Smoked Cheese Time!

Found cheese on Sale and it was still cold enough to get a good cheese smoke without overheating it.
The players are
4 pounds of Pepper jack, 4 pounds of White Cheddar, 2 pounds of Monterey jack, and 2 pounds of Mozzarella.

MSD wanted to try a few chunks of a flavored cheese. Two with crushed Black pepper pressed in and two with her Porcini Mushroom rub pressed in. Both were using the White Cheddar.

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On the Rack in the ECB propane smoker. I rarely use this – mostly of cheese or smokes oysters (I had to add an additional regulator and valve to be able to run at low temps) Top row is the MJ and Mozz, Middle is the White Cheddar, and bottom is the Pepper Jack.

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This Smoke is planned with just the Amaze – N – Smoker using Hickory dust. Lighting it from both ends.

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The smoke has started and will close it up and monitor the exhaust for smoke and temp

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The first tray of wood dust is about 50% done

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When the first tray was done, we pulled one chunk of the Porcini Cheddar to give it a try. It was good but I like it with more smoke and to age a few months after smoking


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Here it is after the second tray of Hickory Dust. Now to let it cool and then seal up for to let the Smoke get Happy a little deeper in the cheese. I did fire up the propane a few time to warm up the cheese because it was running between 50° and 60° with just the Amaze – N – Smoker. I warmed it to about 80° to help open the cheese so it would take the smoke better (once I did hit 100°)

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All sealed up and ready to rest in the crisper drawer of the Beer fridge. I try to keep several batches so it can age and then use the older ones first. Sometimes I find a good one a few years old!

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This should last awhile or at least until I find a good deal on Cheese again
Thanks for Lookin
SD

Thanks everyone.

IMHO about 80° is a good temperature. Warm enough to open up the pores of the cheese and cool enough to prevent deformation. I did a batch in August once and they formed around the grates. Tasted good but ugly!

Each tray was 5-6 hours but the first one I started just before dark and let it go through the night. We were mid 30's at night. In the morning I started a new tray and it was only running at 48° so I light the propane bringing it to 80°. It cooled down to low 50's pretty quick. I did that a few times and as the day warmed it was running about 60° without propane assistance.

I seem to do this about every two years, I like the smoked cheese more that MSD so it lasts longer. I still have some from 2013 and a couple treasures from 2011.

It does get better with age. The crisper in the beer fridge is dark and it stays about 32° - 34° all the time so I have not had any problems

The mushroom cheese was good but it only got 1/2 smoked and it did not age. I will watch it close as well as the pepper ones to make sure they get used pretty quick.


Edit - The Amae -N- Smoker Pellet model does product more heat than the dust model. You can also light just one end and get less smoke that lasts twice as long. Preferences!

Bushman5 said:

holy hell that is amazing!

I have always wanted to cold smoke cheese.......ESP some of the really STRONG Italian Parmesans.....(asiago, etc)

that little smoke tray? where to buy in BC CANADA? or am i forced to online shop for that tool?

Click to expand...

I bought mine direct from them but several BBQ supply places have them as well as on Amazon

They work well for cold smoking or to add extra smoke to a gas grill, pellet smoker Etc.


http://www.amazenproducts.com/Default.asp

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...vptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_2o2iw834yt_b