The Grill Sergeant
Full Fledged Farker
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2010
- Location
- Omaha, NE
I don't know what in the fark got into me today, but I saw a thread where you could make a cold smoker out of a tin can and a soldering iron. Since I had wanted to learn how to smoke cheese, and this looked more than simple, I jumped on it and have been smoking cheese all afternoon.
Here is a pic of the cold smoker and my field notes:
I opened a can of peas, bent the top back a bit > drilled a hole in the bottom > put about half a can of smoking wood chips in it. I got a roast rack and raised it just enough to clear the can > turned it upside down and put a grate over the top to hold the cheese.
Good gawd! Talk about easy peazy!
As this was my first attempt, & I didn't want a bunch of ruined high $ cheeses, the cheeses I chose were cheap store brands of co-jack, swiss & cheddar.
1st test was with Maple smokin wood which produced quite a bit of smoke and cooked about 74 degrees for the duration of the cook - 45 min. The swiss and the chedar started melting.
2nd test was w Cherry. Moved the swiss and cheddar further from the heat source and the co-jack closer. Cherry didn't produce as much smoke and burned cooler (58 degrees). Therefore, I smoked this test for 1.5 hrs.
3rd was Mesquite. Produces modest smoke @ modest temps (55-56 degrees).
Cheddar is good but so far my favorite is Maple with all the cheeses.
4th was Jack Daniels - excellent smoke quickly with low temps. The burn got up to 72 degrees and at 61 degrees, there was limited smoke.
5th was Hickory: Delivered great smoke @ low temps - 45 degrees only 10 minutes in. @ 14 minutes 68 degrees with exceptionally nice smoke - 18 min. in - nicer smoke yet. 28 min in @ 79 degrees only limited smoke & at 31 minutes 82 degrees but virtually no smoke.
6th was Apple. I surprised me cuz it burned hotter than all the rest AND gave excellent flavor. 8 min in @ 72 degrees minimal smoke. 10 min in temp @ 80 degrees minimal smoke. 21 min in@ 92 degrees only modest smoke. 28 min in @ 107 degrees excellent smoke. 32 min in @ 114 degrees only limited smoke. Had to keep moving cheese further from the heat source and still the co-jack melted a bit.
I think I favor the apple smoke above all those woods tested and as importantly, there is a special Club Cracker that I favor - it's the Keebler Buttery Garlic. It improved the flavor of everything.
Here is a pic of the cold smoker and my field notes:
I opened a can of peas, bent the top back a bit > drilled a hole in the bottom > put about half a can of smoking wood chips in it. I got a roast rack and raised it just enough to clear the can > turned it upside down and put a grate over the top to hold the cheese.
Good gawd! Talk about easy peazy!
As this was my first attempt, & I didn't want a bunch of ruined high $ cheeses, the cheeses I chose were cheap store brands of co-jack, swiss & cheddar.
1st test was with Maple smokin wood which produced quite a bit of smoke and cooked about 74 degrees for the duration of the cook - 45 min. The swiss and the chedar started melting.
2nd test was w Cherry. Moved the swiss and cheddar further from the heat source and the co-jack closer. Cherry didn't produce as much smoke and burned cooler (58 degrees). Therefore, I smoked this test for 1.5 hrs.
3rd was Mesquite. Produces modest smoke @ modest temps (55-56 degrees).
Cheddar is good but so far my favorite is Maple with all the cheeses.
4th was Jack Daniels - excellent smoke quickly with low temps. The burn got up to 72 degrees and at 61 degrees, there was limited smoke.
5th was Hickory: Delivered great smoke @ low temps - 45 degrees only 10 minutes in. @ 14 minutes 68 degrees with exceptionally nice smoke - 18 min. in - nicer smoke yet. 28 min in @ 79 degrees only limited smoke & at 31 minutes 82 degrees but virtually no smoke.
6th was Apple. I surprised me cuz it burned hotter than all the rest AND gave excellent flavor. 8 min in @ 72 degrees minimal smoke. 10 min in temp @ 80 degrees minimal smoke. 21 min in@ 92 degrees only modest smoke. 28 min in @ 107 degrees excellent smoke. 32 min in @ 114 degrees only limited smoke. Had to keep moving cheese further from the heat source and still the co-jack melted a bit.
I think I favor the apple smoke above all those woods tested and as importantly, there is a special Club Cracker that I favor - it's the Keebler Buttery Garlic. It improved the flavor of everything.
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