Cold smoking options on my XL

RickyBobby · December 2014

Have never done a cold smoke on my Egg. Really craving smoked cheese. Would it be done in time for Xmas and New Years? What's the easiest way to cold smoke on my XL?

BizGreenEgg · December 2014

Easiest way is with an A-Maze-N Pellet smoker.

http://www.amazenproducts.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=AMNPS5X8

Super easy to use and it would definitely be done for Christmas. Most smoke the cheese for 2-4 hours and then let it mellow in a vac bag for a week.

Durangler · December 2014

Build a small fire on one side of the firebox with a couple small chunks of lump. Use a brick to cordon off an area. Get it going, add a chunk of smoke wood. If you have a plate setter place it. Set grid so that you can drop small wood pieces through the grid into the cordoned off coal. let bad smoke clear. If you have a remote grid thermometer, use it. Place cheese on grid. Smoke 1 to 1.5 hours. Flip cheese after 45 minutes if desired.

Little Steven · December 2014

There are a lot. Soldering iron in a coffee can with some holes punched in it, amazin smoker the smoke pistol. I made a couple of these up last year and they work awesome. Used some extruder elements for the heat source and a dimmer switch to regulate. Fine grid for chips or pellets and large grid for chunks. Best method is really running an aluminum dryer duct from the top of one egg to the lower vent of another.

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Smoker317 · December 2014

I have the amazn pellet smoker and have great success with smoking cheese.

Couple schools of thought on time... If you were going to seal the cheese for a couple months plus, then I would smoke for about three hours. If you are wanting some cheese for Christmas and New Years, I suggest taking a block slicing length wise about two inches wide. Pull one stick off at 60 minutes, another stick off at 90, and the last stick or so at 120 minutes. The taste you have is going to be very similar in the next 20 days or so. Age does nothing but tame and blend the smoke flavor into the cheese. Three weeks will mellow the flavor some, 3 months will really mellow the flavor.

Remember, you can't take the smoke out if you over smoke it, don't ask how i know this. Did I tell you that cheese isn't cheap. LOL.

It is all personal preference with taste, nothing to worry about temps and killing bacteria, etc. So smoke it until you like the taste. Start with a cheese you like, we like sharp cheddar, Gouda, colby jack, and pepper jack for the most part. I have smoked darn near everything Sam's Club sells.

Different kinds of cheese need different smoke time in theory, the above is a general guideline, it also depends on what wood flavor you are using, some wood obviously is stronger than other woods..

Two weeks give or take before Christmas is plenty of time for some cheese to set in the fridge. Let us know how it turns out.

RickyBobby · December 2014

How do you folks set your vent settings on Eggs when using something like the Amazing Pellet Smoker during a cold smoke?

Smoker317 · December 2014

What works for me is the bottom vent wide open, daisy wheel closed with just tear drop holes opened.

Again, on the smoking, some people will go five hours and eat within a month. That is too strong for our family taste. You will just have to experiment. I do also suggest letting the cheese rest for 90 minutes to 2 hours after you pull off smoke before sealing in bag. I put on a cookie rack.

Regardless, it is hard to screw up cheese. Just have some fun.

Smoker317 · December 2014

This batch went for about 3 1/2 hours. Unfortunately I failed to take an after pic of the smoked cheese. I swear there was no booze involved. This is the before pic. So just imagine the below cheese a little darker in color.

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Durangler · December 2014

Smoker317 summed it up quite well.

I have found more than 2 hours of smoke is overkill.

Vacuum sealed cheese holds smoke a long time.

My last years batch is still awesome .

+1 on letting it rest prior to sealing up. That draws any liquid or oils out, I guess, a good thing.

grege345 · December 2014

I use to use a soup can with holes punched in the bottom with one briquette in it with soaked apple wood chips on top of it.

Chelnerul · December 2014

I third the AmazN Pellet smoker. I first heard of them while watching Canadian quasi-Egghead YouTube channel "BBQFood4U." He uses his BGE and the pellet smoker to cold smoke a bunch of cheese. Take a look:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_999pgRUe4

The hardest part of his advice is using the Food Saver to put in the fridge for several days before eating...

Some other creative and good ideas above as well, probably cheaper too!

Lit · December 2014

All you need to do is get a couple pieces of lump going and put some chips on top. If the egg gets a little too warm you can just put a tray on ice on the plate setter and then the grate then the cheese above the ice to keep it cool. As long as the egg stays around 70 or below you are fine. Also I usually smoke cheese for an hour or even less it takes on smoke flavor quickly. You can eat it right away or some prefer to let it rest a week or so in the fridge its really a matter of taste. I don't think I have ever had any even last a week.

Cold smoking options on my XL

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