Cold Plate Question

[TARDISgirl]

So, recieved the cold smoke plate for my #1 for Christmas, and I'm looking foward to trying it out on some cheese this week.
I watched the video posted in another thread, but still had a couple of questions:
Does it matter which side faces up on the plate?  How much space should I leave between it and the heating element? Should I place a pan of ice on the plate directly, or use a rack?  Any type of wood I should avoid? What are your fave cheeses to smoke?

Thanks!

 

[DivotMaker]

Hey Michelle, I put mine flange-side down (the wide part that slides into the racks).  Fill your drip pan FULL of ice, and set it directly on the plate.  Also, it needs to be on the lowest shelf rack.

Wood to avoid?  That's up to you - you'll learn by trial and error!  For example, the first time I smoked cheese, I used apple...it was awful!  Apple wood smoke tastes much differently in cheese than it does in meat (imo).  I'm actually more of a fan of hickory or cherry.

My cheese tastes are pretty simple, too - any cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, Swiss, jack pretty much.  I'm not a big Gouda fan, but lots of folks are.  Again - all about YOUR tastes!  Pick your favorite cheeses - they're only better smoked! ;D

 

[GeeBee]

Michelle,
I don't think it matters which side up on the cold plate. The rest of Tony's advise is right on. I disagree with him about the apple. I like apple wood on cheese, but peach wood is also a favorite of mine. I think the key is to go with small amounts of wood. Be careful and don't over smoke the cheese. Too much smoke will be bitter. My favorite cheese by far is Gouda.

 

[Pork Belly]

I think Tony was sold some bad apple or perhaps it was not ever apple. I think apple is a great wood. My experiences with smoking cheese are pretty successful. I suggest starting with some 1/4 pound chunks of a few different cheeses. Keep track of how long and with what wood you smoke it. Taste your batch the night you pull it out and again a few days later, keep notes regarding taste color and texture so you can repeat your results. Good Luck!

 

[DivotMaker]

Whoa!  Easy, guys!   I said the apple taste on cheese was awful in my opinion!  It was apple from Fruitawood, so I'm pretty sure it was apple.  I just personally don't like the taste of apple smoke - just like some don't like the taste of hickory or ___fill in the blank.  The point I was trying to make - unsuccessfully - was that wood smoke taste is totally subjective, and is best learned through experimentation.  I took the apple cheese I smoked to work, and everyone raved about it - go figure! ???

 

[TARDISgirl]

Thanks everyone for your feedback!  Will probably smoke tomorrow -- we've been getting snow, so I figured it's a perfect time for a cold smoke
Will let you all know how it turns out.

 

[DivotMaker]

Good luck Michelle!

 

[TARDISgirl]

Did two rounds of smoke: 20min at 220 with 1 hour off each time.  My smallest piece of wood was pecan, and I figured, "What the hay?"  Had a block of pepper jack, cheddar, and monterey jack.  No melting or dripping (yay!) and each cheese did show some darker coloring afterwards (and smelled awesome).
They are currently sitting in my fridge overnight as I probably won't be able to wait longer than that 

 

[BedouinBob]

Can't wait to hear how you like it. We had some for snacks yesterday and it was great. 

 

[TARDISgirl]

Sorry for the delay in replay...
The cheese was hit, I've been using it as snacks, putting it in omelets, and as bribes at work.
Planning another round in the next few days!

 

[DivotMaker]

Nice cheese, Michelle! ;D

 

[SuperDave]

Michelle,
What size were your blocks of cheese in the smoker? 

 

[TARDISgirl]

Michelle,
What size were your blocks of cheese in the smoker?

I just picked up a few of the blocks of cheese you typically get in the back of the grocery store. They were about  4-5 inches long, 3 inches wide, and about 1-2 inches thick. My favorite has been the Monterey Jack. It was the thinnest of all of them, and seems to pick up the smoke flavor the best.