smoking cheese

[greg7878]

hello.  tried smoking some cheese today.  did a rack wrapped in foil and with a container full of ice in the slot just above the smoker box.  i then put sharp cheddar, mozzarella ball halves, and some Monterey jack cheese on the top shelf.  i saw a video link on here that i followed that said 20 minutes on full heat, 60 minute rest, 20 minute on smoke, and 60 minute rest and then take out.  i pulled them out and they were definitely smoky but had melted a little, especially the mozzarella cheese halves.  the mozzarella also had a hard, outer skin to it so the inside is good, but the outside isn't very edible.  any suggestions on how to do better next time.  it's only a few bucks worth of cheese so it's no biggie they didn't turn out that good this time but i'd like to get a system for making better smoked cheese.  any help would be great, thanks
greg

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[DivotMaker]

The first thing to do, Greg, is go to the Cold Smoking section of our forum.  There are a lot of cheese articles that will help you immensely!  Next, a foiled shelf will NOT be a sufficient heat block for cold smoking.  Again, check out the cheese articles, and alternatives to the cold smoke plate.  I recommend the cold smoke plate, which works very well for me.  Others have found alternatives, but you definitely need more than a foiled shelf.

[greg7878]

yeah, i put one of the large tin cooking dishes full of ice on it, took up entire rack.  i saw some posts on the cold smoking thread describing the method i used.  i'll probably have to invest in a cold smoke plate but we learn by trying new things so it was still a good experience.  i'll look more closely at that section of the forum and see what tips and tricks are listed
greg

[SuperDave]

greg,
Did you use a thermometer in your cheese area?  Rather than blindly going full power for a specified period of time, watch your thermometer.  I control power on and off as I watch the temperature rise in the immediate cheese area. 

[DivotMaker]

Good thinking, Dave!  Or, should I say, "Cheesemeister" Dave!

[SuperDave]

Doing cheese in a #1 is going to be  a bear without using an outside smoke device.  However, I never say die until I've tried everything.  What I can suggest is building the best firewall you can.  I use multiple layers of ceramic tiles.  I've also thought about using a couple layers of 5/8" fire rated gyp. bd. wrapped in some foil.  Both of these materials are relatively cheap and easily found at a local big box home/lumber store.  My tiles work great for me because I have a lot of vertical space.  I keep thinking that the gyp. bd. would make an excellent heat barrier though.  See if Home Depot has a broken sheet you can pick up for $2.00. 

[DivotMaker]

Doing cheese in a #1 is going to be  a bear without using an outside smoke device.

Nope.  I only have a cold smoke plate for my #1, and it works great.  I'm seriously looking at some external devices, like the Smoke Daddy "Big Kahuna," though, for my #2! 

[Limey]

The Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna works great on my #3 although it is larger than really necessary. They do make a smaller unit I think.

[NDKoze]

Hey Greg,

Check out my threads smoking cheese and testing with my A-MAZEN AMNPS and AMNTS cold smoke generators.

http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=3058.0
http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=2698.0
http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=2639.0

With a #1 you're probably going to have to go this route or another cold smoke generator device.

A thermometer is extremely important! Your goal should be to keep the temps in the 60-70 degree range with an absolute high at 90. If it ever gets to 90 you need to open the door and pull the cheese out until the temp goes down.

This is really a winter or cold day in Spring/Fall type of smoke. Trying to smoke cheese in the summer in most areas might be kind of tough. So smoke a lot and stock up while the temps allow.

It is also really important to rest your cheese for a minimum of one week, but 1-2 or more months is even better especially for hard cheeses.

Let us know if you have any other questions.