cheese smoking

willm · Jan 30, 2009

Hi all.

I just tried my hand at smoking a little cheese on my UDS for the first time.

It is delicious! I only had some medium cheddar in the fridge, got the idea that I wanted smoked cheddar for lunch sandwiches, and that was it.

Other than finding it difficult to keep the temperature under 100 F without killing the fire, it was totally do-able. It smoked for a little over an hour, but I had to stop the timer and re-light the fire once.

I'm all for doing more cheese!

Anyone else smoking their own cheeses? Tips or suggestions?

NeoTrout · Jan 30, 2009

Jarlsberg swiss is excellent smoked.:icon_cool

HeSmellsLikeSmoke · Jan 30, 2009

There are several good threads on here for smoked cheese. If you go down to the bottom left of this page you will find a google search for the Brethren, type in "smoked cheese" and you will see some of them.

Here is the first one

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-35316.html

tommykendall · Jan 30, 2009

I smoked some over Xmas. Wanna know what it tasted like?
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Smoked cheese.

The Anchorman · Jan 30, 2009

I really don't know the workings of a UDS, but does it have a waterpan in there?
If it does then fill it with water and then freeze it solid before smoking the cheese. If it doesn't then find a way of getting a gallon of two of ice in the UDS, this will deffinately keep the temp at a lower degree.
I smoke chees quite regularly in my BWS Chubby. I remove thewater pan and fill it with H20 and freeze it solid before I attempt to smoke the cheese. I laso make the smallest fire that I can possibly get away with And still make it smoke.

Meat Burner · Jan 30, 2009

willm, I smoke cheese all the time if it's cold enough outside. My drum has two racks so I put a pan of ice on the botton and the cheese on the top. 4-5 lit briqs, sliver of wood, and anywhere from 45 mins to 90 mins. Temps pretty much stay around 80 degrees. Swiss, Mozz, Pepperjack, all are great. The softer cheese will take smoke a little quicker. Keep experimenting!!! Good stuff !!

willm · Jan 30, 2009

Well thanks for the quick replies.

I do have 2 racks on my UDS so I'll try the ice method next time.

I read somewhere that I should leave one air intake cracked open a little ways, and then close the air outflow so as to keep the smoke inside. From that I take it that creosote isn't an issue with cheese as it is with meat?

(thanks, too, for the search feature how-to tip)

Marsha · Jan 30, 2009

Smoked Mozarella makes me happy!

thirdeye · Jan 30, 2009

The Anchorman said:
I really don't know the workings of a UDS, but does it have a waterpan in there?
If it does then fill it with water and then freeze it solid before smoking the cheese. If it doesn't then find a way of getting a gallon of two of ice in the UDS, this will deffinately keep the temp at a lower degree.
I smoke chees quite regularly in my BWS Chubby. I remove thewater pan and fill it with H20 and freeze it solid before I attempt to smoke the cheese. I laso make the smallest fire that I can possibly get away with And still make it smoke.

Yes, yes yes. In a drum, a deep dish pizza pizza pan works good for this, placed on the lower rack. If you don't freeze a pan full of water, fill it with ice cubes.

As far as a fire goes, low temps are what you are after. You aren't trying to cook cheese, only flavor it. In a BDS, maybe 6 or 7 briquettes ashed over, with some chips on top is a good start. If the fire dies, no big deal....Take out the rack with the cheese, and start over with the fire. (it's best to have some charcoal going in another cooker or a starter chimney just for this.). 60 to 90 minutes is my general smoking time and other than some slight deformity and maybe rounded corners, you can't tell smoked cheese from fresh cheese.

willm · Jan 30, 2009

Exactly, it was easy to remove the cheese grill and then relight the fire - cheese seems pretty forgiving compared to meat.

Does anyone hang cheese in their smoker? When I buy smoked cheddar here in Canada it is usually an unusual shape but quite rounded as if it hung rather than sat on a grill or board etc.

Hanging cheese would allow the smoke to hit all surface areas in one go?

TysDad · Jan 30, 2009

Tried it once. It tasted like I rolled it in an ashtray. Guess I did not execute very good fire control. I will try it again and hopefully not waste $10 worth of cheese this time....

thirdeye · Jan 31, 2009

willm said:
Exactly, it was easy to remove the cheese grill and then relight the fire - cheese seems pretty forgiving compared to meat.

Does anyone hang cheese in their smoker? When I buy smoked cheddar here in Canada it is usually an unusual shape but quite rounded as if it hung rather than sat on a grill or board etc.

Hanging cheese would allow the smoke to hit all surface areas in one go?

If your smoker temp gets a little high, cheese will melt itself into the bars on the grate. I've had some sink in 1/4"......I'm thinking that unless you rigged up some special hanger it could get soft and fall off.....

I've used a piece of cheese cloth to smoke softer cheeses on (like the bricks on the left), which makes for easy removal from the grate.....You have to wait for the cheese to set up a few minutes, then remove the cheese cloth. If you wait too long, you will see the pattern from the cloth. They get a little deformed, but firm right back up.

I would guess you may be able to hang it in a little cheese cloth sack.

Damar12 · Jan 31, 2009

Can you do it at 100 degrees and not melt the cheese?

cheese smoking

willm

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NeoTrout

is Blowin Smoke!

HeSmellsLikeSmoke

somebody shut me the fark up.

tommykendall

Quintessential Chatty Farker

The Anchorman

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Meat Burner

Quintessential Chatty Farker

willm

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Marsha

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thirdeye

somebody shut me the fark up.

willm

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TysDad

Full Fledged Farker

thirdeye

somebody shut me the fark up.

Damar12

Knows what a fatty is.

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