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ddweatherholtz
05-30-2012, 06:36 PM
Can I smoke cheese on a cos?

cousinconley
05-30-2012, 06:47 PM
I put a block of cheese in a small casserole dish and smoke it like a cut of meat. After its melted I put it back in the fridge to harden.

bigabyte
05-30-2012, 06:47 PM
You can definitely smoke cheese on a small offset. I started smoking cheese several years ago on my little Brinkmann offset.

I found it most convenient to arrange a few lit briquettes, like just six for example, next to each other in a 2x3 grid in the firebox and set one or two very small chunks of wood on top. The cooking chamber would not heat up much due to so little fuel, and the low burn temp of briqs helps too. The chamber would get smoke though.

Keep your temps below 80 or most cheeses can start to sweat, and that will affect quality.

Since it's getting towards summertime, pick a cool night, and start with only 3 or 4 briqs and see what temps you get.

muidaq
05-30-2012, 08:33 PM
You can cold smoke cheese in just about anything...even a cardboard box if you're careful. I've used a sawdust maze contraption and last time just put a chunk of wood on top of 4 coals with just one of them lit. Both worked well, just keep the temp down as Chris said and don't go much longer than an hour the first time. Be sure to let it age after smoking. Have fun and enjoy. We love some smoked white cheddar.

caseydog
05-30-2012, 08:50 PM
You can smoke cheese in anything, as long as you can cold smoke. I smoke cheese in my WSM, during the winter. I use the tin can and soldering iron method in my WSM. But, living in Texas, I can only do it in the winter months. In Texas, that means December to February. You only have to create smoke without heat, and do it when ambient temperatures will allow you to create smoke without heat.

It is awesome when you can pull it off.

It is all about creating smoke without creating heat.

CD

justjack
05-30-2012, 09:05 PM
And if you get white smoke, hold off putting it in, as the cheese will come out smelling like an ashtray. Also, try 20 minutes before you go longer, and keep those temps down. Awesome when it's done right. Remember to rest a week or two.

El Ropo
05-30-2012, 09:14 PM
I put a block of cheese in a small casserole dish and smoke it like a cut of meat. After its melted I put it back in the fridge to harden.

It took me several minutes after reading this to stop laughing.

Smoke at low enough temps that it doesn't melt and drip down through the intakes lol.

There are a few experts here who can provide pics of failed cheese smoking experiments..

Still laughing at that "smoke it like a cut of meat" comment. Sorry dude, but that's some farking funny stuff.

Pyle's BBQ
05-30-2012, 09:37 PM
Here is a great post on the subject.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=69597

IamMadMan
05-30-2012, 09:57 PM
Can I smoke cheese on a cos?

The object is to keep temps low. I have 1/4" stainless steel plates to place on ice in a pan with a drain.

I use a-maze-n smoker (http://www.amazenproducts.com/) for cold smoking, no heat and plenty of clean smoke. After smoking I add more ice to the pan and let the cheese sit in the smoker without smoke for an hour to equalize the temperature and flavor.

After you smoke your cheese, do not put into the refrigerator unwrapped or the refrigerator will smell like a forest fire for several days.

schlickenmeyer
05-31-2012, 12:13 AM
I have been using this http://www.macsbbq.co.uk/CSG.html
2-3 hours and even professional cheese types are telling me its the best they have had.
I agree with the 1-2 week mellowing period, tried it at a few days and yuck. At a week and a half, wow.
The key seems to be the sawdust burners do not raise chamber temps, so the model mentioned above or this are likely a better tool for this kind of work.
Cant wait to do salmon :)

captndan
05-31-2012, 07:22 AM
I use the tin can and soldering iron trick and a pan of ice. Very good results.

ddweatherholtz
05-31-2012, 07:39 AM
Thanks everyone. Lower temps this week in Maryland gonna give it a try one evening. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

Prosit!
Doug-E-Q