Smoked cheese

[Stinkyrat]

If you want a pretty easy way to get smoke and low temps give this a try! I've had pretty good sucess with cold smoking and it can be used on any grill/smoker/charcoal BBQ:

https://www.amazon.com/A-MAZE-N-AMNPS5X8-Pellet-Smoker/dp/B007ROPJ1M

Stinkyrat

Edit to add: I use wood chunks when I'm normally doing my smoke work but you'd be suprised by the smoke that little A-maze-in box can put off!

[luvmystang67]

I did some with apple and some with alder and strongly preferred the alder.

I prefer alder smoke in general though, so I may not be the best person to ask.

The alder smoked tillamook sharp is AMAZING.

Smoking lighter cheeses (medium or mild cheddars, monterey jack, colby) was not nearly as good, but that may just be personal preference.

[206]

If you want a pretty easy way to get smoke and low temps give this a try! I've had pretty good sucess with cold smoking and it can be used on any grill/smoker/charcoal BBQ:

https://www.amazon.com/A-MAZE-N-AMNPS5X8-Pellet-Smoker/dp/B007ROPJ1M

Stinkyrat

Edit to add: I use wood chunks when I'm normally doing my smoke work but you'd be suprised by the smoke that little A-maze-in box can put off!

I have one.  Perfect smoke for when you need really low cooking temps.

[4T]

I tried some cheddar and pepper jack that I smoked for an hour and let rest for 2 weeks.  Very good. My family liked it. This weekend I will try some that I did for 2 hours and it will be 3 weeks rested. I'm pretty excited about trying different methods. Just to see what we all like.  This cheese was smoked with apple.  I should write all this down so I can keep track of what I've done and not done. 

[blindluck]

Try some that you put away for a year or so in your refer. You Wont believe it.

[blindluck]

30 lbs Apple smoked

[h20hunter]

What I want to do is smoke a bit of cheese and age a baby barrel of whiskey from woodinville whiskey comp. Store them both, break em out a year later and nosh away with some game pep sticks or summer sausage.

[luvmystang67]

Sounds like a lot use apple.  Apple seems so harsh to me.  I think I'd prefer apple for red meats.  Alder is so much more mild and has less of a weird aftertaste.  Great for fish and I like it on the cheese.  My cheese with apple was just too strong and overpowered the cheese.

Do other people not get this effect?

Do you guys notice a big difference in wood types like this or am I just nuts?

[h20hunter]

Agreed. I'm using pecan for just about everything right now.

[blindluck]

Apple to me is awesome, but that is after at least 6 months of storage in the refrigerator vacuum-packed, Everyone seems to love and request I bring my apple smoked cheese to the party. sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

I'll mix apple and hickory or apple and cherry. Apple is always the goto for all smoke.

[4T]

When you guys are smoking for 3 hrs or better, are you putting a light smoke to it? Cuz with my smoke cheif it puts out way more smoke than my regular propane  smoker and can't imagine  putting that much smoke too the cheese for that long. Just curious.

[92xj]

Anyone with too much smoke on cheese is either not letting it rest long enough or producing the wrong smoke.  Most people will argue about their rest times and i have no desire to argue with you on that, bottom line, let it rest for as long as you can take it. But the more realistic reason will be a too cold of fire and you are producing the wrong smoke for cold smoking. Need a warm fire, a lot of oxygen and thin blue smoke which is not bitter like a colder fire less oxygen thicker looking smoke.  Tune your smokers and how you cool your smoke to produce a thin blue smoke, no need to play with your wood.

I smoke all applewood and always will. 99.9% of people will not know the difference in taste between similar woods.

You can produce great tasting anything smoked food and horrible bitter overpowering smoked food using the exact same wood and even during the same cook cycle, all depends on your fire.

[NRA4LIFE]

Well said. I never smoke cheese anymore for more than about 1.5 hours.  That's the amount of smoke I like.  Apple is my go to wood for cheese.  I don't smoke anything with alder anymore, far too bitter for me.

[4T]

Tried my 2 hrs smoke stuff this weekend. Been resting for 3 weeks.  So far my favorite. Stuck the rest in the bottom of the fridge  for a couple months. Thanks for all the input everyone.  This has been fun and tasty.  In laws have already made some requests for future.