Re: Smoking cheese
 

Not if you wake up early. :D

When I run batches in the summer, I will pre-cut the bocks the night before and I'll go out there at 5am to load the smoker and start the run. I'll be done by 9 - 9:30 before it heats up. My house faces almost due east, so the sun will just be barely peeking over the top into the yard by then.

Some of the softer cheeses do tend to deform a bit more, but usually it's not too bad.

Plus I put everything on stainless cookie cooling racks, which have a small grid pattern, so it doesn't sink too far. If you get an ugly one, you just keep it for yourself, or shred it.

Re: Smoking cheese
 

How about this in the winter?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E683PI6/?tag=fff0101-20

Re: Smoking cheese
 

We are having a brief cool spell to start off the "new season" so we decided to try our hand at smoking some cheese last night. Sharp Cheddar, Pepper Jack, and Mozzarella, about 3 hours in the smoke and now vacuum sealed and in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

Should be interesting...

[IMG]http://oldchurchbbq.com/sharedpictur...921_201139.jpg[/IMG]

http://oldchurchbbq.com/sharedpictur...921_213324.jpg

http://oldchurchbbq.com/sharedpictur...921_225131.jpg

http://oldchurchbbq.com/sharedpictur...921_225532.jpg

http://oldchurchbbq.com/sharedpictur...921_230503.jpg

Re: Smoking cheese
 

Looks great! What temp did use to smoke them?

Re: Smoking cheese
 

Not really sure Michael. It was ~77*F outside last night, an I used a pellet smoke tube from Amazin' Products to generate the smoke. I have a thermometer that I use in the smoker, but it starts at 150*, and I have a refrigerator thermometer that goes to 80 degrees. It was above 80* in the kettle, but the cheese didn't melt so it couldn't have gotten much above 85-90 I'm guessing. Definitely an experiment at this point! :D

Re: Smoking cheese
 

Steve, looks good.

If you want more smoke out of it, try taking the foil out from under the cheese, arrange the cheese grate so it doesn't allow contact to the weber grate, and move the smoke canister down to the coal grate. You'll get a better flow of smoke across the cheese with the top vent opposite the canister. Might not even need to crack it since most grills leak.

I run about 4 hours per batch (10-12lbs), flipping the cheese over and reloading the pellet maze half way. I also found that 5oz +/- blocks are kind of the magic size on my setup. 8oz and there is too much distance to the core where the smoke doesn't penetrate. Too thin and they get over smoked in a hurry, although I often intentionally use this tactic for smoked cheese dishes (ie: mac & cheese, sauces, etc). Since you are shredding and probably melting all of it, the oversmoked cheese can be mixed in with unsmoked cheese to achieve the smokiness level you want for the final product.

Heavier smoke typically also means the cheese needs to sit longer in the vacuum bags to mellow a bit. A few weeks to a few months usually before I open the bags.

Still owe you some photos, but haven't been able to use my setup for two months now because of the high temps and now the fires. Up until a few days ago, I could just leave a block of cheese outside and it would smoke itself just sitting there.

Re: Smoking cheese
 

Do you make your own Mozzarella? I do and well dried it is good smoking cheese.

Re: Smoking cheese
 

Thanks Adam. I wasn't sure if it would get too hot out there last night, so I put the foil in to limit the mess. Next time I will definitely leave it out. I also thought about putting the smoke tube below, but figured this would be a goo first try to see if the set up worked. Going to pick up some gouda and other cheeses in a couple of days and rework the set up.

Re: Smoking cheese
 

Have any old racks with a grid pattern? That helps a bit when it gets warm. I've never had a cheese outright melt, but I have had some sink 1/4" into the grate and end up looking like a high traction shoe sole.

Re: Smoking cheese
 

While the cheese "ages" in the vacuum bags in the fridge, do they need to be turned over?

Re: Smoking cheese
 

Nah.

But watch for beetles. And remember, it's always plume... ;)

Re: Smoking cheese
 

:lr :lr