Smoking Cheese

[skioutwest]

I am surprised that there are not more posts on smoking cheese.  This is one of my favorite things to smoke in my 3D.  I don't even turn the smoker on....instead, I use one of those cheap screens that you use with pellets.  I have a Smoke Daddy Vortex, but there are cheaper options on Amazon.  I find it works better using a 2-3lb block of cheaper cheddar cheese (the good stuff gets too brittle).  I give it about 1.5 hours, pull it out and double wrap it in plastic wrap for a week, then vacuum pack 1 inch slices of the block.  They will keep for at least 6-9 months in the fridge.  I find Oak and Hickory to work best.

Anyone else smoke cheese?

-Mark

 

[LarryD]

I give it about 1.5 hours, pull it out and double wrap it in plastic wrap for a week, then vacuum pack 1 inch slices of the block.

What is the value proposition in wrapping it in plastic for a week vs. straight into vacuum sealed?  Are you smoking a large block and then slicing it?

I've smoked cheese a couple times now.  I have the cold plate for #2, so I turn the heat up for 10-15 minutes to get the smoke rolling and then turn it off again for 30-45 minutes.  I do that maybe three times and call it good...  everyone seems to like it well enough.  I only smoke cheese a few months out of the year because the rest of the time the ambient temperature is too high. 

 

[NDKoze]

I love smoking cheese and use either my A-MAZE-N tube or tray smokers to smoke my cheese.

I generally eat most of mine within a few months, but for my hard cheeses like Cheddar and Gouda, I always let some of them age in the bottom drawer of my fridge. I have some aged cheddar that is now pushing 3 years old and only gets better the longer that you can resist opening it.

Most of this aged cheese I don't share with too many people.

I usually just vacuum pack right away and then let them sit for a minimum of 2 weeks, but prefer 4 weeks. It is very important to let them cool way down before your vacuum them though and make sure that you fan dry them to ensure that there is no moisture anywhere on the cheese. I do not dab the moisture off with paper towels or any of that. I just air/fan dry the cheese and then vac pack.

I want to get into waxing my cheese, especially the stuff that I plan on aging as it will age/keep much better than the vacuum packing.

There are a fair amount of posts under cold smoking section on smoked cheese, FYI.

 

[Norwester]

I smoke cheese fairly often, I've got 5-6 lbs or so in the bottom of the fridge and another 7 lbs I'll be smoking soon. I like cheddar and pepper jack and I've been smoking cheese and everything else with pecan lately. Pecan dust in the A-MAZE-N tray. I'm going to use alder dust this next batch. I let mine air dry for a few hours and then vacuum pack. Its just so easy to do, no prep other than chunkin' up the cheese and no cleanup to speak of..

 

[skioutwest]

LarryD:

I wrap it for a week because some cheeses will get oily.  Plus after that week or two, I will then slice the block into 1 inch slices and vacuum pack each piece.  They make great gifts when going to a friends house, for co-workers, etc.  It is tough to find smoked cheddar in the store.

I am actually smoking a block I got at BJs right now.  Using some maple and will likely let it go for 2 hrs.

-Mark

I give it about 1.5 hours, pull it out and double wrap it in plastic wrap for a week, then vacuum pack 1 inch slices of the block.

What is the value proposition in wrapping it in plastic for a week vs. straight into vacuum sealed?  Are you smoking a large block and then slicing it?

I've smoked cheese a couple times now.  I have the cold plate for #2, so I turn the heat up for 10-15 minutes to get the smoke rolling and then turn it off again for 30-45 minutes.  I do that maybe three times and call it good...  everyone seems to like it well enough.  I only smoke cheese a few months out of the year because the rest of the time the ambient temperature is too high.