Cold Smoked Cheese - A-Maze N Smoker

I used mine about 2 weeks ago. Planned on eating some this weekend.

welcome @KermitTheEgg

Funny you would ask, there were at least 5 cold smoke threads that popped up in the last 7-10 days.   I suppose it's that season.

I have the tray, not the tube.  I was very happy with the performance, and had no trouble with lighting or keeping lit as some of the amazon reviews stated.  

I it lit from both ends, and both sides got used up in a 4 hour cold smoke session - middle was untouched.

I laid a strip of metal across the top of firebox - just so the tray had a flat area.  Left the charcoal - saw no point in taking it out.

It was so ridiculously easy & cheap, I would say this should be one of those "automatic" accessories.  Have fun - let us know how you make out.

@ccoffey
@The Cen-Tex Smoker did a great tutorial a couple years ago.  Should answer a lot of your questions.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1158809/a-maze-n-smoker-tutorial/p1

I've used the amaze-n smoker in both the LBGE and the SBGE for smoking cheese. It helps to have only a low volume of lump in the egg at the time of smoking. I move the lump to one side exposing a couple of the fire box holes to allow full air flow through the egg. Light the pellets (I use apple or cherry) with a mapp torch or propane torch until they are flaming and let them burn for ten minutes. Blow out the flame and put the smoker in the bottom of the egg. I then place the plate setter legs up in the egg to diffuse the smoke evenly throughout the egg. Put your cleaned grill in place and your cheese directly on the grid. I found that 1 hour is plenty to give your cheese a pleasant smoky flavor. I found that 2 hours in the smoke made the cheese a little acrid even after letting it mellow in the foodsaver vac bags for a couple of months. Start with an hour and if you find that it is not enough, increase your times in 15 minute increments until you get it to where you want as opposed to cheese that nobody really enjoys. BTW, I have been able to smoke cheese this way no matter what time of the year it is. The smoker produces very little heat. Obviously you can't do it if the outside temp is above 90* F. Your cheese will start to melt.

We just finished the last of the cheddar and Gouda that I smoked last year. Can't wait to do it again very soon. 
Do give it a couple of weeks to mellow. 

I'm fairly new to the amazing smoker.  I really liked the gouda and pepper jack that I've done.  The cheddar... not so much.  

I used Tillamook Sharp, does it work better with mild?

I have the A-Maze-N 6" smoker tube. Packed full it gaves me approximately 2.5 hrs of smoke. I remove the lump from my fire box and most of the ash to allow max air flow. Then I place the tube flat on the CI grate in the bottom of the fire box. Best as I can tell, its never flared up after the initial flame has been blown out but I always use the plate setter as a barrier just in case. The tube produces great smoke for its size and I'm very pleased with its performance. 

Chubbs said:

blasting said:

I really liked the gouda and pepper jack that I've done.  The cheddar... not so much

Just too smokey or didn't like the smoke and cheddar combo? How long you let it chill in fridge before slicing?

I didn't care for the combination.  It was heavily smoked, but tasted great on gouda and pepper jack.  Last package of cheddar sat for 6 weeks.

@blasting and @Chris133 I usually go an hour, but light at both end of the AMS. Is that equal to 2 hours on one end? Who knows, but I find that is plenty of smoke on mine. 5 hours would be really smokey I bet. Let me know how it turns out

I use Apple wood pellets and the smoke seems to become more acrid after 2 hrs (my opinion). What wood are you all using? I was thinking I'd try something on the light side, oak? On my next cheese run.