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12 replies

Smoked Cheese

D drdanMember
Had my first experience with smoked cheese on Sunday.....

Product: 2 1/2lb Heidi Ann Swiss
1lb Mild Cheddar
Wood: 1oz Hickory
2oz Apple
Broke wood chunks into small pieces
Smoker: SM025
Smoker Temp Setting: 225 degrees

Cut cheese into logs 1 to 1 1/2 inches square x 6 inches long (about the size of stick of butter)
Used Cold Smoke baffle in place of bottom smoker rack.
Placed large container of ice on top of baffle.
Placed cheese on top rack of smoker.

After loading smoker, I turned it on to 225 degrees and left it run for 20 minutes and shut it off. Temperature reached 82 degrees at the top rack. Left door closed for one hour after turning smoker off and then removed cheese.

When I removed the cheese, I found that the cheddar cheese had a perfect smoked flavor. I felt that the Heidi Ann could have used a second "Smoke Cycle", due to the stronger flavor of the cheese (read on). After removing the cheese, I allowed it to cool to room temperature and then wrapped with plastic wrap and refridgerated.

Today (3 days later), I unwrapped some of the Heidi Ann and found that the smoked flavor was a little more noticible. I'm not sure if the plastic wrap had anything to do with it, but I found a more noticible smoke flavor that my wife and I enjoyed.

Hope that this info is helpful to anyone thinking of trying th cheese thing Smiler
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T trucky1008Member
After reading the recent posts on smoking cheese I just had to give it a try this past weekend. The process worked out quite well. I don't have the baffle so I just wrapped one of the racks with several layers of HD foil and set a pan of ice on that rack. A handful of hickory chips and an hour later I had smoked cheese! But the smoke taste was very bitter. I didn't get that good smoke flavor I was seeking. I used about 2 handfuls of chips. Is the bitter flavor from too many chips? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
wheelzwheelzSmmmmoooookin'!
Trucky -- I tried my First Batch last weekend as well (bottom post).

I use just a palm-full of hickory and the cheese was excellent, according to the Mrs.

Remember that the initial "smoke" may contain come contaminants (yellow smoke) that could cause that bitter taste. The clear, clean smoke may work better for something as delicate as cheese. Just a thought.
FM Former Member
quote:
Originally posted by Trucky1008:
After reading the recent posts on smoking cheese I just had to give it a try this past weekend. The process worked out quite well. I don't have the baffle so I just wrapped one of the racks with several layers of HD foil and set a pan of ice on that rack. A handful of hickory chips and an hour later I had smoked cheese! But the smoke taste was very bitter. I didn't get that good smoke flavor I was seeking. I used about 2 handfuls of chips. Is the bitter flavor from too many chips? Any thoughts would be appreciated.


Trucky..........I use about a cup of Hickory chips when smoking cheese.
I do exactly what you do, foil a rack, half hotel pan filled with ice.
Fire up smoker until a good steady stream of smoke coming out the vent.
Put an empty soup can upside down blocking vent hole.
Turn off smoker, start my timer for one hour.
I turn on an electric fan and cool down cheese, wrap in plastic wrap and into fridge for 24 hours before tasting it.
Ive smoked probably 100# and very happy w/the quality.
Mike
D drdanMember
Trucky1008

I don't know if it makes a difference or not but I didn't use chips. I used hickory and apple chunks purchased from Cookshack and broke them into smaller pieces. I didn't notice a bitter taste when smoking the cheese.

I'll be smoking more cheese in the next few weeks along with some pork butt. The inlaws will be visiting from from South Carolina for my daughters college graduation and I plan on introducing them to world of Cookshack smoking.
Q qnorthNear Traverse City, MI
I suppose he did it to trap the smoke... which isn't really needed.

But I do believe that the last time I smoked raw bacon, I used my 1/2 inch bolt placed into the vent hole which would accomplish the same thing. (after the heat has been turned off)

I use the bolt inserted into the vent hole between smokes to keep creepy/crawlies and other things out of the vent hole.
FM Former Member
quote:
Originally posted by Thousand Oakie:
...ok, I'll bite. And you put an upside down soup can blocking the vent hole, why?

(not sarcasm, just looking to learn. You're making me ALMOST ready to try smoking cheese!)


Sorry im just getting a chance to read the posts here.

I use the inverted can to trap the smoke inside my smoker.
The power is turned off, smoker cooling down a bit, just keeping the smoke inside for the cheese.

Mike
D drdanMember
Wow... That's what I love about this forum. The smoked cheese thing was already posted and I decided to post my experience and sparked a whole new thread / conversation that includes other members experiences. I plan on doing another cheese smoke that will include the mild cheddar, Heidi Ann and I think that some mozarella will be included.
I just want to thank all of the Forum members for taking their time to read, review and comment. There is not a cook - smoke book out there that can compete with this forum!

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