I vacuumed sealed 2 Gouda and 3 chedder saving one of each for current consumption (let me check my math. Yep. That's correct). I, too, couldn't wait. Tastes great.
Don't place any cheese above the A. S. cause even that slight heat will discolor and slightly melt the cheese. Place the A. S. in a corner on the bottom grate with the cheese placed around it on the above and bottom grates.
You won't get the grate marks with clean grates. I clean my grates every 2nd or 3rd time and didn't think about the marks on the cheese.
Halfway through the smoke, consider rotating and flipping the cheese for more even color and flavor. I flipped, didn't rotate. Funny, the bottom of the cheese will be lighter if you don't flip them, meaning less smoke on the bottom.
Also, the cheese on the bottom grate gets less smoke than the cheese on the top. This affect will be more prevalent in your smokers versus my smaller Elite. The A. S. won't put out as much smoke as the Cookshacks so it doesn't fill our smokers as well with the exhaust hole acting as a release valve preventing heavier smoke at the bottom side.
Fill your top grate with cheese (placement as suggested) working down. Unless you're smoking a large quantity of cheese, you won't even need your bottom shelves.