Andy, good job on your cheese as it sounds as if it was not over smoked, kudos.
Different cheeses will take on different colors and smoke, meaning the time it takes to reach your desired taste. When first starting to smoke cheese, take a small block of each and cut it into bite size pieces. When the smoke is applied sample every 15-30 minutes and smoke until you reach your desired taste then pull the cheese as it is done. Take note of the wood used and the color of each cheese as this is what you will be shooting for in future smokes.
Recently it has been my observation that many are becoming accustomed to consuming creosote. This can be attributed to the placement of smoke generators within relatively small product chambers such as, for example, electric or gas smokers while cold smoking. This then can result in over smoking the product to a point that it is unpalatable or disgusting.
Can a product be cold smoked by placing a smoke generator in the product chamber? Yes, but when doing so, the knowledge of the difference between hot and cold smoking must be understood. It is also extremely important to monitor the color and density of the smoke when timing the smoke being applied.
Due to the close proximity of the smoke generator to the product, it is very easy to over smoke the product whether the generator produces a heavy or light smoke, as the impurities in the smoke have not been diminished as when using distant fireboxes.
Have fun and enjoy your cheese,
Tom