoke in your cheese.  I am getting a maze style cold smoker so I can eliminate the whole hassle of the other crap.

[Kc_Kracker]

120 is WAY too hot, twice your target. you want to shoot for a max of like 60 degrees. after that the cheese starts to break down, push oil out, etc..

you are really better off using different unit for cheese, and something you can keep or toss, like a cardboard box works very well. if you want to use your lil chief since you already bought it,  then youll need to either keep the lid cracked or just modify it to dump heat and keep smoke, like make some large flaps at the bottom, crack the lid, or someway to dump heat but you also need to keep smoke.

if i was in your shoes and i have been, id take a dryer house mounted on that lil chief and run it about 5' to a box with your cheese in it. if the heat is still a lil high extend the hose it will drop 

or make it really easy and make a smoke generator so there is no heat 

[Bigshooter]

I use a big cheif to smoke my cheese.  I quarter a block of cheese and put it on the very top rack after the wood is smoking.  After 15mins I turn the cheese over and add more chips.  Then I give it 15 more mins and it is done.  If I want it really smoking I will go turn it again add more chips and smoke another 15mins.  Any longer than that and I have found that cheddar cheese gets very dry.

[PolarBear]

I ordered one of these, should have it by Friday.  Was going to build one but got tired of trying to find the right material.
http://www.amazenproducts.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=12

[Kc_Kracker]

youll love it, amazen's are very cool, a small learning curve to use them but very cool 

[Bshiftbc]

Thanks for the replies!
Two more questions..

1) How long do you smoke it (I have done batches of two and three hrs to experiment). I have used apple with Cheddar, apple with Pepper Jack, and hickory with Pepper Jack. If my wood is off too, tell me that as well!

2) I vacuum pack it and put it in the frig. How long do I need to keep it there before eating it? I have read allot of varying times!

[PolarBear]

I usually do 3-4 pans of alder.  I like my cheese to be really smoky.  After taking it out of the smoker I place the racks in my beer fridge for a couple of hours to cool before I vacuum pack them, it helps keep moisture down.

[Jason]

youll love it, amazen's are very cool, a small learning curve to use them but very cool 

  Best way to smoke cheese. If you can keeps the temp under 80 you'll be golden.
I probably did 50lbs of cheese last year, At first It took me awhile to keep the pellets going,
but found I was not letting them burn long enough before blowing out the flame.

[DoubleJ]

How do you store the cheese and how long will it keep?  I'd like to do about 20lbs but doubt I'd be able to eat that much in a 6 month time frame.

[Kc_Kracker]

mmmmm pepperjack n hickory! 

[Blacklab]

For cold smoking cheese the amps is the ticket  Got mine a several months ago and love it. Especially since there is such a varity of flavors with easy excess. Don't get me wrong I hot smoke with it to. With good results as well 

Kc is right let your heat out. Gl

[Whitpirate]

How do you store the cheese and how long will it keep?  I'd like to do about 20lbs but doubt I'd be able to eat that much in a 6 month time frame.

Smoke it and then vaccum pack it when it is cool and freeze it.  I've pulled stuff out from 6-8 months ago let it warm in the fridge for a few days and then open and it is good to go.

[mossy8352]

I have a friend that I just sent the info above to that is getting into smoking cheese. My question is would fish cold smoked be as good and last as long as using heat smoking??

[PolarBear]

I might be wrong but I think that you need the heat to kill bacteria in fish.