Has anyone tried

[jcboxlot]

Just wrapping bottom rack with foil and a big pan of ice?  No  cold plate.  There is a youtube video out there where plate was not used.

20 mins on, hour off...............repeat.

I'd rather put the $40 toward cheese and not a plate if not needed.

I'm guessing cheese smoke is for hard cheese only?  Not rocatta ? motz? or softer ones?

John

 

[Suzie-Q]

I've tried this cold smoke cheese method twice last year and enjoyed the results: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW1M5OMLPbg  I have used Cheddar, Colby/Jack, Mozzarella, Pepper Jack and Swiss.  Woods I've tried are Hickory, Apple and Pecan. I got a cold smoke plate for Christmas and just tried it out for 2015.  I think it helped keep it colder overall as the temperature was kept lower and no slightly melting cheese as I had with the foil covered rack method.  Don't forget the big load of ice under the cheese and the 3-4 day mellowing wrapped up in the 'fridge.

 

[Pork Belly]

If you use chips you can do a true cold smoke at 100. I don't get good smoke from the blocks at temps that low.

 

[BedouinBob]

If I was going to do a cold smoke without a plate, I think it would help to put two racks in. Foil the first rack, put ice on that and then a second rack with foil above that. Then put the cheese as far away as possible. I think that would put more of a cold buffer that will let smoke through but minimize heat. I also agree that 100 deg with chips will do a good job with giving smoke with minimal heat. Let us know how it goes with pics!

 

[1stlink]

I'm guessing that the PID controller would be a convenient add on for cheese smoking as well as fish, correct?  ???

 

[Walt]

Not for cold smoking since the thermocouple is completely seperated from the heat source with the addition of plenty ice in between.

 

[1stlink]

Yep, that makes a lot of sense, sometimes I'm a little slow.  :-[

Thanks for the info Walt

 

[DivotMaker]

The Auber PID can be used for cold smoking, and can actually "automate" the process!  Remember, when you isolate the element from the thermocouple, you are "fooling" the stock controller, or PID, into thinking the element needs to supply heat.  Works the same for both controllers.

Here's a program I came up with awhile back, when we were talking about this very thing:

First, the Auber probe needs to be above the cold smoke plate, not below.  The reason is that you want to make the probe "think" that it's not hot enough, so it stays on.  Here's how I think I'd program (everyone feel free to chime in if you think differently):

C01  250  E01  t  t01  0.3 (18 minutes)
C02  0    E02  t  t02  0.7 (42 minutes)
C03  250  E02  t  t03  0.3
C04  0    E03  t  t04  0.7
repeat up to 1 more time.  If you're cold smoking something that will need more than 3 "doses" of smoke, switch the unit off at the end of t06, and back on to start the program over.

I haven't tried this program, but I'm certain it will work.  Lazy Q Cheese! 8)

 

[Walt]

Got it, thanks.  Srrictly time, not temp.

 

[1stlink]

Thanks Tony another lesson learned 18 minutes of heat, 42 minutes no heat repeat as necessary..
Looks like a good plan to me

 

[Pork Belly]

Or you could just set the dial for 100 and let it run.....

 

[DivotMaker]

Or you could just set the dial for 100 and let it run.....

Yep, that could work, too!