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Smoked Cheese

Used the Amaze-n Smoker, Traeger Hickory Pellets.  

New to smoking cheese, going to try Salmon next.  My rule is to smoke cheese I like, or at least try to!  Like Gouda, Kerry Gold Irish Cheddar and Vermont White Cheddar.  Also my first attempt at smoking cheese then packaging for long term storage with my new Food Saver the Queen bought for me.  

Smoked approximately 2 hours and then flipped the cheese to get smoke on the other side.

Lesson learned:  
Vermont Cheddar was aged 3 years and a little more brittle, hard to cut evenly by hand (lots of broken pieces).  
Dome Temp never got over 50 degrees, but I put the vent on due to it raining at the time, kept a lot more moisture in and the vermont cheddar (at the bottom melted a bit on the sides.  However, absolutely recoverable and I believe it will still taste great.  

Best Practice - let it sit up for 2 weeks before tasting (although I did taste a bit as it came off the grill - fantastic!!).  Takes some of the edge off.  Also total smoke time was 4 hours.  Last time I smoked for 6 hours (only lit one side of the smoker, it smoked all night) and although me and the Queen like it, it is a bit strong for the kiddos (more for us!).  I smoke a bit less this time as I plan to give some of this cheese to my Mom and Dad for Mothers/Fathers Day.  Another best practice - was burning off the rest of the lump from a big cook earlier and decided to boil eggs for breakfast the next day.  BGE boils eggs.  Is there anything it can't do?

Can't wait to try salmon!  

Comments

  • How do you like the quality of smoke that thing makes?  I'm not a fan of the Traeger pellets but I know they are the easiest to find.

    Were you using the tube or the tray?
  • JwgreDeux
    JwgreDeux Posts: 139
    The only smoke is from the pellets?  I've had great success with cheese using a charcoal, wood chunks, and a drip pan of ice, but the temp only stays under 90 degrees for about 45 mins, but the smoke taste is great.  Intrigued by the long smoke times. Looks great.
  • Greeno55
    Greeno55 Posts: 635
    I've used the Traeger pellets to smoke bacon and cheese in my AMSPS and have been happy with the results.
    LBGE (2012), MiniMax (2014), and too many Eggcessories to list.  - Sudbury, Ontario
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    What Food Saver did J buy for you? Working well?
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • bud812
    bud812 Posts: 1,869
    Why not smoke it right on the grill ? It works great for me.

    Not to get technical, but according to chemistry alcohol is a solution...

    Large & Small BGE

    Stockton Ca.

  • Solson005
    Solson005 Posts: 1,911
    Looks awesome! It's on my list to try sometime soon for sure!
    Large & Small BGE, CGW Two-Tier Swing Rack for BOTH EGGS, Spider for the Wok, eggCARTen & and Cedar Pergola my Eggs call home in Edmond, OK. 
  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    Someone went to Costco...

    Looks great!
  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    I have been a cheese machine. Little disappointed in the flavor of mine- 3 hours both sides of AMS lit. Little much for me
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • meister5
    meister5 Posts: 20
    I have been smoking cheese for about 10 years now. I brush it with liquid smoke first and then let it dry. I do it in my smokehouse using a Bradley smoke generator with no heat. I always do it in the late fall so the smokehouse stays really cool. After 3 hours of smoke I let it overnight in the smokehouse and then shrink wrap it in the morning. Now after smoking I age it three years in the fridge. I have never had a piece go bad. The key to really good smoked cheese is the long term aging as it penetrates completely and any of that " sharp " pitchy taste goes away completely.
    Meadow Lake Sk. LBGE, Stoker, Adjustable rig.
  • Nice work on the cheese! I picked up an A-Maze-N smoker about a month ago and love it...also figured out when it arrived that the company is located about 5 miles from my home.  

    The Kerry Gold is a great cheddar to smoke.  I try and limit time on smoke to 90 minutes, and I wait at least a week to let the cheese mellow before serving.
    Love smoking chicken...but they are hard to keep lit ;-) http://daveyrayland.wordpress.com/ Small Egg / Weber OTG 22" / CharGriller Trio / Masterbuilt 30" Electric
  • makis
    makis Posts: 81
    I smoked my first five lb. of Swiss cheese, cheddar and Gouda last Monday. Smoked for 9 hours with beech saw dust and it is fantastic. Actually a local restaurant asked me to make more and sell it to him.... Now I have my first piece of lox been smoked and into it for 2 hours so far. I think I will go for more since I am using maple this time. Cold smoking is a great hobby when you have a BGE!
  • milesbrown4
    milesbrown4 Posts: 314
    meister5 said:
    I have been smoking cheese for about 10 years now. I brush it with liquid smoke first and then let it dry. I do it in my smokehouse using a Bradley smoke generator with no heat. I always do it in the late fall so the smokehouse stays really cool. After 3 hours of smoke I let it overnight in the smokehouse and then shrink wrap it in the morning. Now after smoking I age it three years in the fridge. I have never had a piece go bad. The key to really good smoked cheese is the long term aging as it penetrates completely and any of that " sharp " pitchy taste goes away completely.


    Wow great picture.  Acknowledge the long term aging.  What is the best time to age for cheddar?
  • milesbrown4
    milesbrown4 Posts: 314
    What Food Saver did J buy for you? Working well?
    @Mickey J bought me the one COSTCO is pushing.....works great.  It makes my BGE work last for up to a week in the frig or months in the freezer.  The amazing thing is what it does for fruit and salad - really makes it last!
  • milesbrown4
    milesbrown4 Posts: 314
    How do you like the quality of smoke that thing makes?  I'm not a fan of the Traeger pellets but I know they are the easiest to find.

    Were you using the tube or the tray?
    I used the tray.  The Queen bought it for me along with the pellets.  Once I get thru the large amount of pellets she bought initially I will get some applewood and pecan which I think I will like much more.
  • How do you like the quality of smoke that thing makes?  I'm not a fan of the Traeger pellets but I know they are the easiest to find.

    Were you using the tube or the tray?
    I used the tray.  The Queen bought it for me along with the pellets.  Once I get thru the large amount of pellets she bought initially I will get some applewood and pecan which I think I will like much more.
    That's a mighty nice Queen you have if she's getting you toys for the Egg :)

    I thought you must have the tray since you had mentioned lighting both ends. The guys at Amazn Products are awesome when it comes to customer service.  I know of a guy who was having trouble keeping the tray lit and they swapped it out for the 12 inch tube free of charge.

    Also, I felt like I needed to backup the reason I didn't like the Traeger pellets.  They use flavor oils in some of their pellets.  Unless things have changed, their hickory pellets contain no hickory at all.  They are either oak or alder with flavor oil.  I have never used them so they may be fine. 

    Wished I had thought of trying this before the weather got warm :)  That's some good looking cheese!

  • milesbrown4
    milesbrown4 Posts: 314
    How do you like the quality of smoke that thing makes?  I'm not a fan of the Traeger pellets but I know they are the easiest to find.

    Were you using the tube or the tray?
    I used the tray.  The Queen bought it for me along with the pellets.  Once I get thru the large amount of pellets she bought initially I will get some applewood and pecan which I think I will like much more.
    That's a mighty nice Queen you have if she's getting you toys for the Egg :)

    I thought you must have the tray since you had mentioned lighting both ends. The guys at Amazn Products are awesome when it comes to customer service.  I know of a guy who was having trouble keeping the tray lit and they swapped it out for the 12 inch tube free of charge.

    Also, I felt like I needed to backup the reason I didn't like the Traeger pellets.  They use flavor oils in some of their pellets.  Unless things have changed, their hickory pellets contain no hickory at all.  They are either oak or alder with flavor oil.  I have never used them so they may be fine. 

    Wished I had thought of trying this before the weather got warm :)  That's some good looking cheese!

    Good info!  The Queen bought the first installment of pellets - recently I found a great hardware store nearby (Village Hardware, Mount Vernon, VA) that has a wide selection, will most likely convert to the real thing.  I do see a coat of "oil" on the inside of the egg when the cold smoking is DUN.  
  • U_tarded
    U_tarded Posts: 2,041
    For what it's worth I've been using chips for the big chief smokers in mine. They are just a cut above sawdust but pack tight and burn like a cigarette. I don't know how available they are but it's grab and go at my local ace and they are like $4 for about 4 pounds
  • milesbrown4
    milesbrown4 Posts: 314
    Thanks thats some more good info!